Candidate for Banding?

[captpat]

I have a Morta pipe that has developed a couple of cracks in the mortise. The first crack extends ~1/2" externally on the backside of the pipe, starting where the stem seats propagating downward towards the bowl. It also appears that the crack extends into the mortise through to the draft hole. A second crack appears along a different grain line and below (towards the bowl) the first crack, it's ~1/4" long. The pictures are the best I can get with my phone.

The company has replaced this pipe with a new one. Don't know much about Morta but it seems like this one could be salvaged, perhaps with a band?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Sure looks like it needs a band to me. I've banded many pipes, but never a morta. I've never even had one in my hand for more than a few seconds, so I am not sure whether it bands well or not.
But, at least the company made it right for you. I hope she smokes sweet for you.

 

[captpat]

It's a smoker, hopefully, a repair can be made, I'd hate to have it as only good for display.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Hey, at least you'll have a spare stem.

 

[georged]

Anyone can band anything badly. Doing it WELL is murderously difficult. Another catch is having a large supply of $ilver band$ on hand, because determining fit is an interactive exercise. i.e. You can't just measure and order one.

I'll take a guess based on photos, but square-up side profile shot of the pipe is necessary.

 

[Duck]

Faux ivories can be used to make bands to fit the pipe. I'm not sure if ivory bands are strong enough for repairing a split shank though, as opposed to covering a flaw. An off white band would be a good contrast for a morta though.

 

[georged]

Ivory?

You are thinking an ornamental extension is a functional band. They are not. They just "sit there".

A repair band must be compressive and withstand considerable outward force. Much more than already-crack-probe ivory (fake or not) could withstand.

 

[Duck]

It would also require removing material from the shank which is just what you don't want to do. Oh well, scratch that thought.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Anyone can band anything badly. Doing it WELL is murderously difficult. Another catch is having a large supply of $ilver band$ on hand, because determining fit is an interactive exercise. i.e. You can't just measure and order one.

I'll take a guess based on photos, but square-up side profile shot of the pipe is necessary.

Honestly it's not really that difficult, you just have to dive in. I banded a Savinelli not too long ago and it came out great. You just have to measure very carefully. Then go to VT Freehand and find a band that matches your measurement. Because there is a +/- tolerance to the band sizes you'll need buy a couple in order to find one that will work. Once you find one that ALMOST fits, but is just a hair too small, that's the one. Thin out some superglue apply it lightly to the crack and clamp the crack closed. Once it's cured you may have to scrape off a little excess if it squeezes out. Just use an X-acto blade and go slow. Once it's fully cured remove the clamp and heat the band up with a heat gun. Once the band is hot lay it on a flat, level surface and slowly press the shank into the band. Don't expect it to go all the way on first try. Once you have it started, re-heat the band, nice and hot and press it fully into place against the same level, square, flat surface. If want it to fit perfectly flush then you'll need someone with a lathe but otherwise it's 100% doable

 

[captpat]

If I have it done I’ll send it out to someone experienced In this type of repair.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

If I have it done I’ll send it out to someone experienced In this type of repair.

This guy can do it...

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[captpat]

Anyone can band anything badly. Doing it WELL is murderously difficult. Another catch is having a large supply of $ilver band$ on hand, because determining fit is an interactive exercise. i.e. You can't just measure and order one.

I'll take a guess based on photos, but square-up side profile shot of the pipe is necessary.

It’s a Briarworks cannonball.

 

[georged]

[BUT] ... If want it to fit perfectly flush then you'll need someone with a lathe but otherwise it's 100% doable.

In the newspaper biz that used to be called "burying the lede".

Perfectly flush---a "shrink fit"---is the standard. (And like a straight line, it either is or isn't... close doesn't count.)

Which is what makes repair banding difficult.

Shank taper rate, cross-sectional shape, and so forth all figure into it.

Not to mention the "human-induced slop" part of the equation. What everyone thinks is a square or diamond shank, for example, is, in reality, a scalene quadrilateral: Every side unequal in length, with no two sides parallel. It happens during the pipe's shaping, but MUST be dealt with when making a band.

And so on.

In short, "shrink wrap tight" banding like in the pics is USUALLY doable, and when it is, it's rarely straightforward. It's an exercise that's simple in concept but has many tiny demons waiting in the bushes at every turn.

Sloppy, ill-fitting bands, on the other hand, are a no-brainer.

 

[Casual]

You are all overthinking it.

You’re welcome. That’s ok, don’t thank me, I’m just trying to help a guy out.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

In the newspaper biz that used to be called "burying the lede".

Perfectly flush---a "shrink fit"---is the standard. (And like a straight line, it either is or isn't... close doesn't count.)

Which is what makes repair banding difficult.

Shank taper rate, cross-sectional shape, and so forth all figure into it.

Not to mention the "human-induced slop" part of the equation. What everyone thinks is a square or diamond shank, for example, is, in reality, a scalene quadrilateral: Every side unequal in length, with no two sides parallel. It happens during the pipe's shaping, but MUST be dealt with when making a band.

And so on.

In short, "shrink wrap tight" banding like in the pics is USUALLY doable, and when it is, it's rarely straightforward. It's an exercise that's simple in concept but has many tiny demons waiting in the bushes at every turn.

Sloppy, ill-fitting bands, on the other hand, are a no-brainer.



View attachment 101247View attachment 101248

That is NOT a straightforward banding. The pipe the OP is showing has a symmetrically round shank, which can easily be banded, quite well, by anyone with rudimentary skills. The band will simply be a few thousandths proud, which will not look wrong. Just look at the bands on Merchant Service pipes, they are a few thousandths proud straight from the carver.

 

[georged]

The pipe the OP is showing has a symmetrically round shank, which can easily be banded, quite well, by anyone with rudimentary skills.

Actually, no.

The top line is concave, while the bottom line is convex.

The taper rate also appers to be steeper than the industry standard "conical-ness" of repair bands.

Finally, the crack in the OP's pipe looks to be appx 5/8" long.

All of which means a recessed, narrow, heavy(ish) ring is all that will FIT---similar to what Brian Ruthenberg put on all his pipes---but the crack won't be supported, and all manner of stem fit issues will result.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

LOL There's nothing concave nor convex about this. It's symmetrically round.

Well, technically it's all convex. It's round.

 

[georged]

 

[Kilgore Trout]

View attachment 101277

So you're trying to prove your point by showing a different pipe? Is the OP's pipe what you're showing? If not then your argument is a strawman. Good luck with that.

 

[georged]

So you're trying to prove your point by showing a different pipe? Good luck with that.

Briarworks stummels are all cut with a CNC machine. They are identical.

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