DIY Stem Pointers?

[Country Bladesmith]

I am tiring of teeth-deformed plastic bits on my cobs. True, they are a super cheap wear item, but I thought I’d try to make some vulcanite stems. I don’t have a lathe (yet), so I ordered some stems and the tenon turning tool. Any pointers on making some replacement stems for MM cobs, or is it as straightforward as it seems to be?

 

[Pipe Daddy]

I am tiring of teeth-deformed plastic bits on my cobs. True, they are a super cheap wear item, but I thought I’d try to make some vulcanite stems. I don’t have a lathe (yet), so I ordered some stems and the tenon turning tool. Any pointers on making some replacement stems for MM cobs, or is it as straightforward as it seems to be?

Why not try those black silicone button covers? They feel soft and smooth.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Why not try those black silicone button covers? They feel soft and smooth.

I make the occasional hobby block pipe now and again, so I’d like to be able to make stems anyway.

 

[Pipe Daddy]

Get the stem making thing going on and I'll send you some of mine to restore. Could use a knife or two as well. No downside.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Get the stem making thing going on and I'll send you some of mine to restore. Could use a knife or two as well. No downside.

Knives are no problem, but these stems may be a bit of trial and error. Not sure you want to send me your pipes ?

 

[mikethompson]

is it as straightforward as it seems to be

my experience is that nothing is as straightforward as it seems to be.

 

[anotherbob]

or is it as straightforward as it seems to be?

For me no, for you it probably is.

 

[peteguy]

The nice thing you have going for you is you already have stem tenons that fit. Use the old cob stem on the tool to set the tenon diameter and then you are good to go on the new stem tenon. Should be painless doing it this way,

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Mail came today. Guess I’m gonna give those stems a try. Bonus is that they sent me some free square saddle stems, too. I always love a little lagniappe.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Turning the tenons is very easy on the vulcanite, a little tougher on the acrylic, but not bad. Setting the tool by indexing off the plastic cob stems does not work. The factory stems have a large opening to accept filters, and are too big to seat onto the tool properly, so I had to use some trial and error to get there. I made the mistake of trying to turn from the bottom of the stem once I got really close to the proper diameter. Don’t do that. It made chatter marks on the tenon. It works fine, but I wish I hadn’t done that. The only acrylic stems in the color I liked were way oversized, do I had to turn down the stems themselves, not just the tenons. Pics:

Ghetto lathe to turn down the stem. Chucked the tenon into a drill and ran it against the belt grinder.




Hand sanded from 40 through 1,000 grit, then buffed.



I inserted a pipe cleaner and then heated the stem over a heat gun to bend it.


Country Gent before and after. The vulcanite was a breeze to work with.


Anyway, two down.

 

[jhowell]

Nice work!

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Nice work!

Thanks. I could probably do the acrylic much better on the next go, now that I know what all not to do.