got my new pipes

[uberam3rica]

to anyone who saw my previous post statin that i bought new pipes, you know what im talking about. the medico is great. could use a little cleaning though. the willard is good and needs some cleaning, but has one problem. the the opening of the mouth piece is almost completely bitten closed. look at the picture to see what i mean.
the medico

the willard

the willards mouth piece

 

[judcole]

Is it worth getting a new stem for?

 

[chispa]

Keep your pipes away from the puppies!!
Hope you can fix that opening or buy a replacement part. Maybe you can pry it open and sand it smoother? Heat it up maybe?? I have no idea.
What's the standard fix for this guys?

 

[uberam3rica]

Is it worth getting a new stem for?

to me it is, i just bought it and it is the begining of my collection.its my fourth pipe

 

[schmitzbitz]

I had the same problem with an old Kaywoodie that I refurbed for a friend. My fix was to gently heat the button over an element, then carefully work a spark-plug gap tool down the airway, followed by pipe-cleaners, going back to the heat until I got the shape I was looking for.

I then attempted to steam out the bite marks, but alas, the type of material used wouldn't rebound, so I ground up an old stem, mixed the resulting dust with epoxy, and filled and filed until it felt right.
Be careful when heating plastics though, the point between malliable and melted is pretty fine, and its very easy to apply too much heat.
Conversely, lots of people make stems; I'm sure a certain Uncle on this forum would be happy to help you out!

 

[ace57]

I'd heat it up a bit and try pushing it open with a flat screwdriver.

 

[puffy]

I'm sure that someone here can help more than I can.My suggestion though would be don't pry it open without heating it.It would have a good chance of breaking

 

[uberam3rica]

they had pictures but it didnt seem like it was that bad. the bowl is great, just the stem is bad. ill have my dad work on it, he good at fixing things. im smoking some captain black royal outta the medico, its great. smokes nice and smooth

 

[uberam3rica]

IF he can't fix it send it to UncleArthur, I am sure he could fix you up with a new stem at a great price!

good idea, the medicos stem is little loose, not too loose, but on the looser side of things

 

[schmitzbitz]

good idea, the medicos stem is little loose, not too loose, but on the looser side of things

A couple of easy fixes for this - simply rub a little beeswax on the tenon (the portion of the stem that fits into the shank of the pipe) if the fit isn't too loose (this can also be used to loosen a tight stem), or if the fit is terrible, use a little clear nail-polish to build up the tenon, then sand to fit. But remember, the mortise (the area of the shank where the tenon fits) will swell slightly when smoked, so, like everything with pipe-refurbing, go slowly, in small steps.

 

[uberam3rica]

also, on a slightly unrelated note, the medico smells great. i dont know what was smoked in it be fore, but it has wonderful, slightly floral smell

 

[marmal4de]

Sounds like a lakeland blend was smoked in it before.

 

[uberam3rica]

well watever it was it smelled good

 

[bootlegbonvivant]

The stem is definitely salvageable. Just takes a bit of patience and a little handiwork like what's been mentioned already.

 

[uberam3rica]

even with the smashed stem, im happy with my purchases. ive got the start of a collection here

 

[jpberg]

I'd heat it up a bit and try pushing it open with a flat screwdriver

Thats the ticket. Heat gun, hair dryer, hot water, whatever. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to work.

 

[marmal4de]

well watever it was it smelled good

You may want to try Sam Gawith's Grousemoore, and his Lakeland blends.

 

[uberam3rica]

thanks for the suggestions

 

[ejames]

uber,you may know this but the Willards were Grabow made and were sold only in military PX's and through RJ. Reynolds coupon offers. They had the softest stems ever made.Finding one that hasn't been chewed up is rather rare. You can do as suggested for fixing it, I use a product called "Plastex" to repair Willard and Grabows with the ABS plastic stems.You might even be able to use a Grabow stem that has the same style of tenon.

 

[matchstickman]

I almost bought that gold band Medico pipe off ebay. Alas, it went to a better home in the long run. I need another pipe like I need a hole in the head, but I know that hasnt stopped the rest of us. :laughat: Anyways, congrats on your new acquisitions buddy. Let us know how it goes with that Willard.