How Do You Fix A Hole In A Lucite Stem?

[literaryworkshop]

JB Weld will stick to pipe stems without a problem, but the gray color is ugly. You can try tinting it with some lamp black--hold a table knife over a candle flame for a bit, and then scrape the soot off into the glue. A little bit will give you a nice, black color without weakening the glue.
JB Weld is water-soluble before it sets, so if the void goes into the airway, you can clean the airway out with a wet pipe cleaner. Once the stuff hardens, you can file/sand it down flush.

 

[babalooie]

I have used super glue to fix a few pipe stems. On a couple of them, the stem was ragged and I cut that part away. Later, I used the part I cut off to fill in a hole on a similar stem. I applied a liberal amount of super glue and did some sanding before the glue completely dried. Then, I pushed the dust over the still wet (actually tacky) super glue. Had to do this part several times in order to achieve the result I was looking for. When everything was completely dry, I did final sanding and polishing. I'm not an expert, but it was good enough for me.
If you're looking for a strong, flexible epoxy, go to Brownells.com and look for an item called, ACRAGLAS. It is available in a two-part liquid and also a two-part gel. It's used in the firearms business for glass-bedding rifle barrels. I've used it successfully for repairing gun stocks and some specialty home-made tools. They also sell small jars of various colored dyes and different sized syringes to enable a precise mixture of the epoxy. The liquid is good for tight cracks and I like the gel for larger areas. The gel is nice in that it can be formed better than the liquid. I usually allow my work to cure for about twelve hours. Keep in mind that clamps and supports are necessary until the work hardens. This may seem like a lot of work, but it really isn't as bad as I've made it seem. The finished product is fantastic IMHO.
Brownnell's is an outstanding company with a great reputation. Their prices aren't always the lowest, but their goods are of quality. And, if you have issues, they're quick to respond with a fair resolution. Another nice thing is that they allow customers to rate the products they sell.
If anyone has questions, PM me and I'll be happy to answer them.

 

[rcstan]

A new stem would be in order, both for the original zombie OP with the hole on the airway ( baccy juice and pipe cleaners will eat away at your glue ) , and the one missing a half inch chunk. Really and truly, unless you are trying to salvage an original stem with sentimental value, the time and effort put in would be a lot more than the 20-30 dollars spent for a decent replacement.
On Vulcanite stems, Ronni B at Night Owl Pipe Works does an outstanding stem patch job for holes and the such, I have had a few of the pipes come through the SPC estate restoration with patches and they were solid. No clue if he still offers the service though. It does affect the value of the pipe, if it's any concern .....