How to Tighten Up Tenon?

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Jerry144

Might Stick Around
May 2, 2021
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I have a Ropp cherry pipe for which the tenon is so loose it falls out. How best to fix this?
 

peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,531
908
No Ropp Cherrywood I have ever seen is any different than a normal Briar mortise/tenon other than one has a different type of wood. Some of the ways to correct a Briar tenon mortise issue is to just heat the tenon and let it try to go back to its original shape, get a tenon enlarge kit or the like, beeswax, nail polish, heating and pressing down on the tenon, etc. Double check to make sure the method you choose has the least amount of unnatural change (just my opinion).
 
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craig61a

Lifer
Apr 29, 2017
5,808
48,213
Minnesota USA
No Ropp Cherrywood I have ever seen is any different than a normal Briar mortise/tenon other than one has a different type of wood. Some of the ways to correct a Briar tenon mortise issue is to just heat the tenon and let it try to go back to its original shape, get a tenon enlarge kit or the like, beeswax, nail polish, heating and pressing down on the tenon, etc. Double check to make sure the method you choose has the least amount of unnatural change (just my opinion).

Well the several I own must have come from an alternate universe...
 

peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,531
908
I didn't say to heat and push, I said it is one method. I would not do that and thus put the disclaimer at the end.

Are you talking about the shank and bowl connection? Now those are a different animal.

ropp_cherrywood_disassembled.JPG

Thank you briarfiles for the picture.
 

peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,531
908
Well the several I own must have come from an alternate universe...

Perhaps the cork is a part of the mortise from good gluing and years of use? Never noticed a cork so guess I have been lucky that is was intact.
 
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peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,531
908
True dat..
From my original post - "Some of the ways to correct a Briar tenon mortise issue is to just heat the tenon and let it try to go back to its original shape"

It appears I have over stepped my bounds again and stepped on some clique toes. My apologies.
 
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craig61a

Lifer
Apr 29, 2017
5,808
48,213
Minnesota USA
A number of pipes that use a cork liner in the mortise to secure the stem.

B561DFC6-3F51-4911-B80F-835BAFE6CC81.jpeg

Top to bottom: 1900 Delacour, Ropp cherry woods, my own handmade hardwood pipe.

It’s my contention that this was done in order mitigate looseness of the stem while smoking, as the wooden shank slightly expands. I found this out while making my first hardwood pipe and just drilling the mortise and and cutting the tenon in the normal way. So then I resorted to using the method used in the Ropp pipes.

I just drill a hole in the stummel, shape the the shank, and glue the shank into the bowl. The tooling involved to make it like the Ropp was cost prohibitive.

Detail of the cork liners in the mortises:

9BC41D28-8C13-4677-97BA-C8F4018A0B73.jpeg

As evidenced by the old Delacour, this method is at least 120 years old.
 

craig61a

Lifer
Apr 29, 2017
5,808
48,213
Minnesota USA
No Ropp Cherrywood I have ever seen is any different than a normal Briar mortise/tenon other than one has a different type of wood. Some of the ways to correct a Briar tenon mortise issue is to just heat the tenon and let it try to go back to its original shape, get a tenon enlarge kit or the like, beeswax, nail polish, heating and pressing down on the tenon, etc. Double check to make sure the method you choose has the least amount of unnatural change (just my opinion).
So this isn't what you meant to say? I can accept that...
 

craig61a

Lifer
Apr 29, 2017
5,808
48,213
Minnesota USA
And as far as the screw in part of the shank to bowl, I've had pipes where that was stripped out. Perhaps the OP used the wrong terminology. I built up the threads with layers of super glue and once it was snug I coated it with beeswax to allow it to turn more easily.

Of course if cranked down with gorilla strength it'll strip out...
 
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