How to Tighten Wiggly Stem Joint?

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LimestoneCowboy

Might Stick Around
Sep 17, 2021
77
146
NV, USA
I received this pipe from Turkey a few days ago. It is nice except that the joint between the stem and shank is loose. No way to smoke it clenched without the bowl half falling off. I shimmed the joint with a piece of paper, which makes it fairly secure. The metal at the joint is supposedly 925 silver. Is there a way to braze some silver inside the mortise or on the tenon to tighten it up? Unfortunately, the case is a short one where the pipe and stem must be disassembled to fit. So I would prefer a fix that lets me take the thing apart.
 
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Dave4211

Might Stick Around
May 15, 2020
63
141
Tennessee
Is the tenon metal? If not, what material is the tenon made of? Is the mortise lined? Is the joint tapered, or is it standard?

I'm really just curious. I haven't had one of those in my hands before.
 
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LimestoneCowboy

Might Stick Around
Sep 17, 2021
77
146
NV, USA
Is the tenon metal? If not, what material is the tenon made of? Is the mortise lined? Is the joint tapered, or is it standard?

I'm really just curious. I haven't had one of those in my hands before.
Metal. I will try taking a picture of the inside of the joint and post it in a moment.
 
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peregrinus

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
1,205
3,787
Pacific Northwest
This looks to be a military mount, specifically a spigot style or metal to metal fit.
As I’m sure you know, it should not be loose, you should be able to snug it up tight, particularly at the outset.
If you can’t get the stem tight enough to hold together for a smoke it should ideally be sent back to the carver or dealer you purchased it from. It is likely to become looser still with use.
This type of repair is tricky if you’re not familiar with it and really, everything mentioned so far is a stopgap solution.
If your not able, or not wanting, to return it to the seller I would recommend sending this to a professional to get a repair that will be satisfactory long term.
 

LimestoneCowboy

Might Stick Around
Sep 17, 2021
77
146
NV, USA
This looks to be a military mount, specifically a spigot style or metal to metal fit.
As I’m sure you know, it should not be loose, you should be able to snug it up tight, particularly at the outset.
If you can’t get the stem tight enough to hold together for a smoke it should ideally be sent back to the carver or dealer you purchased it from. It is likely to become looser still with use.
This type of repair is tricky if you’re not familiar with it and really, everything mentioned so far is a stopgap solution.
If your not able, or not wanting, to return it to the seller I would recommend sending this to a professional to get a repair that will be satisfactory long term.
It would require returning it to Turkey, which would be too costly. I will likely shim it with some foil (Ag?), leave it as a one piece, and forget about the case that requires it to be broken down.
 
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Dave4211

Might Stick Around
May 15, 2020
63
141
Tennessee
Peregrinus is right to advise having a professional look at it.

The mortise depth looks shallow to me. If you shorten the stem in order to make it fit, it's still too shallow. If you deepen the mortise, you could go too far and make the shank to band area too weak.

There may be a perfect compromise in there somewhere. I'd probably work on it if it were mine. But, failure is easy. Success is sometimes a matter of degree.

I hope you find a good solution. That's a pretty pipe.