Inordinately Tight Stem: What To Do (in the long term)?

[anotherbob]

Thanks everyone! That's good news, Duane...I'll keep applying beeswax to the tenon after each smoke and just be patient and wait for it to settle into that equilibrium. If there's one thing I have a preponderance of, it's beeswax.

Thanks George! I'll watch that whole playlist, and hopefully get a better grasp on the inner workings. Been too hands-off about that kind of stuff, but I should definitely start familiarizing myself with these things, at least in a cursory way.

I have a lifetime supply of the stuff. I bought the smallest amount I could find and even after misplacing half of it I have barely went through any of it. And if you ever get one of those wooden slide lid snuff boxes you'll need bees wax. And unlike the great french flip top style snuff boxes you can't put anything but toasts or scotch style snuff in the wooden boxes as the little bit of moisture will warp the lid.

 

[anotherbob]

Remember the time a member was trying to find an eloquent way of applying it because he thought that drawing on the tenon was unsophisticated?

and honestly I can't help but imagine that the reason he's not here now is because he died in a horrible fire started by lighting his fluctuance as a joke. Or at least it would be on point with the types of people I know who won't do normal things because they're unsophisticated.

 

[Chasing Embers]

and honestly I can't help but imagine that the reason he's not here now is because he died in a horrible fire started by lighting his fluctuance as a joke. Or at least it would be on point with the types of people I know who won't do normal things because they're unsophisticated.

You've got a point, he's not posted since July 21 2021.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I'd be afraid of using abrasives on a filter tenon. Not much material there to begin with. I had a Don Carlos with the same issue. Perfect fit now.

I've used a needle file on a couple of 9mm pipes and had no long term problems.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've used a needle file on a couple of 9mm pipes and had no long term problems.

After a pipe has cooled and been smoked multiple times, it'll find its fitting. Material removal will cause a loose stem if the pipe goes for long periods of no smoking as the briar dries out. I just avoid as much material loss as possible.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

After a pipe has cooled and been smoked multiple times, it'll find its fitting. Material removal will cause a loose stem if the pipe goes for long periods of no smoking as the briar dries out. I just avoid as much material loss as possible.

I smoke my pipes pretty regularly so that wasn't a problem.

 

[ssjones]

Take a pencil and color the tenon with it. Works wonders! Honestly. And it's easy.

A little dab of powdered graphite is even better, and can't hurt.

 

[Coreios]

I've heard of led pencils and beeswax. I'd try wax first.

 

[Singlebevel]

Don't use soap - it's hydrophilic and will eventually make matters worse.

Very interesting point here. I saw the soap recommendation on YouTube and have been thinking about whether or not I like the idea.

Fortunately, I have no current tight stem issues; but I like to be prepared with tools, materials and solutions as much as possible.

Thinking out loud here (I’d appreciate any feedback): if soap generally is going to attract moisture, then theoretically, a tight stem issue would be eventually confounded if a pipe smoker used dry bar soap as a lubricant on the tenon. In other words, soap attracts moisture, which causes briar to swell. Further, the mortise & tenon are the most precise tolerance parts of the instrument, where moisture and temperature change are common and expected.

Has anyone experienced negative impact from using soap in this way?

I can’t think of any drawbacks from using graphite instead. If I had this problem to solve today, I’d reach for a pencil, but I would not be 100% confident with this solution. I have heard that graphite is mildly abrasive but I have never observed this myself, and I’d be interested to hear anyone else’s experience/observations.

 

[fireground_piper]

Iv used unscented soap but not enough to form an opinion and eventually stopped doing so. If I’m lazy, I’ll use beeswax but most of the time I’ll go to the buffer and apply carnauba wax. Holds up better.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Ten four. Definitely not going to screw around with doing something I can't undo.


Heard of this method as well. Ditto rubbing a nub of bar soap on it. So many options! I think I'll try this one on my Stefano.

The soap is an old St.Claude France pipe makers trick, but it did not work as a long time solution.
The graphite does !

 

[orvet]

I went to a art supply store and purchase the softest graphite pencil I could find, 7B. It is softer than a regular number two pencil and it applies more graphite with less effort. I found that works very well on tight stems.

As regards the abrasiveness of graphite, I don't think it is very safe. They use graphite and oil with graphite in it to lubricate locks which have pretty close tolerances.