Internal stem issue

[deithial]

I have a bent Bjarne pipe that seems to have an interesting issue. It seems that after all these years of running a pipe cleaner through the stem the little bit of wire that pokes out the end of the pipe cleaner has made a small gouge in the stem right as it does its slight bend.
I can feel it anytime i run a pipe cleaner through it now and to make matters worse it is affecting the air flow by about half.
So, besides trying to guide a very small drill bit through the opening to try and clear the stem is there anything else that can be done?

 

[deithial]

Ouch, sorry to hear that, I hope so to, I would think tracking down a bent Bjarne Viking stem would be a pain

 

[rcstan]

If you have access to a very small round file, you can straighten the stem ( assuming it's Vulcanite ) with a heat gun, hair dryer, or by submersion in boiling water get the burr out, then rebend the stem by reheating it with a pipe cleaner in the airway ( don't want to collapse/pinch the airway at the bend ).

If it's an acrylic stem, it won't bend and rebend easily and possibly need professional help.

You can also try using a wet shank brush to get the burr out. It could just be catching pipe cleaner fuzz and thus blocking the flow.

 

[agnosticpipe]

I had a problem one time with a bent stem that was pinched too much and was very hard to push a pipe cleaner through. I got a wire saw, sometimes called a camping or backpacking saw at Walmart. (or any store that has camping or sporting goods) They're a very fine wire that has small blades or abrasives on it to cut limbs from trees etc. Usually about 18 inches long with a ring on each end to hold on to. I cut off one ring and used the open end to run in and out of the stem until it was larger. You have to be very careful not to cut or file where you don't want to remove material, like the button, but if you work slow and watch what you do, it works great. They're pretty cheap too, I think I paid about $6 for the one I got. Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[sablebrush52]

You may want to try using the nylon brushes for bent stems in future. When I use pipe cleaners in a bent I slightly curve the cleaner before inserting it into the stem so that it doesn't scrape along the interior as I insert it. Once the cleaner is fully inserted you can rotate it without gouging and scrub a bit.

 

[deithial]

Thanks for the ideas gents, I'll take a whack at it this weekend and let everyone know.