Loose Stems on MM Cobs

[phil67]

So far I have six MM cobs which all smoke great and never had any issues with them. However, today I received two Mark Twain cobs (one bent – one straight) and the stems on both are extremely lose. Almost to the point of falling out loose! All of the stems on my other cobs were tight albeit I replaced then with Forever Stems which also have a relatively tight fit. Any ideas on how I can rectify this problem?

 

[macabra11]

I would definitely contact MM directly and let them know of your issues. They seem like a very easy company to deal with and will probably rectify the situation and make it worth your while.
Did you purchase them directly from the manufacturer?

 

[phil67]

No, this time I purchased them from P&C.

 

[eightywon]

I heard somewhere that just smoking them will fix loose and tight stems. Something like the heat/moisture will shape the wood expanding it to make it looser or swelling it to make it tighter. I dunno tho.

 

[phil67]

Yes, that thought crossed my mind, but as I said I never had this issue with any of my other cobs. Well, I'll torch up a bowl and see what shakes. Seeing that I clench at times I'll just have to remember not to bend over for something as otherwise the damn pipe will slip off the stem!

 

[huntertrw]

I apply bee's wax to the tenon of any loose stem, and this does a good job of tightening its fit into the mortice.

 

[taerin]

I'd just contact P&C and say "hey, you sent me pipes that can't hold their bits in." They will replace them with ones that have tight stems, free shipping and everything.

 

[thesmokingtexan]

I noticed this same thing on the Huck Finn I bought. I was hoping that smoking it would tighten it up

 

[cobguy]

I apply bee's wax to the tenon of any loose stem, and this does a good job of tightening its fit into the mortice.

The beeswax does a pretty good job, sometimes taking a smoke or two after applying it

before it really starts to stick.
The other way is to CAREFULLY heat the tenon over a small flame for a few seconds.

Be careful not to touch the flame and always keep the tenon rotating.

Once it's warmed up enough, simply push the tenon down lightly against a hard surface.

Try it slowly and only a little at a time and it works perfectly.

 

[blendtobac]

I contacted Missouri Meerschaum about this. I was told the the especially cold and dry winter affected the wooden shanks. They told me that dipping the tenon in water, putting the pipe back together and smoking it should solve the problem. But they will also replace them for us if you'd prefer. Call customer service to set up a replacement. If our people have any question about doing this, tell them to contact me.
Russ

 

[cobguy]

They told me that dipping the tenon in water, putting the pipe back together and smoking it should solve the problem.

But ... but ... but ... no flames, no danger?? :mrgreen:
BTW ... where you been Eric? Good to see you around!

 

[fatman8me]

Phil,
I had this same problem with a Mark Twain from P&C. I emailed the customer service dept and they sent another one without charge. The second one had the same problem. I solved the issue by dipping the tenon in boiling water and then using the end of a drill bit that fits tightly into the tenon to expand it.
I think I got the idea on the forums here:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/tenon-enlargement-ideas
I was so impressed with myself at this little victory that I started fiddling with some older pipes. Now I'm into pipe restoration as a full blow hobby, and I blame all of you!

 

[phil67]

Phil,
I had this same problem with a Mark Twain from P&C. I emailed the customer service dept and they sent another one without charge. The second one had the same problem. I solved the issue by dipping the tenon in boiling water and then using the end of a drill bit that fits tightly into the tenon to expand it.

I can well imagine that would work, but the point is why should I have to seeing that I paid for a new pipe, which for all piratical purposes should not have such issues. I like to switch/change some of my Forever Stems on occasion amongst my MM cobs so that would would most obviously be impractical.

I contacted Missouri Meerschaum about this. I was told the the especially cold and dry winter affected the wooden shanks. They told me that dipping the tenon in water, putting the pipe back together and smoking it should solve the problem. But they will also replace them for us if you'd prefer. Call customer service to set up a replacement. If our people have any question about doing this, tell them to contact me.
Russ

Thanks for the input Russ and I'll give that a try on one of the pipes seeing that it doesn't involve altering the stem itself but merely the tenon. If that doesn't work out I'll most definitely contact P&C and tell them about this issue and ask that they send me two new pipes. Not trying to be a bugger here, but no matter what the issue may be as for the: 'dry winter affected the wooden shanks', there still is no excuse, in my opinion, of sending out pipes that have such an obvious problem. As I previously mentioned, they are so loose that if you hold them by the stem with the bowl pointing downwards the pipe will literally fall off!

 

[peteross]

I do what cobguy recommends. While you shouldn't have to do this to a brand new cob it's surprising how little heat it takes to reshape the tenon. That being said it only takes one or two warm smokes while clenching to morph the tenon to a loose shape.

 

[shutterbugg]

It's a cheap effin corncob pipe. Duct tape.

 

[phil67]

Recommendations were offered on how to fix it yourself, and recommendations were offered on contacting P&C or MM directly, and I am sure that doing either would give you satisfaction. Manufacturers and their distributors are generally going to make sure that the consumer is satisfied.

Yes, I’m fully aware of that but I simply wished to get any ideas on how the issue could possibly be resolved on my own before contacting P&C and I thank everyone for the input. Dipping the tenon of the stem in water didn’t seem to make much sense to me seeing that it is plastic and the water would obviously not adhere. So, I swabbed the mortise of the shank with water and replaced the stem and smoked the pipe. I tried various ways, including dipping the stem/tenon in water. It did indeed tighten things up ever so slightly, but it didn’t last long and the problem remained. I’m quite sure such a procedure would take care of a stem that was ‘slightly’ loose, but these loose stem/shank mortise fittings are beyond imagining.
In the end no big thing as I knew full well that P&C would resolve the matter when I contacted them which I finally did today. They are sending out two more pipes and I’ll see if the same issue presents itself.

It's a cheap effin corncob pipe. Duct tape.

Is that your standard fix with ‘cheap effin’ briars? No... I didn’t think so. I’m in no way shape or form a pipe snob, and I’ll not hesitate in the least with smoking a cob in the smoking lounge of Iwan Ries, but I’m not about to sit there smoking a cob with a gob of duct tape on it. Then again, I guess that very fact would indeed make me a pipe snob! :wink:

 

[cobguy]

Hey Phil ... great to hear that they're sending new ones out to you.
If you want to fix the old ones anyway, try the heat method I listed above.
Nothing to lose, eh?

 

[phil67]

No problem with that whatsoever cobguy as I know that will work. I'm quite handy and I have more than enough proper material to accomplish expanding the tenons. But, like I previously said, I at times exchange the Forever Stems amongst my cobs so expanding the tenon(s) on one to fit the Mark Twain's would then not fit the smaller mortise on the older ones. However, when finances are better, and if it all works out (or not) I'll then purchase new Forever Stems and expand the mortise on them to fit the Mark Twain's. All in all... no big thing. :wink:

 

[shutterbugg]

Is that your standard fix with ‘cheap effin’ briars?

I don't smoke sub-$10 briars. Aside from Petersons with military-style stems I can't even recall the last time I took a pipe apart. I just run a pipe cleaner through them when I'm done. So mine are all still as tight as the day they were new. But really, you're smoking a pipe made from a dried-out piece of pig feed, how is a bit of duct tape beneath your dignity?

 

[cobguy]

Do you ever eat corn, shutterbug? :wink: