Mortis is longer than the tenon?

[sittingbear]

I have a pipe repair question. I have a Ferndown Rhodesian that I love. Its mortis, however, is about 1/4 inch longer than the tenon, resulting in a large gap in the stem where really nasty, gooey moisture collects. Can this be remedied? I was thinking of just taking some wood putty and filling the gap with it, but I wonder if there's a "right way" and a "wrong way" to fix this issue?

 

[ashdigger]

This happens in pipes of all makes. I just use a qtip swab when I clean. Since you know about it not a thing. To your "repair" or modification question...... I would not do anything.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Chop off some of the stummel side stem, preferably using something like one of the blades that comes in a Swiss Army knife.

 

[cranseiron]

Now you have a Peterson System pipe with a well! yuk!

 

[pruss]

Damn, that's a big gap; not something I'd expect in a Ferndown either. But not impossible to imagine.
In your shoes, I'd simply increase the frequency of deep cleaning the mortise area.
If you really feel the need to plug it, I'd suggest working with a reputable pipe repair person to have a plug fitted and drilled. I suppose this could be done with a material like delrin. The trick would be in drilling the airway so that your pipe will still take a cleaner and will give you the draw that you want. I would avoid wood putty.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
-- Pat

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Fill it with spackling?

 

[tbradsim1]

Don't screw up your pipe, just clean it with QTips more often. Big tip, breaking down your pipe when hot will let you clean the gunk out, letting it cool , harder to get gunk out. I have been breaking down pipes immediately after smoking for over 50 yrs and cleaning them with nary a break.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Since you have a little chamber in there, you could use it to store things, like maybe your car keys? ::

 

[jmill208]

Cosmic, liquid lunch today? :roll:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The key to creativity is to not deny any possibility. This is why I tie all of my pipes to cats. I can't remember what problem it solved, but it keeps them from jumping up over the wooden fence in the back yard.

 

[mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast]

You can leave it and address it by regular cleaning or send it out for some stem work. I believe the stem work would either involve having a new stem cut with a longer tenon or cutting off the tenon and drilling it out to fit a new delrin tenon? I think the latter is more difficult and less of an alteration to the original pipe, but not everyone can do it? I'm no expert so don't take this as gospel. If it bothered me and I liked the pipe I would send it out. Otherwise, I would leave it the way it is. I would not try anything like putty or cutting because when I've tried things similar it never worked out for me.

 

[jpmcwjr]

After a smoke, right after, run very hot water through the chamber and out the airway; that will remove a lot of gunk. Then pull the tenon and Q-tip out the mortise. Paper towel in chamber, pipe cleaner in airway.
Semi-preventative: To keep moisture down, smoke slower, and dry tobacco more before loading. If you smoke all the way down, the heat will dissipate some moisture as well.
If the gap really bothers you aesthetically, I'd get a new stem, not mess with the stummel.
Good luck!

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Mortis is longer than the tenon...

That's what she said :mrgreen:

 

[jpmcwjr]

The other way 'round is painful.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Don't they have tenon pumps made for that problem? Pills too I believe, but if a smoke lasts longer than four hours seek medical attention.

 

[aldecaker]

In my opinion (which is probably wrong), the mortise/tenon gap is the #1 culprit for making a pipe a gurgler. A bigger culprit, even, than ridiculously narrow airways and flat-faced, thick-walled tenons.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Don't they have tenon pumps made for that problem? Pills too I believe, but if a smoke lasts longer than four hours seek medical attention.

:rofl:

 

[Chasing Embers]

:mrgreen:

 

[jensen]

I have been smoking a pipe for 54 years.

I never knew that pipesmoking was so complicated.

 

[didimauw]

Jensen...trust me, it's not. Some people like to try to make it complicated though... :lol:
Like tenons and mortises??? Huh? Pack light smoke repeat....