Overclocked Stem Self-correcting?

[Chris T]

Hi folks,
I'm perplexed. I picked up a NOS, late model LHS second ("London Royal") a couple of weeks ago. I only have a couple of pipes with screw tenons, when I bought my first pipe in the 80s those were pretty much going away. I thought this pipe (straight apple/pot) was flawed, with a slightly overclocked stem (about the 1 o'clock position.) I found that about 10-15 minutes into a smoke, the stem lines up. Now, it seems like I remember reading somewhere that some pipes do that, but I can't find any reference to it, and I'm not sure I'm not hallucinating the memory. I'm happy with it doing that, just wondering if it's supposed to. Is it common with screw tenon?
Edid: Apologies, looks like I posted this in the wrong place. Consider it my introduction, it's pretty typical of my behavior.

 

[xrundog]

Never heard of that one. But I am not up on LHS lore. I’m interested in the details of how that would work.
Did it go back to misalignment after cooling down?

 

[AroEnglish]

Welcome! You can definitely fix an over locked stem but j just don't know it's actually done. If you check out the Repair section there might be a thread on it already.

 

[Chris T]

Never heard of that one. But I am not up on LHS lore. I’m interested in the details of how that would work.
Did it go back to misalignment after cooling down?

Yep, back to one o'clock the next day.

 

[Chris T]

Welcome! You can definitely fix an over locked stem but j just don't know it's actually done. If you check out the Repair section there might be a thread on it already.

Thanks, I did look through those here and elsewhere, but got impatient to try it out, and then noticed it self-correcting. Still seems like I read about that somewhere.

 

[xrundog]

Yep, back to one o'clock the next day.

It obviously has something to do with heat. That is strange indeed. It’s good you smoked it before fiddling with it.

 

[kcghost]

I am like you in that I know there is a way to fix this but damned if I can recall what it is.

 

[tobakenist]

Hi and welcome from Northamptonshire, England, you made me feel bonkers from reading your OP.

 

[/Adam\]

I’m wondering if maybe when you thought it was fixed it was because the pipe was hot from smoking and the stem just wouldn’t screw on all the way. Being hot would make the bowl side expand. After cooling the stem would then screw on all the way back to the overclocked position. Is it possible that maybe when it looked like it was fixed that there was a little gap between the stem and pipe that you didn’t notice? Guess you could check my theory the next time you smoke out of it.

Edit: after searching for info on fixing overclocked stems I realized my comment above is probably not even close. My noob brain was thinking about a cheap screw on stem without a tennon.

 

[BingBong]

Hello from London UK.

There'll be a reason for this.

 

[Epip Oc'Cabot]

Beginning in the early 1960s, LHS offered a “trendy” new gizmo on the stems of some of their pipes called the TTM (tenon temperature monitor). Its use was to help the pipe smoker know when the bowl had reached optimum stoking temperature for the greatest tobacco flavor. It was akin to the pressure monitor valve on a pressure cooker or those temperature monitors under the skin of a Butterball turkey. When cool, the stem would be cantilevered to the 1:00 position, but as you ignite the tobacco and the bowl warms to precisely 98.7 degrees, the stem adjusts to the 12:00 position. Maintaining a cadence where the bowl stays at 98.7 degrees keeps it in position. If you over puff like a locomotive train, the temperature of the bowl elevates and the stem back tracks to the 11:00 position to notify the smoker he is puffing too damn much.

It was not a popular option, because a lot of fellows could never get their cadence correct, and always had crooked pipes jutting out of their mouths, causing them to feel insecure and less glamorous.

 

[xrundog]

 

[FurCoat]

Welcome from North Carolina. First I've heard of self adjusting stems. I've heated the stinger before and reclocked stems before with success.

 

[bpinkstaff]

Welcome from Rockton Illinois! Interesting learning a lot from this post!

 

[Sgetz]

Welcome from Durham in the UK

 

[AreBee]

Welcome from Connecticut!

 

[ThomasS]

 

[Doctor Chopper]

Let me be the SECOND person from Wisconsin to welcome you! (@ThomasS is too fast for me)

 

[proteus]

I would get it as close to the right position just before it tightens and for that little gap remaining I would make a shim from some acrylic round stock. It might require a drill press to chuck the round stock in to reduce diameter if you don't have a small lathe. Maybe too much work. You could use Teflon tape perhaps to help snug it up sooner.