Repair & Treatment for Cantankerous Pipe

[Ziggywm]

The most cantankerous pipe in my collection of more than a hundred briars and meerchaums is a Savinelli de Luxe 804 Ex, a Canadian sandblast that because of its long shank (5 1/4" - 7" with bit) caught my eye in the 70s. This pipe has never "broken in". Well some time ago I cracked the shank and put it in my pipe cabinet drawer with RIP on my lips. This forum on repairs got me thinking about it, so here goes: 1) I cut the shank off below the crack. 2) I turned a replacement piece of briar and machined a tenion to fit the shank and a mortice to fit the bit. 3) After the expoxy set the tenion, I used my French wheel on the lathe to blend it in. 4) I then rusticated and stained (alcohol analine stains) the shank. 5) To address its cantankerous smoking qualities I began by salting the bowl after a reaming to wood with iodine free salt and 100 proof grain alcohol for 24 hrs. 6) I oil cured the pipe using Walnut oil and my microwave all afternoon, bringing the oil to a boil until it had pentetrated to the outside of the bowl. 7) Cleaned out the oil and let the pipe set all night. 8) Today, I filled the bowl with Mac Baren's Club Blend and lit it up. 9) I'm ??? smiling. I think I finally exorcised the demon sap out of this pipe!

 

[BROBS]

Looks good man but I probably would have just made a new mortise where it broke.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Looks good man but I probably would have just made a new mortise where it broke.

Way to shit on his awesome repair! Haha I wish I had these chops when it came to pipe work

 

[Ziggywm]

Looks good man but I probably would have just made a new mortise where it broke.

I would have had to spin the shank to do it well. Impossible to mount a pipe of that size and zero it in. Much easier to turn a piece of briar and fit it to the pipe. Plus, I wanted to replace what I cut off; I like the length of this Canadian, otherwise I would have crushed it years ago. Savanelli also used weird size (mm?) mortises. As close as I could get were letter drill bits- took awhile to properly fit the bit tenon in the new briar.

 

[BROBS]

Way to shit on his awesome repair! Haha I wish I had these chops when it came to pipe work

Lol not shitting at all I just figured it would be much easier to go the other way but I totally see what you’re saying @Ziggywm !

 

[verporchting]

Nicely done!!

 

[BROBS]

And I should add that it matches amazingly well for what you did!!

 

[Mr.Mike]

Damn, now that's a repair I've yet to see. Great job man.

 

[cshubhra]

Very cool ?!

 

[Infantry23]

Ziggy, great job on the repair! Seems a bit unconventional but awesome! I hope you enjoy it!

 

[wordheavy]

That came out wonderful, beautiful work.

 

[gamzultovah]

Much respect.

 

[jerseysam]

Like gamzultovah laid down, much respect my man. Always impressed with the folks who home-shop this type of stuff, really cool.....I can smoke em' and buy em' with the best, but my bag of tricks ends there.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Congrats on a fine repair.

 

[Ziggywm]

Ziggy, great job on the repair! Seems a bit unconventional but awesome! I hope you enjoy it!

Well, it could have been silver banded, but you have to have the material. You can get them from some supply houses, but you usually have to buy a large quantity of sizes - good if you are in the pipe repair business. I could have turned a lucite or vulcanized flange and put a military mount bit in it, but I felt that would change the pipe too drastically. Plus, if you are going to mortise on a military mount, why not just replace the offending briar. I used no metal insert - it would attract moisture. And the tenon on the briar replacement matched the depth of the mortise in the shank so there would be no gap to cause turbulence in smoke, as well as become a tar pit. I drill all my draw holes at 10mm which is large, but cuts down on turbulence causing a wet pipe. Really, I think my repare quite conservative. The problem is, if you had to pay for 4 hrs @ $20 per (cheap, really) you might as well put it in a new pipe.

 

[jhowell]

Well, it could have been silver banded, but you have to have the material. You can get them from some supply houses, but you usually have to buy a large quantity of sizes - good if you are in the pipe repair business. I could have turned a lucite or vulcanized flange and put a military mount bit in it, but I felt that would change the pipe too drastically. Plus, if you are going to mortise on a military mount, why not just replace the offending briar. I used no metal insert - it would attract moisture. And the tenon on the briar replacement matched the depth of the mortise in the shank so there would be no gap to cause turbulence in smoke, as well as become a tar pit. I drill all my draw holes at 10mm which is large, but cuts down on turbulence causing a wet pipe. Really, I think my repare quite conservative. The problem is, if you had to pay for 4 hrs @ $20 per (cheap, really) you might as well put it in a new pipe.

Those skills go for a lot more than $20 an hour my friend.

 

[Ziggywm]

Those skills go for a lot more than $20 an hour my friend.

Yes they do. Look at my bar cabinet I built in my shop. There is not a piece of particle board or compressor nails in this piece - all Qtr. Sawn Oak. A close friend asked what it would cost to make him one. When I quoted him $6K he swallowed hard and said "no thanks". You are lucky if you can get $20/hr.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Very fine work! Did you tenon anywhere? Everywhere?

 

[ChuckMijo]

Yes they do. Look at my bar cabinet I built in my shop. There is not a piece of particle board or compressor nails in this piece - all Qtr. Sawn Oak. A close friend asked what it would cost to make him one. When I quoted him $6K he swallowed hard and said "no thanks". You are lucky if you can get $20/hr.View attachment 61001

As a fellow wood worker, that’s fantastic work!!

 

[Ziggywm]

Very fine work! Did you tenon anywhere? Everywhere?

All mortise & tenon work. No screws!!!