Stem Shank Problem

[madox07]

I have bought another estate which I have given a salt bath. The stem fit into the shank ok, no problems at all. After the bath .. well I cannot seem to be able to fit the stem back in. It seems almost that the wood in the shank has stolen, any idea what happened there and what I ca do to remedy the situation?

 

[bigpond]

Let it dry out thoroughly then throw it in the freezer for a while.

 

[madox07]

What does a while mean? I am afraid that if I keep it too long the stem will be loose ...

 

[sablebrush52]

How long ago did you perform the S/A? How humid currently is it where you are? Normally, to the extent any swelling occurs, it should evaporate within an hour at most.

 

[madox07]

I did the S/A over the weekend, meaning I have salted the bowl saturday and sunday evening I cleaned it up. By monday morning the swelling was still a problem. Still is, local time here 20:00.

 

[Chasing Embers]

When I do restorations, I will usually let the stummel sit for 3-4 days before replacing the stem. I'll echo bigpond and say put it in the freezer for a few hours to speed the process.

 

[sablebrush52]

When I do restorations, I will usually let the stummel sit for 3-4 days before replacing the stem.

And when I do them assembly is generally ready to go within an hour. I'm not sure why a freezer will help here. If there's a fear of moisture swelling the shank, putting it in a freezer will do nothing to address that. Freezing certainly does occasionally help with loosening an already stuck stem as the slight contraction of materials loosens the grip on the tars that are holding the stem stuck. But that effect is only temporary. I've had a few tenon/mortise fits change because of humidity, which is why I asked about that.
But try waiting longer before you do anything. Can't hurt.

 

[Chasing Embers]

And when I do them assembly is generally ready to go within an hour.

I wait longer just to prevent any shank damage or cracking.

I'm not sure why a freezer will help here.

Cold acts as a natural dehumidifier and will cause a draw in the shank. The only negative is that when it warms up, the stem may be extremely tight.

 

[madox07]

It loosened out a bit, now - meaning two days after the salt bath. But it's one stubborn little stem - there seems to be a place just 1/2 cm away from the wood, where the stem just jams. I am thinking to leave it until Friday, see if anything gets back to normal, otherwise sanding/filing the insert part of the stem? Not sure that would be a good idea, but definitely I cannot change the stem, so I am willing to try little cheats.

 

[sablebrush52]

That sounds like a good approach. I have a couple of pipes whose fit goes through some extreme changes, from loose to can't insert the tenon and back to loose. Letting it just sit and adjust to the environment has worked pretty well. Once you've trimmed the tenon you can't go back.

 

[bigpond]

If you’ve seen progress after tossing it in the freezer you may benefit by further dehumidifying the pipe. If it was my pipe I would put it back in the freezer but If you have a bunch of silica packets lying about toss them in to a bag an add the pipe for a few days. You can use rice too.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Has anyone ever thought of using baking soda to absorb the moisture out of a pipe? I imagine it's nothing that could hurt.

 

[jpmcwjr]

All the above is one reason I don't leave stems out for more than is necessary- usually under an hour.

 

[madox07]

jpmcwjr I generally agree with you, on the other hand this pipe had to be washed ... I mean the restoration came out nicely, but the taste was way off.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Not clear what you mean there. All I meant to say is after cleaning, I put the stem back in within an hour, so I don't experience the shrunken mortise/no stem fit.

 

[madox07]

I mean that I have restored the pipe, smoked it, and then I realized the smoke tasted like puke (I stuck my nose in it, before smoking and there was no indication that the taste would be off). So I gave it a good bath, leaving the bowl filled with salt and alcohol for over 24 hours - in my rooster sized head, I figured the more I leave the salt/alcohol concoction the better the chances of chasing the ghost away. I usually get a pipe cleaner and shape it in the form of an "U" and seal the mortise. By next day the pipe cleaner is bristle and dark. I didn't expect this to happen, as it didn't before. I finally made it fit back in, any road, and it tastes as good as it looks. I take it that both freezer and rice methods are ok ...