Tenon/mortise gap

[didimauw]

As I was cleaning my Peterson tonight I realized that there is about a 3/4 inch gap where the tenon should meet the mortise on the inside. But from what I read, shouldn't there be no gap at all?

 

[gloucesterman]

Is it an original stem?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Where did you read "there should be no gap"?

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Briarworks is the only company (not individual carver) I've ever heard of that actually says they match the length of tenon and mortise. Others may do it but thay don't say, and most factories probably just aren't aiming for that level of precision.

Not that there's anything horribly wrong with a gap, just don't expect that level of detail for $50 (or a lot more in some cases).

 

[stanlaurel]

This seems to be true for most if not all Petersons. Because of this, they have a hard time passing a pipe cleaner when assembled. My bent Petersons can never pass a pipe cleaner while smoking.

 

[matches]

I thought gap encouraged condensation and gurgle.

 

[didimauw]

Yes it's an original stem.

 

[skraps]

There are as many opinions on this as there are Penzance threads. The fact is, engineering arguments aside, it all comes down to whether the pipe smokes well for you or not. I have plenty of pipes where the tenon/mortise length are not perfectly matched, and they smoke great.
Don't stress... it defeats one of the purposes of pipe smoking. :D

 

[didimauw]

Yes, I haven't noticed anything wrong with the way it smokes, but if you Google "pipe parts" the pictures indicate that they should meet up perfectly lol.

 

[mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast]

Peterson seems to be just fine with producing poorly made pipes... quantity over quality. I owned two Peterson pipes and got rid of them no sooner than I got them. I'll never take a chance on one again. I've heard some have had good luck with them, but I've only gotten crap the two chances I took with their pipes.

 

[rfernand]

In system pipes there is no way to pass a cleaner straight - by design. They have a well to trap moisture. A few of their bents, while not quite systems, have a very similar design. if you get any gurgle, it's unlikely to be in the well - it's probably closer to the inside of the bowl, where there is excess moisture trapped under the drill hole and since it's a bent, you may be tilting it inadvertently towards you.
I'm one of the lucky ones with Peterson's - they form the bulk of my collection and give me no problems.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd still love a link to a statement that says the mortise and tenon should fit tight. A number of Petes I've looked at won't pass a cleaner as the drill is misaligned with the end of the stem (the tenon exit if you will.)

 

[rfernand]

Jpmcwjr: are you referring to straights only? (Again, the pipe cleaner test doesn't make much sense to me in most of the big Pete bents, because of the moist trap gap)
I'm with you, I didn't know it was a "correctness" principle. Made me look at my straight pipes (Dunhills, Savinellis, a Peterson 106) and I see (non-problematic) gaps. in fact I'm suspicious of this rule - with heat and moisture and all, there is some material expansion that could occur. A tight fit here may not be achievable or desirable.

 

[jpmcwjr]

r- Not straights, as most of the ones I've seen line up all right. Bents, even with a gap, with holes lined up, can usually pass a cleaner clear through. But there were precious few of those in the twenty or so new bent Petes I examined two weeks ago.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This was a pipe part discussion on The Radio show a while back. Great pipes shouod meet up, because you'll be dealing with issues of funkyness down in the tenon at some point from gunk building up and going rancid. But, you're talking about a Peterson. You might as well buy a Yugo and complain about the doors not lining up with the frame. I expect about as much percection from a Dr Grabow. But, the again all of the Grabows I've handled were better made than most Petersons I've seen.

 

[cigrmaster]

When the tenon is not completely aligned with the mortise, then you have turbulence and it can be a wet smoker. Quality pipe makers, factory or artisan, take the time to make sure this is not an issue.

 

[rfernand]

Were conflating two things: alignment and tenon/mortise distance. I think we all agree with the first one, the second one is what seems novel to some of us.

 

[derfargin]

I've always wondered why there is such a gap in with the mortise and tenon. It seems like most people just accept this as SOP, but it bugs the shit out of me. How is it that a company that makes pipes,AND stems can't seem to get the measurement correct for a properly set stem within the mortise?