Tenon/Mortise Too Tight

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Merton

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 8, 2020
941
2,499
Boston, Massachusetts
I have a new radice billiard. When I opened the box I noticed a hair's breadth space between the stem and shank. I actually thought about returning it but decided it wasn't worth the hassle. The pipe smoked fine. However, the tenon is so tight in the mortise that it is a real problem removing the stem for cleaning. It makes the most awful sound and is a struggle to turn it even a little. It really feels like the shank cannot take the pressure. and will eventually crack. I have placed the pipe in the freezer and this helps a bit but I still can't remove the stem and it still is difficult to move at all. Any thoughts and, if I am able to get it out, what to do? I don't think the old graphite trick is like;y to fix this. Perhaps sanding the tenon?
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,623
44,833
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
How new? Before you do anything, let it acclimatize to your house for at least a week and see if the fit changes.
^^^^
This.

Pipe tenon/mortise fit can change, depending on the briar. Try leaving it alone for a week to see if it adjusts.
I have pipes where the fit is stable all the time and I have a few where the fit changes, usually with a change in temperature and humidity.
 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
Put the pipe in your freezer for 6 hours or so. Have some 400 sand piper ready and when you pull the pipe out of the freezer and it comes out with out much trouble just leave the parts separated. Keep them separated till the next day. Go wicked slow trying to put the pipe back together. If it catches at all and you think it is going to be tight as before. Take the 400 grit, put the tennon in rub the ten back and forth a few times and see if that is better. If it isn't just go slowly and try again. After a few times it should loosen up. I never had a problem doing this.
 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Pipe smokers are manic about disassembling their pipes for cleaning when in fact they're creating work for themselves that has no point. In general, leave the pipe alone! Beyond using cleaners there's really not much to do.

A potentate on another forum says that since pipes loose flavor after a thorough cleaning, the residue inside the pipe is valuable, and that thus he didn't plan on cleaning his pipes again until the airway closed.
 
potentate on another forum says that since pipes loose flavor after a thorough cleaning, the residue inside the pipe is valuable, and that thus he didn't plan on cleaning his pipes again until the airway closed.
Sounds like a very stupid potentate. Not cleaning out the shank makes a pipe smell like shit. If that is the flavor someone wants from their smoke, more power to them, but get the hell away from me.
 

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
Sounds like a very stupid potentate. Not cleaning out the shank makes a pipe smell like shit. If that is the flavor someone wants from their smoke, more power to them, but get the hell away from me.
I'm convinced that folks in the old days enjoyed skank much more that we do. Partly because they had no choice. Indoor plumbing and all that sort of thing, you know.
 

ChuckMijo

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 26, 2020
775
2,348
If you let it accumulate for awhile and it’s still tight. A light sanding on the tenon will instantly resolve the issue. It’s honestly not rocket science. Go slow take a little at a time. You got this!!
 
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