Thought I wouls share this - things to notice on ebay listings

[kf4bsb]

As some of you may have noticed from my previous post, I take great pride in restoring old pipes and working on them. While pipe repair is not my "Day Job" so to speak, I do work for people from time to time (rebuiltbriars.com). A friend of mine contacted me about this Karl Erik he found on Ebay. The seller described it has having a split stem.






As you can see, the stem needs a lot of work, and the split the seller was referring to is the small slit looking part on top of the button. I took one look and said, that stem needs replacing. My friend asked if I could just clean it up and do a build up for him.
I have, on occasion, done stem repairs/buildups/re builds using IC-2000. Once it is filed shaped and buffed, it blends seamlessly into the vulcanite of the stem. He wanted to know if I could do that to this stem. Now here is where a good eye comes in.
DO you see that patch of stem on the bottom that is not oxidized? That is very characteristic of a repair that has been made with Super Glue or some other CA based glue. It was clear to me that the bottom of that stem had seen some significant damage and had been "repaired", and judging from the size of the spot, it was a lot of damage.
I decided to clean the stem a little and see how bad it was. Here are the pictures





As you can see the stem is not actually split, but the button is in very bad shape on the top. As you can see from the bottom, it looks like a very large piece was broken off and then super glued back in, which further distorted the button on the bottom and altered/damaged the shape of the airway opening. SO, looks like I will be making a new stem for my friend.
I wanted to share this just so others might know what they are looking at in pictures on Ebay. I know it is kind of long, but I hope someone finds it useful.

 

[elpfeife]

That's an eyeopener!

 

[pitchfork]

Very informative.

 

[boilermakerandy]

Very interesting. Thank you.

 

[papajoe]

Thanks for sharing so we know what to be careful from.

 

[cortezattic]

Excellent post! Thanks for taking the time to post all those pix. Much appreciated! :clap:

 

[sablebrush52]

What is IC-2000 and how do you apply it to the vulcanite? I have an old Barling that has a dent in the button. If I can fill that and smooth it back I would be very happy.

 

[toby67]

I was about to ask what IC-2000 is also sablebrush52, I was wondering if (1) it could be used to fill large tooth marks on stems; and (2) if the stem colour matters with the IC-2000 filling

 

[mephistopheles]

Thank you for sharing! :clap:

 

[woodsroad]

http://www.bsi-inc.com/Pages/hobby/ca.html
"IC-2000™ is a rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate that forms superior shock resistant bonds on non-porous surfaces. The black colored CA has added flexibility for the bonding of metals, fiberglass, rubber, carbon-fiber and other advanced materials. For model use, IC-2000™ is ideal for the bonding of bulkheads, formers and servo rails to the inside of fiberglass hulls and fuselages. Setup time is 20-40 seconds, which can be accelerated with INSTA-SET™. When cured, IC-2000™ is pliable enough to be carved with a hobby knife. IC-2000™ is the best adhesive for R/C car tires."

 

[sablebrush52]

Hi Woods,
Thanks for the link. I did a bit of research to get some idea of the toxicity issue, and this stuff is about twice as toxic as peanut butter, so it doesn't appear to be much of a concern.

 

[kf4bsb]

Yes, IC-2000 is the CA adhesive that has the added rubber component. I have used Bob Smith industries products for years and remember when they first came on the scene. I actually contacted them about this product as soon as it hit the market and got a lot of detals on it before using it. I actually mix a small amount if the IC-2000 with the companies Maxi-Cure super thick slow setting gap fill CA. You have about a 30 second window before it starts to set, so you have to work fast. Let it set for 24 hours and is hard as a rock. After some filing and shaping, give it a buff and it blends right in. I have used it for repairs, build ups, and fill out ms of tooth marks and dents on stems. You can both products at most any hobby store. If you have a hard time finding them, let me know as my local hobby store carries it in large quantities so I might be able to point you In the right direction. CA glues have been shown to be non toxic once cured and I personally have no concerns in using them on my own pipes. I only use CA glues on other people's stems if they request it or give me their approval after I look at the stem.

 

[elpfeife]

@Sable
If you try the IC-2000 on the Barling please post the results. I suspect many of us have a similar situation, although likely not with an old Barling!

 

[allan]

Kf
Thanks so much for posting this very interesting thread.
This CA stuff sounds too good to be true.
Sable
Let us know how it works out for you.

 

[mso489]

This reminds me of the police automobile auctions where you can't start the engine nor look under the hood.

That's ebay. Some sellers would actually describe the problem as best they could, but that's getting less

common (I surmise). With worn pipes, a stem replacement is always a likely requirement, sooner or later.

Although, I admit, some of the restorations of stems on Forums leave me wide-eyed; they look better than

new.