Tight Stem / Tenon

[EvertonFC]

I just bought one of those Savinelli Ottagonos that SmokingPipes dropped last week. Cool pipe, but it's really hard to get the stem out. Is that something that I should expect will gradually grow easier with time or does the tightness indicate a poorly made pipe? Thanks in advance.

 

[n_irwin]

A little beeswax should do the trick. Or the graphite from a pencil. That’s where I would start.

 

[sasquatch]

Briar moves with humidity changes. If it's super tight, you may have to put a little sandpaper around a pencil or something and take just a little material out of the mortise (takes only a twist or two, we are talking 1/1000th of an inch).

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I just bought one of those Savinelli Ottagonos that SmokingPipes dropped last week. Cool pipe, but it's really hard to get the stem out. Is that something that I should expect will gradually grow easier with time or does the tightness indicate a poorly made pipe? Thanks in advance.

If you put the pipe in your freezer for ten minutes, things should contract enough to take the pipe apart more easily.

 

[sandollars]

Beeswax is the bomb!

 

[EvertonFC]

Thanks everyone. I'll give all three of those a try.

One more question. I'm not at all handy. What grade sandpaper would be advisable if I need to go that route?

 

[n_irwin]

Something fine, like 1500 grit. I would sand as a last option—first see if you can solve the problem without removing any material from the tenon or the inside of the mortise.

 

[Ryan]

When I have this problem and it seems removing material is the only option, I prefer to use fine steel wool on the tenon, doing it very carefully so as not to affect anything other than the tenon (obviously you don’t want to round the edges of your stem) Just keep turning it in the steel wool a few tubes each time until it fits correctly.

If it seems loose later for some reason, you can heat up the tenon with a candle or lighter and it will expand just a little and be tight again. Of course you could do that if you removed wood as well. I just don’t like the idea of removing wood from the pipe.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

When I have this problem and it seems removing material is the only option, I prefer to use fine steel wool on the tenon, doing it very carefully so as not to affect anything other than the tenon (obviously you don’t want to round the edges of your stem) Just keep turning it in the steel wool a few tubes each time until it fits correctly.

If it seems loose later for some reason, you can heat up the tenon with a candle or lighter and it will expand just a little and be tight again. Of course you could do that if you removed wood as well. I just don’t like the idea of removing wood from the pipe.

With gunsmithing, a general rule is you alter the replaceable part—I would agree that removing wood from the pipe is not the way to go.

 

[fireground_piper]

Once it’s acclimated to your climate, that will give you a good baseline. As mentioned, humidity changes the fit significantly. Iv had some stems that I fit stupidly at 20% humidity only to have them fall out when it went up to 50-60% because of the growth.

 

[EvertonFC]

Great advice all, as always. Thank you for the help. Cheers.

 

[burleybreath]

If you can remove wood uniformly from a pipe's mortise with sandpaper, you're a better handyman than I. For what it's worth, I've owned maybe 150 pipes over time, and I've never had the graphite thing fail. Real graphite pencils work better, but regular #2s are fine.

 

[BriarBrook]

Just had to sandpaper a Peterson last week...

 

[Servant King]

Just to add my two cents...I like to use a nub of dried out bar soap, and rub it lightly on the tenon. That works a little better for me to induce an easier attachment/removal of the stem than the pencil graphite approach, but as with any suggestion, YMMV.

 

[bullet08]

Silicone sheets. Well, that's what I do with my pipes. Grab the stummel on one hand with silicone sheet and stem on the other hand with silicone and gently twist. So far no cracked mortise. But I don't suggest this to others. And all my pipes have ferrules.

 

[sasquatch]

With gunsmithing, a general rule is you alter the replaceable part—I would agree that removing wood from the pipe is not the way to go.

Savinelli tenons are teflon or delrin, they aren't vulcanite and don't take well to sanding. Taking wood out of the mortise, the .005" we are talking about is easy and painless, and much safer than things like graphite where you aren't reducing the stress on the mortise, but reducing the friction of the fit. Much better to reduce the stress on the mortise, long run.

 

[JimPM]

Briar moves with humidity changes. If it's super tight, you may, I have to put a little sandpaper around a pencil or something and take just a little material out of the mortise (takes only a twist or two, we are talking 1/1000th of an inch).

This is true I agree

 

[didimauw]

I didn't believe that graphite on the tenon would work. Refused the idea for years. Then one day I ran out of ideas and tried it. Scribbled on the tenon with a pencil, and it was like pure magic. Couldn't believe it.