Typical pipe to churchwarden with replacement stem?

[lordsirgarrett]

Hey guys, not sure if this is the correct section for this or not so forgive me if this topic belongs somewhere else.
I have an old Marxman straight billiard and a Yello-bole bent billiard, two old estate pipes I've been playing around with refurbishing. Now I will be the first to admit that I am very much a novice at this, but an interesting thought occurred to me. I've seen a couple of listings on eBay for churchwarden replacement stems... Is there any reason I couldn't order one and fit it to one of the pipes I'm redoing? There's nothing wrong with the current stems but the idea of having a pipe that serves double duty as a traditional and a churchwarden is appealing to me. It seems like it would be fairly simple... Am I underestimating the difficulty of such a project? Is there anyone that's tried this before that has some tips or insight for me?

 

[wolfe64]

I have thought about doing this too. I think as long as the mortise and tenon diameters are compatible, I don't see why it wouldn't work.
Mark

 

[gloucesterman]

Properly cutting tenons requires the right equipment and technique. To do it successfully you need to be comfortable working in very tight tolerances. You might be better off having one made. The idea has been around for a while and it's a good one. The task is a bit difficult without some experience.

 

[disinformatique]

Pipe stemwork is more difficult than shaping a bowl/pipe or drilling. It's better you send it to a professional if you dont have the relevant equipment.

 

[georged]

There's nothing wrong with the current stems but the idea of having a pipe that serves double duty as a traditional and a churchwarden is appealing to me. It seems like it would be fairly simple... Am I underestimating the difficulty of such a project? Is there anyone that's tried this before that has some tips or insight for me?

Not simple. To do right, anyway.
A briar pipe's mortise/tenon joint has to be +/- about a thousandth of an inch for it to feel right, and more than another couple thousandths above or below that is "fall off loose" and "crack the shank tight". Cutting material that accurately requires specialized tools and techniques.
Making the two stem idea an even tougher sell is their tenons must both be EXACTLY the same, or switching between them can't be done. After a period of smoking, whichever is the larger will make the mortise too loose for the smaller one, and vice-versa. (Heat and humidity cycling causes the wood to move)
Finally, if the pipe is a level shank/stem junction design, making #2 level without messing up the shank for #1 is a tedious business.