Loose stem

[dmkerr]

I have an estate pipe that came to me with a very loose stem. If I were to let go of the pipe and tilt my head downward (I know... don't tilt your head downward!) the pipe would fall off the stem.

I'm sure someone here has a method to tighten? Thanks in advance.

[uncballzer]

I've not tried it yet, but some of the other EPS' use bees wax on the stem to make a better fit.

[Blaylock]

You can also try clear nail polish. Let it dry overnight between coats.

[DSturg369]

I would try the bees wax first. But.....

What I have done on 2 different, extream cases was to put the tenon end in boiling water for about 20 or 30 seconds. Then insert the smooth end of a clean drill bit slowly into the tenon. If it's extreamly tight try the boiling water for 20 more seconds until it will go. VERY SLOWLY, you don't want to split it. Test the drill bit first and get the next larger size from the one that fits in the hole. As far as I know, this will only work for vulcanite stems. Good Luck.

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by DSturg369

I would try the bees wax first. But.....

What I have done on 2 different, extream cases was to put the tenon end in boiling water for about 20 or 30 seconds. Then insert the smooth end of a clean drill bit slowly into the tenon. If it's extreamly tight try the boiling water for 20 more seconds until it will go. VERY SLOWLY, you don't want to split it. Test the drill bit first and get the next larger size from the one that fits in the hole. As far as I know, this will only work for vulcanite stems. Good Luck.

Naturally, it's a Lucite stem.

I'll try the beeswax. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

[DSturg369]

Also, smoking a few bowls will sometimes tighten the stem on it's own. Weird sounding I know, but many have attested that it does work.

Again, whatever you do, good luck with it.

[PipesandGOP]

Originally Posted by DSturg369

Also, smoking a few bowls will sometimes tighten the stem on it's own. Weird sounding I know, but many have attested that it does work.

Again, whatever you do, good luck with it.

makes sense- pulling a stem out while the pipe's still warm makes a snug fitting stem tighter so I would assume doing the same on a pipe that's pretty loose could do the trick (pulling it out and putting it right back in.. don't pull it out for like a minute or anything).

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by DSturg369

Also, smoking a few bowls will sometimes tighten the stem on it's own. ...many have attested that it does work.

I think that smoking a pipe draws more moisture down the shank, it swells a bit and, presto-snuggo, stem fits. Also, you may get the tiniest bit of tar on the tenon at tyhe same time. It has worked for me a couple of times but you have to be careful it doesn't fall out during the first few minutes of that first smoke.

[Mad Hatter]

I second the "smoke the pipe" suggestion, especially if the pipe came from an arid state. I got a couple of pipes from AZ a couple years ago. Both were new and both had very loose stems. A couple of smokes later they were a-ok.

[dmkerr]

The "smoking the pipe" seems to be working. Two bowls later, it's quite a bit tighter. While it's being smoked, it's perfect. When it cools, it gets slightly loose. Perhaps another couple of bowls will do the trick.

Thanks, guys!

[Professor Mike]

The heat generated while smoking causes the stem to expand,thus a tighter fit.

Mike

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by dmkerr

The "smoking the pipe" seems to be working. Two bowls later, it's quite a bit tighter. While it's being smoked, it's perfect. When it cools, it gets slightly loose. Perhaps another couple of bowls will do the trick.

Thanks, guys!

CASE CODE 312-R.i.2: Loose Stem

With over 400 years of combined pipe smoking experience, the expertise of Dsturg, MadHatter and MisterMoo once again crack the code and solve the problem as a no-charge courtesy for members of the CS Pipe Forum. As always you can rely on us up to 71%, 39% of the time.

Options for further sugglyness - put some spit on the tenon before putting it into the shank; try beeswax; and as a last resort, a little clear fingernail polish. Heating a tenon to plasticity and then jamming a hot icepick up its little arse seems cruel to the amateur but, in fact, the tenon has no nerve endings around the opening much like the mouth of a bass (fig. a). It is best to practice this techinique on a wasted tenon before moving on to a pipestem you actually care about. The method doeswork, but the application of heat and force must be done slowly, carefully and in very small increments.


figure a - bass lips and pipe tenons are shy on nerve endings. Every pipe repairman knows this is true because pipe tenons never scream when you shove burning hot icepicks up their little behinds.