In one of my EBay bargain basket purchases I picked up a Kirsten Barrel and stem. It is complete minus the bowl. I have a bowl coming from a friend so it was time to do some work on the stem and barrel. The valve on the end of the stem was stuck shut so removed the stem and needle valve system from the barrel and filled the barrel with alcohol up to the top of the valve on the end. This worked through the buildup on the valve and I was able to remove it. The barrel was fairly easy to clean up with alcohol and cotton swabs. The stem valve also cleaned up nicely but the stem was another matter altogether.
On the underside of the stem was a deep bite mark. It was rough around the edges and the vulcanite was compromised. On the top side of the stem were some smaller and less deep bite marks that were more like dents. There was also a wrinkle in the topside of the stem that was strange. The first two photos below show the stem when I began to work on it.
I decided to use my heat gun and set it on the lowest setting and held the stem over the gun to lift the tooth marks as much as possible. The ones on the top side of the stem lifted very easily with the heat. The wrinkle also smoothed out easily with the heat. The bite mark on the underside lifted slightly but it was not going to come out smoothly. I then sanded it with 240 grit sandpaper to remove the remnants of the bite marks and remaining tooth chatter. The top of the stem came out very nicely and I would need to work out the scratches with higher grits of sandpaper and micromesh. The underside was another matter. I sanded out the roughness around the edges of the crater in the stem. I sanded out the remnants of tooth chatter to see what I would have to do to reclaim the stem. The next two photos show the stem after the sanding with the 240 and 320 grit sandpaper. The topside is nice, but the bottom crater remains – smaller but visible.
I sanded the stem with 400 and 600 grit wet dry sandpaper to remove the majority of the scratches pictured above. The top side I then sanded with 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads. The first photo below shows the top of the stem and the bite marks and tooth chatter is gone. The stem from the top looks clean and new – ready for the bowl when it gets here. The second photo shows the underside of the stem. For the crater in the underside I cleaned out the hole with a cotton swab and alcohol. I picked away any debris that had collected in the hole with a dental pick. I then filled the hole with black superglue. I made a superglue bubble over the hole to make sure that when it dried it would be able to be full enough. I set it aside for the night. In the morning I sanded it with 320 grit sandpaper and took the bubble down to the surface of the stem. I then sanded with 400 and 600 wet dry to smooth it out more. Finally I sanded it with the 1500-2400 micromesh sanding pads to get it to the point shown in the second photo below.
At this point the stem is repaired and all that remains is to do some final sanding with the higher grits of micromesh sanding pads. I worked on it with 3200 and 3600 grit micromesh and then polished it Maguiar’s. After that I sanded it with 4000-12,000 grit micromesh and then gave it a coat of Obsidian Oil. The finished stem was buffed with White Diamond and then more carnauba wax. I also hand polished the barrel with carnauba wax.
rebornpipes 
This post was just what I needed. I’ve got several bits with deep tooth marks that need repair. I just ordered the black superglue and the accelerator. I’ll take some before and after photos on my repairs and report back. Thanks again. Joyal
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Thanks Joyal. Keep us posted on your work on those stems. I look forward to seeing them and hearing about your work. Enjoy.
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Here’s photos of my first repair. I had to reapply the black superglue several times because the bite marks were so deep and the glue would shrink some with each application.
After filing and micromesh to 1800
After micromesh to 12,000 and obsidian oil
This was a fun project. Thanks again for showing me how to do this.
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Joyal I edited your reply to show the photos in the reply. Nice work. It looks really good. Thanks for posting this.
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Thanks Steve. I get confused on how to post photos from my PhotoBucket account to sites, blogs, and emails. I also posted my repair on PipeSmokersForum and gave a link to your blog.
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Thanks Joyal. You did a great job.
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I have to check out the black super glue! I’ve been experimenting, trying to make my own, and it’s already available: Who knew?
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Very nice stuff. When you order get the drying agent for it as well. I forgot it and it takes all night to dry.
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I’ll try to remember that. Have you tried the amber? I was just thinking it might make good briar dust fills perhaps?
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No not tried it. Good idea though. It would also work well on amber stems! got to order some.
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I’ve yet to have an amber stem but it would indeed. I reckon I know what my next “have to have” order is now 🙂
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Thanks so much for the link and your expertise.
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Thanks Andy. I also just finished up a meerschaum bowl for that old Kirsten stem. I posted the process and photos to the blog a few moments ago. It was an interesting modification.
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That is one comfortable looking stem, I’ll look forward to seeing the completed piece when your bowl arrives.
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Thanks I just got that box of stuff I picked up on ebay and it has a Meerschaum bowl that I think I can adapt to fit the Kirsten. Should be an interesting piece to work on and make it fit.
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What an expertly finished stem. May I ask where you get black super glue???
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Thanks Andy. I order the black superglue from Stewart macdonals
http://www.stewmac.com/
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