Blog by Greg Wolford
As I undertook this project I had no idea that Steve was writing and posting an article on tightening a loose stem. But when I saw it I figured that since this was a little different fix, and the pipe was already blogged about here, I would go ahead with the article.
If you have read the story of Big-Ben then you know I had to restem it. It was the first time I’d done this and the first use of my new tenon turning tool, too. So, in my haste and excitement I made a goof, one that Ric Farrah was kind enough to comment on: I had not cleaned the shank out real well before fitting the stem, leading to a loose new stem.
I tried beeswax and “smoking it in” but neither of these worked on this particular problem; as Steve noted often an application of beeswax and use will tighten up an estate pipe stem. But I suppose since this was just a goof on my part and the stem had not been for properly these solutions weren’t going to work.
I was aware of the tools sold for stretching a tenon, the pluses and minuses that Steve mentioned. But I wasn’t really inclined to buy one at this point, especially since I had another idea on what might work: a drill bit! So, since the two easy fixes failed I went down to the shop to try out this new-to-me idea.
I removed the stem from the pipe and checked the size of the air-hole against my set of drill bits. I thought I had drilled it out to 5/32 so this is where I started. However, I soon realized that I had drilled it at 9/64 so I took both of these sizes and the stem to the heat gun set up.
I almost always use leather gloves when I use my heat gun; things can get real hot, real quick. And since I was using steel drill bits I definitely wanted the hand protection. So, I donned the gloves and turned the heat gun on low to start stretching!
Now, the first thing I need to say here is when doing this you are inserting the blunt end of the bit that normally gets chucked into the tenon. The sharp end is the turning end, in your hand for this procedure. This part is very important.
I began to heat the tenon slowly, checking every several seconds on the progress; I only wanted it warmed enough to be slightly softened, not so soft that it could easily be deformed or badly bent. Keeping the tenon moving, I would take the smaller bit and try to insert it in the air hole until it went in. At this point I worked very gently to get the bit inside the tenon the entire length of the tenon, removing the bit/tenon from the heat. I kept the bit turning slightly while it was inside the hole so it wouldn’t stick. After about a minute I gently removed the bit and allowed the tenon to cool a few minutes before checking the fit, which ended up being too loose still. So, I picked up the larger bit and began the whole process over, this time resulting in a perfect fit: good and snug with no “play” or slipping but not too tight either. Finally, the new stem was fit properly!
I left of overnight and loaded it up the next morning, checking the for again; it was still perfect, like it had been made for it (a little humor there)! The pipe smoked good before the adjustment but it now smokes very well with a good fit on the stem, part of which I’m sure is in my head, not fussing or worrying about the bowl falling off.
I found this fix very simple and expect to use it again in the future: it was done with tools/items I had on hand and only required a bit of patience and slow going to do right. Of course if I’d applied that idea to turning the tenon to start with I wouldn’t have had to refit the the stem. But then I’d not have had the opportunity to try out this fix if I had done it right to start with either: I suppose that is the silver lining in this cloud of errors!
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I have a problem with a savinelli autograph pipe that I am trying to restore. The bamboo extension is out of the bowl and the wooden dowel fits loosely in it. Should this be glued in . . . is that how it was originally done? Second question, the vulcanite bit is stuck in the bamboo and there is a hairline crack. I put it in the freezer and took it out next day, but it only moved a tiny bit and still would not come out. It is in upside and I need to rotate it. I plan to dye the pipe because the previous owner stripped it down and ruined it.
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Hi Tim. Welcome to rebornpipes. Generally a bamboo extension is glued onto a rod (delrin or in your case wood). I have used a two part epoxy in the past and applied it sparingly to the rod and the inside of the hole it is inserted into on the bowl and then pressed them together to dry. The epoxy takes time to dry so set it aside until dry.
As for the bit – I have also carefully dripped alcohol around the joint on the stem/shank. In this case you may be able to do that down the bamboo shank. I have had to repeat it a few times before it loosened the grit. The other solution is to repeat the process of the freezer several times until it loosens. Is it possible that the shank is upside down against the bowl and when you glue it on it would be right side up? Is it glued in? I have seen people glue in the stem in their desire to repair it. Pain. If you think it might be glue you can drizzle acetone (finger nail polish remover) on the joint of the stem and bowl and slowly work it back and forth. Repeat until it loosens. Those are a couple of options that I have tried with success.
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Very Nice article Greg! I’ve done this as well. One tip I would offer is to use a grinder or sander and put a slight radius on the blunt end of the drill bit to round over the sharp edge. This helps to prevent the bit from trying to dig into the stem if it is slightly misaligned or in case it gets a little too hot.
Tim Pollock
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Thank you, Tim. That’s a great tip for future reference!
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great article. can you suggest an alternative to the heat gun?
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You can use a hair dryer, candle, or alcohol lamp, though I prefer to not use an open flame, personally.
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In my experience from the mold making/machinist trade my method for expanding the size of a tenon is basically the same as yours but instead of drill shanks I use exact dimensions. In the trade we have Gauge Pins that come in .001 inch increments. I use a micrometer to check the outside diameter of the tenon and Gauge pins to get the exact inside diameter of the mortise. Then using heat gradually insert the larger sizes of gauge pins into the tenon until the fit is tight. You don’t have to buy a complete set of gauge pins which come in sizes from .062 to .250 diameter for a complete set. Most tool suppliers will sell Individual gauges for a nominal charge.
Andy C.
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Thank you, Andy. I had never heard of these gauges. They sound like something well worth checking into!
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Very interesting Andy. I think those might also be known as pin punches? I have a set of tapered and consistent pin punch sets. Greg: I’ll remember that tip on cleaning the shank first!
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Yes, Al, that was a big goof on my part! I’d soaked it in an alcohol bath overnight and just “figured” that would suffice: Wrong!
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Greg, thanks for sharing this method of fixing a loose stem. I think this is an excelant long term fix. It lends itself to most of us, since we have a good selection of drill bits. I am glad this worked out well for you, and I will be trying it the next time I encounter a loose stem. I’m also very happy to hear that you have found a way to serve the Lord in a positive way. Well done.
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Thank you, Dave. I appreciate your feedback and encouraging words. God bless.
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Good addition to the fixes Greg. Thanks for the post.
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Am I missing the rest of the post? Don’t keep an idiot in suspense!
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Geesh, I don’t know what went wrong! I’ll try to fix it …
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The electricity went out as I was uploading the article, deleting half of it! I rewrote it (was better the first draft lol) and have reported it. Thanks for the “trouble alert” Mark!
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