Tricking a loose stem
Sometime ago I bought a state Peterson kildare 606s. At the time it already had a loose stem and with time it got so loose that I couldn't use it in the car because the bowl would fall off.
The heat and press method can't be use because this stem have a cooler (just a pointed Aluminum tube in fact), and it was too much loose for the bee wax to hold on.
So, I got some sewing thread from my wife sewing box and put some around the tenon, and then some bee wax over it.
The idea was to make a place for the wax to stick and build enough height to secure the bowl, however, that's not what happened.
When I inserted the bowl in the tenon, the thread got pushed all the way and with the wax it made a sticky cushion that keeps the bowl in place until it heats enough to stand on its own.
Well, I was right for the wrong reasons, but the fact is that it works and I have my Peterson pot back on rotation. :-)
I've heard of the nail varnish technique. My small ckr billiard has a loose stem, and I may resort to that to help. How do you apply the bees wax, out of curiousity? Just enough to seat it?
I've never tried the beeswax method, but I'd imagine just applying coats until you achieve a good fit. Personally, I'm surprised it does not melt. The guy who told me about it - a good friend - is the top pipe restorer on the African continent & he swears by it.
I'm shocked it doesn't melt either. I guess the smoke cools radically once past the draught hole, eh?
I have a Savinelli Duca Carlo with a loose stem. It became loose suddenly after I'd cleaned the mortise thoroughly with a Q-tip and Bee sweetener. One day I'd lifted it off the rack by the bit and the bowl fell right off.
I'd read about beeswax being used on loose tenons before and thought I'd give it a go since I had some on hand. It works like a charm and is very easy to apply. You can put it on like you would Chapstick or just press the tenon onto the wax and give it a little twist. You'll be able to see when it's on there and it doesn't take much at all. From there, just replace the stem and you're all set.
Every now and then, I'll clean the mortise, wipe the tenon, and replace the wax. That doesn't happen very often though and it's no fuss to get it done. Just an ice cube sized piece of wax or a small block should be enough to last for years on end. It's a cheap solution and should be in any pipe smoker's toolkit for present or future use.
Edit: There's also no melting that I've ever noticed and it imparts no flavor at all.
...becoming very loose over time if the pipe has been allowed to dry out for a long period. I just smoke the hell out of them unitl the wood swells and the stem once again is properly fit. That has been my experience.
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Glad that worked for you Vasco. I've had bad results heating up the stem & pressing so I never use it. A pipe restorer friend of mine recommends the bees wax. Personally, I've had great results with nail varnish. You may find that with the change in season your pipe stems become looser.