Acrylic Stems

socrates · Post by **socrates** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:52 am

Can acrylic stems be bent to a desired shape or does it have to be cut/sanded to shape desired shape? Thanks

Jthompson1995 · Post by **Jthompson1995** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:50 am

Bends just fine with a little heat. Careful not to heat it too much though.

baweaverpipes · Post by **baweaverpipes** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 7:45 am

socrates wrote:Can acrylic stems be bent to a desired shape or does it have to be cut/sanded to shape desired shape? Thanks

Not to be Mr. Smartypants, but how would you drill once "cut/sanded to shape desired shape"?
Yes, the stuff bends.
Many don't like acrylic since it's a tad harder than Ebonite. The plus.........it doesn't oxidize.

sandahlpipe · Post by **sandahlpipe** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:16 am

Acrylic is also more brittle than ebonite. I've had a few acrylic stems snap when bending them. Or dropping them.

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 10:34 am

Pay no attention to Bruce. He is a smartypants.

You have to be careful bending acrylic, because it cools differently than vulcanite. Vulcanite will slowly get less and less flexible as it cools, while acrylic will be flexible and then suddenly, it's not. This can result in your snapping the stem if you try to bend it "just a little more" after it's passed that flexibility stage.

Rad

baweaverpipes · Post by **baweaverpipes** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 10:38 am

Pay not attention to Rod Davies, he's a hillwilliam.

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 12:16 pm

sandahlpipe wrote:Acrylic is also more brittle than ebonite. I've had a few acrylic stems snap when bending them. Or dropping them.

I've bent thousands without breakage. You're doing it wrong.

I've never dropped a pipe. You're handling them wrong.

Categorical statements like "more brittle" apply to neither acrylic nor ebonite/vulcanite. Both have many formulations, and all have different characteristics. You're braining it wrong.

sandahlpipe · Post by **sandahlpipe** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 12:42 pm

You're right, George. Not gonna argue. I'm just saying I haven't had those issues with ebonite with my faulty methods. I haven't dropped a stem since my hands were numb in the shop last winter. I since acquired diamond grip gloves per your suggestion and have had a much better time with those mistakes. I've also minimized my use of acrylic and been much happier since. Maybe when I feel like learning how to work with each kind of acrylic I will give it another go.

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LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 1:10 pm

If I was an alien visiting earth to assess the state of pipe smoking, I would conclude that deliberately making life difficult for themselves was some sort of human need.

"I'm going to spend $3500 on this pipe, the briar of which will last effectively forever, but the stem of which will slowly dissolve before my eyes! I fuckin' INSIST on it! I don't want the better, blacker, cleaner, tasteless alternative anywhere NEAR my pipe, understand?"

As for the "hardness" thing, 1) it's not categorical---there are vulcanite formulations that are damn near like ceramic they're so hard; and 2) the price of "softness" is often metal chip inclusions and little bubble-pockets of unvulcanized rubber dust (aka TANSTAAFL).

Ocyd · Post by **Ocyd** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 1:16 pm

does it matter how long the stem material will last if untouched? people are just going to gnaw on them anyway.

sandahlpipe · Post by **sandahlpipe** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 1:30 pm

If someone wants to buy a pipe from me for $3500 dollars...now there's something I never considered before. Maybe I'd just use a stem blank and charge 10x that amount and glue on some shiny stuff and call it art.

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Alden · Post by **Alden** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 1:35 pm

LatakiaLover wrote: (aka TANSTAAFL).

Is TANSTAAFL the redneck version of TINSTAAFL ?

"There Ain't No Secha Thing"

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 1:59 pm

Alden wrote:
LatakiaLover wrote: (aka TANSTAAFL).

Is TANSTAAFL the redneck version of TINSTAAFL ?

"There Ain't No Secha Thing"

It's a Robert Heinlein-ism from the 70's that went semi-mainstream for a while. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

pipedreamer · Post by **pipedreamer** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:13 pm

The fool proof way is to place stem in container full of salt at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 min. Stem will get very pliable , have a pipe cleaner already in it. Now with light gloves on bend to where you want it then run cool water over it.You can bend it many ways but this one is the right way, God told me so.Those other
guys will give you nightmares.
P.S. if you have some cookies ready then they take the same time, to bake that is.

pipedreamer · Post by **pipedreamer** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:18 pm

Those acrylic bubbles are real, totally messed up days of work and no way to get rid of them. When I run out of acrylic then no more.

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:22 pm

pipedreamer wrote:Those acrylic bubbles are real, totally messed up days of work and no way to get rid of them. When I run out of acrylic then no more.

Huh?

If induced during bending, you're getting the stuff much too hot.

If they're already there... you must be buying some very low-grade material.

socrates · Post by **socrates** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:01 pm

pipedreamer wrote:The fool proof way is to place stem in container full of salt at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 min. Stem will get very pliable , have a pipe cleaner already in it. Now with light gloves on bend to where you want it then run cool water over it.You can bend it many ways but this one is the right way, God told me so.Those other
guys will give you nightmares.
P.S. if you have some cookies ready then they take the same time, to bake that is.

I could do cookies and bend my acrylic at the same time? AWESOME!!!

socrates · Post by **socrates** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:17 pm

Thank you all for the info. Very beneficial and certainly various angles to achieve the end result. It's obvious there are more than one way to skin a cat. All I have to do is find the one best suited for me and my needs.

Again thanks all for your input.

pipedreamer · Post by **pipedreamer** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 5:19 pm

LL was charged hi grade, got low grade==lost customer.

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:30 pm

pipedreamer wrote:The fool proof way is to place stem in container full of salt at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 min. Stem will get very pliable , have a pipe cleaner already in it. Now with light gloves on bend to where you want it then run cool water over it.You can bend it many ways but this one is the right way,

There are several reasons this is a poor method.

-- If you heat the stem by itself, you'll have to bend it off the bowl, which will result in an approximation as opposed to a "finely tuned" shape. Also, inadvertently touching/moving the tenon will knock it off square enough there will be a light gap later, no matter how much it reverts to straight when the deflection pressure is removed.

-- If you heat the stem and the bowl together, the tenon will not only bend but stretch when the main portion of the stem is bent. Besides producing a light gap after cooling, the tenon will also be loose. (For those of you who say, "But that's how the factories do it, I've seen the videos!", actually no, it isn't. They all used a box or shield apparatus that causes only the stem to heat---the entire pipe doesn't soak in an oven.)

Using a heat gun is considerably safer, much faster, and allows a more finely-tuned bend. The difference is enough that if I were forced for some reason to use the salt & oven soak method, I'd probably quit repair work. Much slower + induced light gaps + approximate bends would make my head explode with rage-y frustration.

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