Why does it whistle??

ScoJo · Post by **ScoJo** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:24 pm

I have a stem from a kit that I got and when you draw through the stem it sounds like you are blowing a whistle. I pulled the stem off and tested just it. It's not the block, but the stem. I am not set up to do anything with stems yet. What makes this happen, and what can I do to stop it?

Thanks,
Scott

Post by **Tyler** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 10:21 am

Let me take this opportunity to preach what I am sure everyone is tired of hearing from me: STEMS cause many, if not most of the problems with poor smoking pipes.

Phew...I feel better.

Scott, just buy a 11/64" taper drill at Home Depot and drill out the tenon end by hand. (The bits are sold for pilot holes for screws...mine is a DeWalt.)

Tyler

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 1:27 pm

And when you're finished with the taper bit, turn the stem around and use a 1/16" bit to widen, deepen, and smooth out the slot in the button. This also is a major culprit in whistling stems. It's also, well usually, a real cast iron bear to get a pipecleaner through a slot in a normal factory stem like the kind sold on many kits.