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Bending a stem for an oom paul.
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 4:27 pm
by FrJacob
I’m working on my first oom paul. I expected a learning curve on the stummel, but I got a good result there. I never expected to get stalled by trying to bend the stem. I’ve made slight bends for quarter-bent pipes with no problem, but nothing this bent. I’m using a molded vulcanite saddle stem. I have a pipe cleaner thru the draft, with water in a tin nearby. The bend I’m after is 110º from the saddle to the button. I’m using a heat gun and a pair of leather gloves. I’ve cracked four or five stems, and I’m wondering if maybe the saddle bit I’m using is just too short for this bend. It’s 1-3/4” between where the saddle ends and the end of the button. Obvious answer is I'm just not heating it up enough. It breaks just as I'm thinking, maybe put it in the water now? Technique suggestions?
Re: Bending a stem for an oom paul.
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 5:41 pm
by sandahlpipe
You might try a two stage bend if it's that severe. After you bend it partway, remove some of the material from the bottom of the stem to reduce the amount of leverage against the top of the stem. Then continue the bend. Also, molded stems are likely to be more brittle than ebonite rod.
Re: Bending a stem for an oom paul.
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:26 pm
by LatakiaLover
FrJacob wrote:Obvious answer is I'm just not heating it up enough.
This
Re: Bending a stem for an oom paul.
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:07 pm
by DocAitch
LatakiaLover wrote:FrJacob wrote:Obvious answer is I'm just not heating it up enough.
This
Agree.
Thick stems and acrylic take a lot more heat.
Keep the material moving through the hot air stream, constant motion avoids scorching the surface.
I mount my heat gun in a vise with the airstream pointed straight up and pass the stem back and forth through the stream while rotating it, occasionally testing to check “floppiness”. I generally keep the stem and pipe together because the stummel makes a good handle and you can check the angle directly. I haven’t found that I needed gloves. Because you want the bend more at the middle, check mobility in the mid portion of the stem.
It can take several minutes to reach the correct level of floppiness. It should take very little force to bend the stem once you are there.
DocAitch
Re: Bending a stem for an oom paul.
Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 2:47 pm
by d.huber
LatakiaLover wrote:FrJacob wrote:Obvious answer is I'm just not heating it up enough.
This
Agree. It should be soft and pliable when you bend it.
Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
Re: Bending a stem for an oom paul.
Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 2:53 pm
by RickB
d.huber wrote:LatakiaLover wrote:FrJacob wrote:Obvious answer is I'm just not heating it up enough.
This
Agree. It should be soft and pliable when you bend it.
Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
He's back!
FWIW, the difference between using your heat gun setup during class back in October and my usual candle and/or stove burner method (or as I call it "Trial by Fire") was night and day.
I'd never seen a stem so pliable and floppy.
