Stem Plumbing

[JSPipes]

A pipe (the maker will remain nameless) showed up in the mail today. Didn't pick it up until I got home from the show.

Anyway, the airway in the stem was about 1/8 of an inch, if that. So I went to drill it out. Drill bit got in part way and brass shavings started coming out . It got worse. Apparently there was a brass insert screwed into the stem and covered up on the outside at the tenon by a vulcanite plug.

Strangest thing I've ever seen. I can only suppose that it is there to promote condensation, though for the life of me I can't figure out why.

I made a mess of it and ended up hacking out a serviceable cumberland replacement until I can repair the original. Looks like I can drill out a bit of rod stock and turn it down to fit the hole, and then superglue it in. I'll probably do that during the week.

Any of you ever hear of such a thing?

Joel

[LatakiaLover]

I'm not entirely clear what you mean, Joel. A cylinder of brass---like a spacer---was inserted into a mortise that had been cut into the stem, but that was shorter than the mortise is deep? And which then had another cylinder of the stem material glued into the partially filled mortise, which served as the tenon?

If so, that's bizarre.

I've never seen such a thing, nor can I imagine its purpose. Give the pipe some heft in the manner of a fine writing pen? Some sort of condensation gimmick, as you suggested? The hole was drilled too deep and something lying around that happened to fit was used as a spacer?

Pipe Mystery Theater, brought to you by JSPipes.

As for not naming the maker, why not? Such odd things are usually something the maker is proud of---a signature of sorts. Plus, I'd certainly like to know in case one comes my way.

[pierredekat]

Is it possible the tenon is delrin, and the brass piece is being used to hold it in place, maybe? I am still trying to visualize what you're saying, but that's what it sounds like to me.

[ckr]

Hi Joel,
I think I have seen it before on pre-fabs.
(ignore the periods, had to, some formatting feature is stripping out whitespace)

.......................... _______________________
......................... I
_____________I

................========== <-------- metal insert
_____________
........................ I
.........................I
..........................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

if it extends from the tenon into the stem like above the best I can come up with it is that it was molded into the stem for additional strength. The ones I have seen do seem to restrict the airway more than most would like.

[JSPipes]

Ckr has the idea. I don't think this was to reinforce the tenon as it is pretty beefy at .40. And it went deeper than that.

I'll try another description.

Pick up a stem. Now drill a countersink into the tenon that extends past it another 1/2 of an inch. Thread in a 1/2 long piece of brass rod. Then fill the hole back in with some vulcanite.

Very odd. Not a prefab stem. It is cumberland.

Not going to get there tonight, tomorrow I plan to turn a piece of cumberland to fill the countersink in the stem so it doesn't act like a sump.

UPDATE:
I got fed up with this pipe just not being "finished." So I turned down a cumberland plug for the stem and then a delrin plug to fill the 1/4 inch gap between the end of the tenon and the mortise floor. Now the draw is open and effortless. Fluffly cleaner goes through nicely.

Should be a good smoker. I'll find out tomorrow.

[Nick]

weird!