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I shaped a nice piece of plateaux on a wheel this afternoon and when I was done I rinsed it off with the stem in it and set it down. When I checked it out later the shank was cracked along the grain. I'm assuming the wood contracted when it dried and cracked, but I'm curious, is this normal? I hadn't dropped it or bumped it at all. Should I never wash the dust off a stummel, or was the mistake leaving the stem in it? Thanks for any advice.

I guess I'll just save this for when I have better tools and can put a shank extension or some bamboo on it. It's a pretty piece of briar.

Use a damp rag. Don't "wash" a pipe once you've drilled the stummel. Inviting bad juju.

andrew

Crack was probably already there, but invisible to the human eye. The water and drying may have made it show up.

Yeah I'd be real surprised if a quick wash hurt it that bad. Must have been tight/cracked to start.

Some briar is much more susceptible to this than others. I use the others.

It probably was already damaged or a weak spot. I regularly spray stummels with water during shaping to check grain and flaws. Once I am nearing completion though I try and avoid moisture since it only interferes with fits later on.

Thanks for the information guys. I guess if this happens too much it would be more cost effective to get a drill press and start drilling my own blocks. Blocks are less than half the kit cost.

DeflictedPipes wrote:Thanks for the information guys. I guess if this happens too much it would be more cost effective to get a drill press and start drilling my own blocks. Blocks are less than half the kit cost.

Drilling your own is natural progression. I doubt that the block cracked in response to wetting or from anything to do with who drilled it. Most of the people I've found who sell kits are also passionate about pipes. But you have control over design if you drill your own.


Sent from my banana phone.

Ccoolee,

Shaped stummels can crack from wetting. Especially shanks if you have a stem inserted (extra pressure being exerted at the mortise/tenon area). It can also mess up mortise/tenon fit if you get too much water on the joint.
General rule: if you get that joint damp don't mess with the stem until it's dry, don't even twist it. If you have stabilized the mortise/tenon joint with something not soluble with water and then you get it wet, you have a bit more freedom. A wet unstabilized joint is something to be avoided (in general).

andrew

I wet mine all the time sanding and staining and washing the camel crap off of them, never had a problem.See me knocking on wood?

andrew wrote:
Shaped stummels can crack from wetting. Especially shanks if you have a stem inserted (extra pressure being exerted at the mortise/tenon area). It can also mess up mortise/tenon fit if you get too much water on the joint.

Have you actually experienced either of those things while working with briar, or are you passing on something you read or were told? I'm asking because shaped stummels are the only kind I work with, and have never found water to have a net effect of any kind on them.

Ccoolee wrote:I doubt that the block cracked...from anything to do with who drilled it.

I'm not blaming the drilling in any way. I'm just ruminating about making the material costs less if there's going to be an occasional blowout. And I like to buy tools.

I'm not blaming the drilling in any way. I'm just ruminating about making the material costs less if there's going to be an occasional blowout. And I like to buy tools. [/quote]

I'm happier with drilling my own. I hear you on cost. I bought a few blocks at once, just so mrs. would forget the cost. It is also nice to have different shapes to decide what you want to do or what you can fit in the block rather than trying to shape your ideas around the holes already in it.

Andrew,
Thanks for that info. I haven't ever wet mine. Other than licking to check grain (gross I know). I wet sand the stems, but not the stummels?


Sent from my banana phone.

I've never had a case where a crack magically appeared. What typically would happen is that while the stummel dries, small cracks can appear (widen). You're more likely to see them if you're working in the top 1/4 of the briar near the plateaux.
I wet sand all the time, so it's not a huge issue, but you do occasionally create more work for yourself.
I haven't experienced the same issue in refinishing pipes, but my experience with repairs is limited.

andrew

This has happened to me several times with both estate and being made pipes, the cause was the tennon being to tight or the walls of the mortice being thin.

I did this a couple of weeks ago when fitting a bamboo extension, the wall was a bit to thin and the tennon a bit to tight and hey presto instant fire wood.