We have a heatwave going on here at the present. It's almost like breathing water it's so humid! No pipe work probably this week. I need to get a split air/ heating unit installed in my garage...🤔
Braved the heat in the garage today and got back to work on that "Hawaiian" pipe. The tenon was pretty loose so I used one of my tools to enlarge the tenon. I have a number of various sized mini screw drivers I've used my grinder to make various sizes. After selecting one that's just a tiny bit larger than the ID of the tenon, I heat the tenon up and very slowly work the tool until it is well inside the tenon.I then cool the tenon down before removing the tool. Warning: you cannot force this process or you increase the chance of splitting the tenon.
I was unable to get a pipe cleaner through the stem. After working on it for about 15 minutes, I tried a very stiff wire.I managed to punch through, but still not enough to get a cleaner to work. Since it was clear except the last inch by the button, I drilled out a bigger air hole and expanded the slot. Good airflow now!
Have an old sterling silver accented pipe. Some of the filigree was gone, some was loose and some was extremely tarnished. This pipe was, "rode hard and put away wet". The tenon was also very loose:
Now to find out what shape the briar is in. I removed all signs of the filigree and got the stummel down to the unstained briar. Result? Full of small pits and not much in the way of interesting grain to speak of. It will probably be a candidate for rustication:
Trying to figure the technique and pattern I want to use. I'll work on it in between house projects and fill you in. More later. In the meantime, including this one, here are other projects I've started for future postings...
I have a Yorkshire meer lined stummel... no stem. So I found a suitable stem, fitted the tenon and did an internal cleaning of the stummel and contouring of the stem:
Long story short, I filled the pits. After a good internal cleaning, I cleaned the outside of the stummel with Murphy's and a tooth brush being careful not to get any in the bowl. Just about ready for stem polishing and staining:
Comments
It's almost like breathing water it's so humid!
No pipe work probably this week.
I need to get a split air/ heating unit installed in my garage...🤔
The tenon was pretty loose so I used one of my tools to enlarge the tenon. I have a number of various sized mini screw drivers I've used my grinder to make various sizes.
After selecting one that's just a tiny bit larger than the ID of the tenon, I heat the tenon up and very slowly work the tool until it is well inside the tenon.I then cool the tenon down before removing the tool.
Warning: you cannot force this process or you increase the chance of splitting the tenon.
Since it was clear except the last inch by the button, I drilled out a bigger air hole and expanded the slot.
Good airflow now!
1st step... black...
Here's the final:
Thanks for photographing your process. Interesting and informative, to say nothing of your accomplishments…..
Tnx brother, much appreciated...
The tenon was also very loose:
Result? Full of small pits and not much in the way of interesting grain to speak of.
It will probably be a candidate for rustication:
I'll work on it in between house projects and fill you in.
More later.
In the meantime, including this one, here are other projects I've started for future postings...
I'll bet that a pipe with that much abuse, had to be a great smoker?
You're probably right...
Here's the final on that pipe:
So I found a suitable stem, fitted the tenon and did an internal cleaning of the stummel and contouring of the stem:
After a good internal cleaning, I cleaned the outside of the stummel with Murphy's and a tooth brush being careful not to get any in the bowl.
Just about ready for stem polishing and staining:
Impressive, as ever……
That's kind of you.