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Phil's pipe restoration trial or "Look, another rabbit hole!"

I already have a lathe, but it's a metal lathe.
Naw, I'm not into this for anything but the fun. Once you try to do something professionally, there are deadlines and other criteria you have to meet and it stops being fun!
If I get in a tight spot, I can just put it aside for a while or say "That's good enough".
Can't do that as a professional, and I have no desire at all to be in that spot.
They use metal lathes.
Both have a profession that brings in the money. The pipemaking is more hobby related, one makes a pipe and sells it, you cant commision a pipe. He goes with the flow of the briar he starts with. So if you want a canadian and the bloc calls for a eggshape, he makes an egg.
The other one you can commision, but takes some time.
But I get what you say.
 
I appreciate your points and I thank you very much for sharing them with me.
If I gave you the impression that I didn't appreciate your post, I sincerely apologize.
sorry, I still have difficulties translating my humor into written english (also on other forums, but the more brits, the better it goes)

Read it again with that in mind.
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
I had a pretty nice Golden Burl (Ropp second) with an oval stem that had the tenon broken off in the mortise.
I pulled it out, sanded the stem flat and drilled a 17/64 hole 3/8 deep into the stem.
I used the tenon turning tool on a vulcanite stem that was badly chewed and turned a new tenon section about 7/8 long.
I cut the turned tenon off of the sacrificial stem.
I inserted the new tenon into the pipe shank, and then painted the end of the shank with peel-able latex mask to keep any wayward superglue from attaching to the shank on the stummel.
I coated the exposed end of the tenon with black superglue and inserted it into the drilled stem and let it set overnight.
This morning they came apart nicely. I peeled the latex off of the stummel shank end, and you wouldn't even know it was repaired if you look at it.
This is a pretty easy fix if you have a favorite pipe that has a broken tenon.
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
^^^^^^^ Holy smokes, Phil, you took to this hobby like a duck takes to water. So far, I'm just a "cleaner" not a repairer. Will probably stay that way.
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
^^^^^^^ Holy smokes, Phil, you took to this hobby like a duck takes to water. So far, I'm just a "cleaner" not a repairer. Will probably stay that way.
It's really so easy a caveman could do it. It sounds complex, but it's just a few simple steps and a repair that might cost someone a penny or two can be done in the home shop!
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
This Diamond logo poker LHS with "Genuine Briar" markings and "Crane Packing Co. Chicago" on the top of the stummel was a bigger issue than I thought.

lhs-side-jpg.1440525


After cleaning, it became apparent that grime was holding it together.
On removing the stem, part of the stummel came off with it.
The shank was cracked all the way around, right up to the bowl, so the shank was actually in 3 pieces.
So many smaller cracks at the mortise that the only option was to shorten the stummel to remove the tiny crumbly pieces.
Since I had to get to clean briar to fix the broken shank, I just went ahead and stripped the stain.
The upside is there's some beautiful birds eye in the burl.
Pics a little later as I have to shorten and trim the stem.
 

brandaves

With a great avatar comes great misidentification
This thread was a happy find. This is some really outstanding work. I've restored a few pipes but nothing like what you're doing. You are resurrecting pipes from the grave! Very well done, continuing to tune in for more.
 
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