what is your latest pipe purchase

[NeverBend]

I noticed that,must have been the flash.I'm going to give it a try this way and see how it feels first,but if I change my mind I'll let you know.It had a stinger in it
but since it wasn't a twist-in I took a pair of pliers and pulled that tooth.Anywho,Thanks for the offer Pete.

Stems (usually) start out straight and are bent during manufacturing. Older molded stems seem to straighten out the most because of time, the way that the base vulcanite stock was made and the bits shaped (molded).

Good luck giving it a go watch out for embers.


.

[Lostmason]

Stems (usually) start out straight and are bent during manufacturing. Older molded stems seem to straighten out the most because of time, the way that the base vulcanite stock was made and the bits shaped (molded).

Good luck giving it a go watch out for embers..

Will do,,but I looked them up and found these models with straight as well as bent stems.How should I heat the stem for bending?

[NeverBend]

Will do,,but I looked them up and found these models with straight as well as bent stems.How should I heat the stem for bending?

Hi Matthew,

I did a sanity check and your pipe is (was) a bent. It really needs to be re-bent otherwise it will be difficult to smoke and cumbersome (and possibly dangerous).

These comments are for vulcanite stems only. I'm pretty sure that your stem is vulcanite but I can't be certain.

The idea is to get the vulcanite flexible and for that you'll need heat. Some pipe repair services can do this. If you're going to do it yourself there are several ways but I'll discuss hair blow dryer because it's less involved (potentially).

Before you start, look at other bent pipes to see how they're shaped. Generally you want the smoke hole (end of the stem that goes into the mouth) to be about parallel with the top of the bowl. Put the thickest pipe cleaner that you can fit into the stem and leave it there until you're finished.

You want to heat the middle few inches of the stem until it's fully flexible (takes time) and it wobbles back and forth if you flick it. Then bend it into the shape that you want with a smoothing motion of the fingers as it is starting to harden. You should be able to stop when it holds shape.

Distribute heat evenly but not at either end of the stem, especially the tenon (shank/stem joint). You can always start over or adjust by reheating.

You can work with the stem on or off of the pipe. For your first time it may be easier off of the pipe. Protect the tenon (no heat at all here - stay away).

Remember:
Pipe Cleaner
Even heat across and around
Don't start bending until it wobbles
Tenon stays cold, button cool

If it's not the way you like, reheat it till it wobbles and try again.

Hope that this helps.

Pete

[Lostmason]

Hi Pete

I'll give it a try this weekend,I'll have to borrow or buy a blowdryer.I need to pick up more pipecleaners anyway,good reason to dropin at the B&M,,Hehehe.

Matthew

P.S. I'll post after pics.

[Pugsley]

Four more homeless tins of tobacco appeared at my door today. How does this stuff keep finding me?

[LandonColby]

Hi Matthew,

I did a sanity check and your pipe is (was) a bent. It really needs to be re-bent otherwise it will be difficult to smoke and cumbersome (and possibly dangerous).

These comments are for vulcanite stems only. I'm pretty sure that your stem is vulcanite but I can't be certain.

The idea is to get the vulcanite flexible and for that you'll need heat. Some pipe repair services can do this. If you're going to do it yourself there are several ways but I'll discuss hair blow dryer because it's less involved (potentially).

Before you start, look at other bent pipes to see how they're shaped. Generally you want the smoke hole (end of the stem that goes into the mouth) to be about parallel with the top of the bowl. Put the thickest pipe cleaner that you can fit into the stem and leave it there until you're finished.

You want to heat the middle few inches of the stem until it's fully flexible (takes time) and it wobbles back and forth if you flick it. Then bend it into the shape that you want with a smoothing motion of the fingers as it is starting to harden. You should be able to stop when it holds shape.

Distribute heat evenly but not at either end of the stem, especially the tenon (shank/stem joint). You can always start over or adjust by reheating.

You can work with the stem on or off of the pipe. For your first time it may be easier off of the pipe. Protect the tenon (no heat at all here - stay away).

Remember:
Pipe Cleaner
Even heat across and around
Don't start bending until it wobbles
Tenon stays cold, button cool

If it's not the way you like, reheat it till it wobbles and try again.

Hope that this helps.

Pete

The number one thing I look for when buying a slight bend pipe. This is key for a comfortable pipe, IMO.
But parallel can imply higher or lower. You rather want it to be "in line" with the top. As in on the same horizontal plane.

[Lostmason]

I do believe this is what I looking to achieve
bent.jpg

[NeverBend]

I do believe this is what I looking to achieve
bent.jpg

Yup, that'd work!

[Lostmason]

Yup, that'd work!

NP,but quick question,just how do they straighten out on their own?

[NeverBend]

NP,but quick question,just how do they straighten out on their own?

Hi Matthew,

Heat and manufacturing process.

Molded vulcanite stems have had about three ‘periods’ of manufacturing changes and the first two didn’t heat the vulc as hot so it has a greater tendency to revert to it’s original form. Almost all current molded stems are made with air injection (like soft serve) at higher temps so they don’t have much ‘memory’ and they don’t readily (but can) revert. They’re also lighter in weight, more maleable but not as strong and dense.

Rod vulcanite is a different manufacturing process and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen one revert.