Opening up stem

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paulbookbinder

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Just bought a Peterson 999 silver supreme - beautiful pipe but it has the toughest draw of any pipe I have owned - like sucking on a straw in a thick milkshake. With the curved stem and P-lip end, how in the world can I drill this open? Seems like I need a set of flexible files - does such a thing exist?


thank you,



Paul
 
Are you sure there's no obstruction of buildup or something else? You didn't mention if it was estate or not--regardless, is something restricting the airway that shouldn't be there?

The best "flexible file" I know of are wound bass or guitar strings, and if you're extremely (note: extremely!) careful and gently/slowly move them in and out like a pipe cleaner, you can open up gunk and whatnot. Go from the tenon side on the stem and the mortise side on the shank--that way you have more control and less chance of damaging something visible. You likely won't move a lot of material, but in a case like that, I'm not sure you'd want to really open it up quickly and suddenly go too far.



 
Are you sure there's no obstruction of buildup or something else? You didn't mention if it was estate or not--regardless, is something restricting the airway that shouldn't be there?



...not that I can tell. I have reamed it out over and over with alcohol and pipe sweetener, and I get no debris. It is estate, so I figured the stem just needed a good cleaning, but it seems to me that the construction of the opening is just too small for my tastes. I usually smoke short fat pots and billiards and nosewarmers and the like, so I am used to an easy draw.
 
If the stem is curved, it needs to be straightened first. Use a drill to open, then bend it back again. You're better off sending it to a professional repair shop to do it. I recommend Walker Briarworks for it (I'm not affiliated with them, just a happy customer).
 
paulbookbinder":bm3qbdyf said:
...not that I can tell. I have reamed it out over and over with alcohol and pipe sweetener, and I get no debris. It is estate, so I figured the stem just needed a good cleaning, but it seems to me that the construction of the opening is just too small for my tastes. I usually smoke short fat pots and billiards and nosewarmers and the like, so I am used to an easy draw.
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With my estates, I will put very slight kinks in the pipe cleaner with some Everclear, which roughs up a bit more the airway of the stem and shank. Putting more pipecleaner material where it should go, in other words. Seems to clean 'em out better.

I tell you what, though, if it's a well-used estate, or just not well cared for, try that...or a guitar string, if you have one handy (emphasis: be careful!)

Otherwise, yeah, you may have to straighten the stem, or send it off for a professional overhaul.
 
IMG038.jpg
This cleaner has a drill made with it for such things its a 1/8 inch the hole is not crooked its straight just at an angle
 
plumbernater":ld48vivb said:
IMG038.jpg
This cleaner has a drill made with it for such things its a 1/8 inch the hole is not crooked its straight just at an angle
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Hey! I just bought one of those! There's a drill in it too? Cool!
 
Both of my Pete p-lips were too tight for my tastes. I traded both. One day I'll try another in a fishtail stem.
You might want to try a small needle file for the bowl. I opened up a few of my pipes that had tighter draws using this tool. Woodcraft sells them for $6 (round file). I transformed my Ashton with just a few minutes using the file.
 
Peterson p-lips are a pain in the ass. They can be cut off, you know. Just cut the rear projection off flush. The hole will not be quite centered, but with me it doesn't matter. To open the draw, first straighten the stem as others mention. Then you make a tool out of one of those wire-type hacksaw blades. The proper term for the blade escapes me, but it looks like a very stiff wire with teeth. Cut off one of the ends with wire cutters. You then use this as a pipe cleaner on steroids. I have successfully done this with several pipes, including a meerschaum that drew like a horsehair. This removes material very quickly. It takes less than a minute to open the airway. It takes about two seconds to ruin the stem. The thing to be careful about is the stem opening. You can easily keyhole it or worse if you don't hold everything perfectly straight. If you are careful, you can even flare the opening inside the stem by bending the blade slightly as you stroke, something you can't do with a drill bit. The shank draft, of course, can be easily enlarged with an ordinary drill, even with bents. There may indeed be such things as flexible files; I'd like to know. But that's the way I do it.
 
Have you tried the pipe cleaners that have bristles? I have found that if you can get a pipe cleaner through, then you should have no problem getting one of these through and they are very good at scrubbing the airway of the stem. Often the obstruction is cotton fluff left by standard pipe cleaners and these will do a fine job. I choose to work from the bit toward the tenon, as any debris is forced towrd the tenon and then can be blown out.
 
Thanks all for the responses. So far I have tried the guitar string - took out a wee bit of vulcanite but not enough to say so. I like the wire hacksaw blade idea, will try that next. It is NOT a simple obstruction, the draft hole was made too tight to make for an enjoyable smoke, so for me the pipe is ruined anyway, small consolation if I end up destroying it in attempting to improve it.


Paul
 
paulbookbinder":y0h3bh0r said:
Thanks all for the responses. So far I have tried the guitar string - took out a wee bit of vulcanite but not enough to say so. I like the wire hacksaw blade idea, will try that next. It is NOT a simple obstruction, the draft hole was made too tight to make for an enjoyable smoke, so for me the pipe is ruined anyway, small consolation if I end up destroying it in attempting to improve it.


Paul
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Sheesh, I really hope you find a method that works eventually! It'd be a "hallelujah" moment when you do!
 
I hope you figure it out. Is it worth sending back to Peterson for a fishtail stem? I love that 999 shape and want to get it in a pre-Republic Pete, or a GBD or Comoys (very rare).
 
I love the shape too - if I mess up the stem that is exactly what I will do, send it in for a fishtail which should cost a heck of a lot less than the entire pipe did.
 
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