Ep28 - Butz Choquin Project: Part 3 - how to tighten a loose stem, and when you take it too far. 

I really love that you showed and explained what exactly your thought process is on everything. Also showing the bad "mishaps" and showing that if you do have a "mishap" that there is a solution.

The bee's wax is a great idea. I have an estate Lorenzo Rusticated orange translucent saddle back stem. Nothing fancy but a great smoker. When I first got it off eBay the stem squeaked when twisted. Not any more. I will give it a good clean and try the bee's wax! I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks! We learn so much from our mistakes!

Thanks for showing what happen. Even accidents can be a learning experience.

Next stem expansion I'd like to see you measure it before and after with a digital caliper. 1:36 how about a lighter? 21:15 How about a machinists reamer? I love machining Delrin - I made parts for my dad's bagpipes now am dealing with his pipe collection.

I just discovered your channel and have been binge watching. I really appreciate that you show your experimentation and the mistakes that sometimes occur. I would enjoy a demonstration of how you correct an out of round mortice.

Tough break, no pun intended, but sometimes the hard ones are the most fun. I know you have used vulcanite dust mixed with glue to fill bite marks, I have too, but I always find the working time a challenge. Have you tried one of the super glues that have rubber mixed in? I like Starbond. I think you could repair that crack with it. I have filed through-holes with that and some dust added and when finished and buffed it was invisible... just a thought. Too bad that happened when you were so close to the end. Awesome job! Look forward to seeing the fix. Take care my friend!

Great video as always!

Some repair guys think it's not the tenon that shrinks, but the wooden mortise. Doesn't that make more sense? Does plastic shrink? They say to add water to the mortise and let it soak in and swell it. What do you think?

Failure is often a powerful teacher! Sorry it didn’t work out the way you tried, but I am happy you showed that things don’t always go perfectly. It takes courage to publish these instances!

Valuable info,I shall return to this with more time ,and obviously more comments, Greets, P

Brave video to show a fail. Great lesson that if one solution does not work go to Plan B. Enjoy your channel and appreciate your hard work. Much appreciated. You epitomize the best of the YTPC.

I’m a newer subscriber and love your channel. I recently bought an old pipe rack. The lady had three pipes with the rack that she gave. Said they belonged to her father. This lady was already retired. Anyways one was a pre 1981 GBD in great shape, a Comoy in great shape and then the third I can’t find any info on. It’s a “Dock Square” the other side says London England 789. It’s very nice in my opinion but looks like it’s a seconds pipe from some English pipe company. You seem to know a lot about pipes. Any ideas? Hope you don’t mind too much me bothering you

I would think heating the tapered rod would eliminate the possibility of burning the OD of the tenon. Heat with hair dryer or heat gun and no flame.

Personally I’d have just painted the tenon with clear nail varnish. Each to their own, I guess.

I dip the mortice in boiling water to heat it up, then expand it, it will not crack.

Excellent video as always, both in form and substance. Could you please recommend where I can find a tapered tool (or at least the metal part) similar to the one you used? Thank you!

"A bit lose" beeswax method. Will this work on Meerschaum pipes?

filler and sand to size? would that be easier or am I missing something, Love your channel BTW

Would boiling hot water heat the tendon up more evenly? It would apply heat from the inside and outside. I am a watchmaker and have a tool called a smoothing broach. The come in sets of various sizes. They might work for this too.

ONe piece of bad advice after another. Just watch the Walt Cannoy video, and get away from bad practices.