Once more on loose pipe stems

As the other article mentions, you are going to run into a loose stem every once in awhile. A fast fix is to fill a pot full of water, bring it to a boil and then dip the tenon into the boiling water. 30 seconds may be enough, if not, just stick it back into he water until the tenon has expanded to the proper size. Experiment with it until you get it to where you want it. I usually use a long handled set of pliers with the pipe stem wrapped in leather where you are going to be holding it. Hope this helps.