Minimum vulcanite tenon thickness?

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:16 pm

What's the minimum you need to leave so that a tenon won't be easily snapped? I'm thinking 1/16th is getting pretty close?

staffwalker · Post by **staffwalker** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:49 am

Don't know what the big boys will say but I think 1/16th is way too thin. I have had several pipes crack, thankfully as I was working on them rather than after they were sold, to the point that I no longer ever use just a briar connection unless I can have at least 5/32nds of briar around the mortice. I never make a pipe any more without either an end cap of some dense wood or else sleeving the inside with either delrin, ebonite, silver or brass. If I use metal, I put a briar sleeve inside. Pretty much routine anymore I drill mortices to 3/8th, unless I am using bamboo, so I can sleeve down to 5/16th.

bob gilbert

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:52 pm

Bob, sorry, I was meaning how much Vulcanite do I need to leave, rather than how much briar. I try to leave at least 1/8 or more of briar.

staffwalker · Post by **staffwalker** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:15 am

You've lost me. Are talking about the length of tenon or diameter of the tenon?
bob

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:13 am

HEHE.

I am trying to ask how thick the walls of the tenon need to be - about diameter of the tenon with respect to the airway. If for example, I us a mortise of 1/4 of an inch, and drill my airway at 11/64, I would be left with a tenon having walls that are 1/32" thick, which I suspect a guy could snap just by looking at it. If I drilled the same 1/4" tenon at 9/64 airway, the vulcanite left over would be thicker by 1/64 on either side, for example. Marginally stronger. (But really the answer there is that 1/4" is a very skinny tenon with very thin walls, and a guy should drill a bigger mortise if he can.)

So another way to word the question - with an ordinary airway diameter of say, 5/32, what is a minimum vulcanite tenon diameter that offers "ordinary" strength?

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 12:27 pm

You might be overthinking this.

A 5/16" tenon with 5/32" airway is standard fare on most pipes I make. However, I have used 1/4" tenons and 5/32" airway with no problem. If you're concerned about strength of the tenon, you may consider using delrin in cases where where you're using a small tenon (for shank size or whatever) - or even stainless steel tubing.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:04 pm

Me????? Overthink something?

No.

Never.

No way dude.

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:42 pm

Most of the time I'm using a 5/16" tenon with a 5/32" airway, but on thin shank pipes I use a 1/4" tenon and the same 5/32" airway. So far I've not had a failure. On a thin shank pipe I'm much more worried about the shank then the tenon. Not that we want either to break, but I'd much rather have a tenon fail than have the tenon hold up nicely to abuse only to have the shank snap or crack

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:19 pm

That's a good point. Of the two, tenon failure is preferred....