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I have a #306 stem from PME is it better to drill the briar to fit the tennon already on the stem or to turn the tennon to fit the mortise?

Usually you turn the tenon to fit the mortise. Also, premolded stem don't come true and need to be turned, as far as I know (I'm not familiar with PME supplies, thought.)

I agree with Leus. Drill your mortise, then fit the tenon to the mortise. Pre-formed stems are never ready as is. They always (probably exceptions) need to be turned and or fitted in some way.

Most times, you will also need to expand the airhole.... And also they are way too wide behind the button and need to be thinned ... And be sure and sand down those molding marks .... On the whole, I have found that it is almost as easy to just go ahead and make your own.

I agree that is how i normally do the stems. In this case the stem is what they call a fancy, and I call a freehand so there is no shoulder on the stem to seat onto the shank.

This is the stem in question:



I'd drill the mortise to fit, myself.

I'd turn the tenon. much easier to control the size, and ensure uniform shape than messing with the mortise.

Dosen't a stem like this require a tapered mortise?

pennsyscot wrote:Dosen't a stem like this require a tapered mortise?

No. You can do it that way, and have a military mount, but you don't have to to.

When I make stems like this, I turn the tenon to size with the cross-slide, then I switch to woodturning chisels and use them freehand to create the flare and blend it into the tenon.

Depending on how you want the finished pipe to look, you can turn the tenon to fit your mortise while leaving a very tiny face that can be made to rest flush against the face of your shank. This is definitely possible, though sometimes a stem like the one in question is better suited for a tapered fit like a military mount.

I think I have heard of that type of fitting referred to as a "steck" stem. Am I crazy, or is that a proper term?

They only get steck if you push em in too fer.

Wow...just...wow...

Good one.

Thanks for the input ....................think I'm going to sit back and ponder this over a glass of problem soluble liquid

I have no experience of drilling a mortise to fit a tenon. But I think it's OK if you have a set of very finely graduated drill bits, say, 8.1mm, 8.2mm, 8.3mm, etc. Drill a mortise slightly smaller than the tenon, test fit, and if insert is not possible switch to the next larger bit, till you can insert it. The final drill may end up with a very tight fit but you are scared of using the next larger bit which could lead to a totally unworkable loose hole, then just give the tenon a little hand sanding with fine sandpaper to get the ideal fit.

This mouthpiece is not designed for military mount since the substantial part of the tenon is not tapered. The ring flare is a clever trick which allows you to drill a mortise a bit shorter than the straight part of the tenon without prejudicing esthetics, so that you don't have to be very precise about mortise length and at the same time you're always sure the tenon bottomes out.