Soldering Prowess

I need a cool soldering hat like he has.

--------------------------

** If there is any doubt, this is how it is normally and long been done:

FYI Such soldered joints have a limited life span, then leak.

Silver brazing is now the far preferred and often mandated way.

...... Phil

Not in normal-pH-water places, they don't! The old tin/lead solder doesn't dissolve (skins over after a day or two in contact with water) and unlike polymer plumbing elements, the brass/bronze/copper metal parts don't age badly.

The only thing the video doesn't show, is the care to get the heaviest part of the joint up to heat, and the amount of solder applied to the joint (about a length of 0.125" wire equal to the pipe diameter) to fill the gap between mating surfaces.

... for refrigeration or compressor tubing, yes; house water pressure, though, doesn't require that strength.

Lead-free solder and a propane torch works fine on copper pipes.

63/37 electronic solder works even better, and the lead poisoning hazard is remote if the water isn't acidic. Our water is from the mountains, naturally a bit acidic, so it's run over some limestone to protect the pipes and not leach lead from solder or brass.

If some is good, then more is better and too much is just enough.

If lead free works fine, then why bother with what *you* think is "better"?

** 97% tin, 3% copper solder, as used for plumbing, is way more expensive - tin is over 10 times the cost of lead. It also has a higher melting point by 45 degrees C.

FYI: Leaded solder has long been banned from drinking water plumbing in many places, inc the UK and Australia.

...... Phil

You post facts, but draw no conclusions. Are you saying the cost of solder is in any way significant when installing plumbing? That would be quite the stretch when soldering COPPER pipe. Copper is not remotely cheap and you probably use 1,000 times as much, either by cost or by weight.

As to your temperature comment, I repeat my question: If lead free works fine...?

** I answered your smug "why bother" Q with two valid reasons. ** If you have only a couple of bad joints to fix and 63/37 on hand - then yes.

A 500gm reel of Sn/Cu solder can cost you as much as $100.

** There IS more than one way to remove the skin from a feline....

.... Phil

That's the point. You didn't give any "valid" reasons, because you explained nothing. You did a Larkin, where you provide some detailed fact, which you expect is self explanatory. In reality, they were neither self explanatory, nor valid reasons.

Sorry, $0.10 vs $0.01 is not significant.

Which will last for many thousands of dollars worth of copper pipe. So, still not significant. If you can't afford the solder, you surely can't afford the copper.

Which is still not an explanation. This is classic Phil. Makes statements, then is unwilling to support them. The only real difference from Larkin, is that while he just killfiles anyone who he can cow into submission, you prefer to insult and/or hurl profanities.

---------------------------------- > >

** ROTFL !

** ROTFL !!! ** Stop it - my sides are hurting ! ** There was nothing to explain - you smug, retarded NUT CASE !! ** ROTFLMAO !!

Yep - I sure as hell know when I'm dealing with a raving lunatic.

** There are many, great big ones. All of them forever incomprehensible to a rabid, autistic, ADHD f***ed, narcissistic fool like YOU.

..... love, Phil

This is closer to the Phil we all know. When you can't dispute the facts, you get silly and insulting. But not much in the way of profanities. Maybe you've taken the pledge?

Love, Ricky

I wonder if you or Ricky have actually ever soldered copper water pipes.

63/37 electronic-type solder works beautifully on copper pipes, better than the lead-free stuff. One should evaluate any possible lead hazard of course. The risk is small for an occasional repair with alkaline water. I don't mind a few PPT lead in my shower or car-wash water.

I used that solder because we had a lot of it.

Yeah, but a kilogram of tin is less than $25; it's not material cost, per se.

The 63/37 is exactly the lowest melting point, the 'easy' extreme of possible alloys. When lead-free solder was mandated for construction (when was that... 1970s?) there was no need to rework existing copper plumbing, because no significant lead loss occurs after the first few days in contact with tap water. Good practice was to fill the pipes with water, wait three days, then flush them before drinking from 'em.

There's no problem with the lead-free (Sn-Sb or Sn-Ag-Cu) leadfree solders, either. It might seem harder to use, for someone whose torch habits were created in the old days, but propane is quite capable of making the higher required temperatures.

---------------------------- Phil Allis> >----------------------------------

** I have, a long time ago, working under the floor of a mate's house We did so just as seen in the short U-tube I linked. IIRC, the solder sticks were 50/50 with a smear of dark coloured paste flux. ** No doubt true, but the higher tin content type is supposed to be stronger. I have used regular 5 core solder ( Loctite Savbit ) to join brass tubing, works like magic. Have had good results with "Lumiweld" sticks too, for repairs on aluminium. ** Good enough reason.

.....Phil

You two get a room.

You can leave the key with me.

You want in?