I've soldered my first couple of copper pipes, and I've noticed I have to move the solder fairly quickly once it start melting or it will run down outside the pipe like crazy.
I had assumed I would at least have to hold the solder for a couple of seconds in each spot to let the 'capillary' action draw the solder deep into the joint. But the joint seemed to fill up instantaneously and overflow. Is the capillary action that fast?
I hold the tip of the flame towards the back of the joint to draw the solder in.
Heat the fitting evenly, all the way around... with a 1/2" fitting you don't really need to move the flame around the fitting at all, 3/4 you might have to heat one side up and then hit the other side for just a couple seconds to get even heat in there.
You want to get the solder in there ASAP, because if you don't you can burn the flux, and then you will have a leak.
The solder should draw in pretty rapidly, but if it's overflowing you've used too much.
~ 1/2" of solder for a 1/2" joint, ~ 3/4" for a 3/4" joint... .so on and so forth.
It takes a lot of practice to get it not to overflow, but i'm assuming that you're thinking that its not getting all the way into the fitting? :huh:
I cut one of my soldered joints diagonally. I can't find any gap between the pipe and the connector, if I look closely I can barely see a silvery line. So it seems that the solder is being drawn deep into the joint like it's supposed to.
Most solering leaks are due to "cold soldering". The pipe and fitting are not hot enough and the solder doesn't fill in the joint. I took a test where we soldered a 2" coupling onto two pieces of copper pipe. One was horizontal and the other side was done vertically. The pipe and coupling were then cut in half longwise and the coupling was separated from the pipe using a hammer and chisel. The entire surface was required to show solder or the test was failed.
I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned that when the copper has reached the proper heat, the torch flame will take on an emerald green tinge.
When the flame turns green, hit the joint with the solder.
Thats pretty cool Wilde. I din't know you could do that. All these years I was filing copper scraps so the kids could toss the filings into the fire for the same effect. Sure gonna make life easier for me:thumbsup:
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