Skill........

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I remember that one of the Wright brothers wrote that skill comes from doing the same task over and over .....He wasn't wrong .......and coming across the mistakes that others have made is also very very educational.

I've come across water and gas joints that have been held by a hairs breadth for years........brush past them and they've seperated ...

You can do everything correct clean the pipe and fitting flux it but for some reason the solder doesn't flow .....thats why on gas every joint I do its inspected all around with a torch and mirror ........ a labourer a friend told me a mate said I did it because I didn't trust my soldering ( we both used the same chap on occasion).

Not true, anyone can have a rogue joint and with gas it really matters why risk someone's life.
 
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A torch and mirror will not show up a pin hole. Only way to test gas joints is pressure test them.
With water you will see a leak but again, these too can be pressure tested to check joints out of sight.
Many people make bad joints by wrong preparation. Too much flux can produce a dry joint just as too little can. If you clean pipework with emery and don't give it a thorough clean with a dry cloth a particle of grit could remain, thereby causing a bad joint. If you heat the exact spot you want to solder with a gas torch this can taint the surface with carbon from the flame. It's better to heat it up slightly away from the joint site and allow the heat to travel. Holding the solder at the joint will show you when it's hot enough because the solder will flow freely.
 
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