Trainee and my soldering is crap !!

[namsag]

ChrisR you are making too much money if you can afford laco with the brush it`s nearly a quid dearer.

Jurgen just practise mate buy a big bucket of arious fittings from PTS about £25 and a couple of lengths of pipe and try all the different tips you have been given here..

Then get ready for the awkward ones outside when its blowing a gale in middle of winter and zero degrees..

 

[Lagerkhan]

Then get ready for the awkward ones outside when its blowing a gale in middle of winter and zero degrees..

Thats where my Bullfinch with a 7lb bottle comes in handy

 

[fitz1]

buried in the eaves in loft space with the old wrap insulation near to , thats the tricky one.its like being a bomb dispossal expert.

 

[namsag]

Same situation Fitz but with a thatched roof my ar#e was certainly twitching with that one

 

[corgiman]

Same situation Fitz but with a thatched roof my ar#e was certainly twitching with that one

I hate the wrap around stuff, goes up like billy yo and as you so poetically put in nams gets the old backside twitchin worse the a blind lesbian in a fishmongers

 

[namsag]

Found best thing to do when old wrap round catches is just leave it as flame shoots both ways along pipe 9 times out of ten its just the surface dust etc burning off. If you try an put it out it usually gets worse.

That is unless it disappears into a duct then it certainly is twitching time

 

[corgiman]

Found best thing to do when old wrap round catches is just leave it as flame shoots both ways along pipe 9 times out of ten its just the surface dust etc burning off. If you try an put it out it usually gets worse.

That is unless it disappears into a duct then it certainly is twitching time

I find the best thing to do when it goes up is immeadiately take steps. Flipping long longs in rapid succesion in the opposite direction

 

[doitall]

There's actually something banning hot works in thatched roofs.

Maybe the HSE or English Heritage or even Building Department.

Spontanious combustion and all that

 

[fitz1]

if its bad , i soak all around working area with water spray bottle.

 

[gas4you]

I've now started using the new yorkshire tectite push fit fittings in tight/dangerous places. They also keep the electrical continuity across the joint on the pro versions.

Soldered a joint in a soil stack casing and set fire to some nearby speedfit pipe, tried to do a discreet 'power walk' to van to get fire extinguisher, when I discharged my fire extinguisher to put it out I forgot that I had removed floor boards above, until I saw the womans bedroom all covered in dry powder Took me the rest of the afternoon to clean the bedroom out

 

[jurgen500]

Many thanks again folks. I really appreciate all the tips. Im off to get a bucket load of fittings and play !!!

 

[sambotc]

Another tip that hasn't been mentioned, don't go wiping the joint to quickly, especially if you use leaded solder (which i hate personally)

If you've got a snot of solder hanging off the bottom, wipe then heat again for a second then leave for a few seconds then carefully wipe gently to remove excess flux. Wping it to early or with a very wet cloth may crack the joint without you knowing about it.

Also don;t ave your lamp on to high, be patient and let it heat up slowly but evenly, otherwise as someone else said it will burn the flux and the solder won't wanna know.

HTH Sam

 

[TicklyT]

In my limited experience it's best to keep the solder out of the torch flame. If the joint is hot enough it will melt the solder when you touch it to the joint. If you heat the solder it will start to melt onto the outside of the joint before it is hot enough for capilliary action to draw it into the seam.

 

[jurgen500]

Once again, thanks. I have now carried out some more practice soldering on 21 joints (mix of t`s, straights, bends) and then pressure tested - No Leaks !!! So your advice has been heeded. What I did was pay more attention to cleaning, not too much flux and got better at checking that pipe was hot enough to apply solder.

OK, plenty of snotters but thats my next challenge - getting confident that I have applied enough solder and not "that bit extra just in case"

So - some success and thanks to you all.

Gonna practice some more at the weekend but now feel a lot better

Now, do folk have a preference for solder "make" that is better than others ?? or are they all the same (lead free of course !!)

 

[ThatsNotPlumb]

Just make sure your pipe is clean & the inside of the fitting with wire wool, then apply some flux & make sure you push the pipe right into the fitting. Don't overdo the heat either, nice & steady flame is sufficient & just gradually apply the solder around the joint..
Also make sure you let the joint cool fairly naturally when your done, don't touch it with a wet rag for a few mins.. I believe I was told (when I was in collage) that doing so can weaken the joint.. i'm not sure how much truth there is in it but I personally try to avoid it when possible.

i'd steer clear of yorksure solder ring fittings & hep/speedfit until you get your soldering down.. I'd recommend using connex delcop solder fittings & try a few wee solder circuits (2 or 3 feet of copper, 3 bends, 1 tee) & throw a pressure test on it.

Use this Laco pot, with the brush in the lid. Saves time and fingers.

Buy from eg BES.

You shouldn't put any sort of flux on your fingers, even the weaker stuff can still give you a nasty burn/rash..

everflux is the best, when you apply it & as your soldering it continues to clean the pipe. Its important to clean any excess off though after you've finished.