You disagreed with me,
then went on to agree with me - strange..
For the record, I have done it numerous times, on lead armoured cables, and repaired a few lead water pipes in my time.
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Any easy way to repair (a lead pipe) (Ed.)
- Thread starter adamcolly
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You disagreed with me,
then went on to agree with me - strange..
For the record, I have done it numerous times, on lead armoured cables, and repaired a few lead water pipes in my time.
No, you wanted the lead heated until it became plastic. If so, then the pipe has reached the point of collapse.
Its the jointing 'metal' that is heated until it becomes plastic, which is not the plastic point of the actual lead. The lead is held at just below plastic point.
No, I said to carefully avoid that point. It requires some skill, practice, and judgement, to get it to, and just hold it at the correct temperature.
Poster #26,
Perhaps you didn't notice that it was a C&G's set test - the instructor had no say in setting the test - or any of the other set tests during the C&G's craft cert course.
Perhaps you didn't notice that it was a C&G's set test - the instructor had no say in setting the test - or any of the other set tests during the C&G's craft cert course.
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From metallurgy 101, the solders are alloys of tin and lead (forgetting lead free.., same principles apply and I don't know the temperatures) . Lead melts about 330°, tin about 230, and the alloys lower than both.
Electronic solder, 60/40, melted (pre lead free) at 183. That's called a Eutectic alloy; it melts and freezes at one temperature, which is what you want for electronics.
The other alloys have a "freezing range" or what used to be called "mushy freezing". In that range, you can push it about.
Alloy "D" 70 / 30 tin (PLumber's metal or Stick solder) melts between the 183 and 250 odd.
Lovely stuff, you can fill car bodies with it, if you're more clever than me.
For flux there was always Bakers fluid. - acidic, but modern plumbing flux is less or non corrosive.
For joining a bit of copper to lead which is a good fit, clean the inside of the lead and warm it up. If you "tin" the copper pipe - you can use normal plumbing solder, or electronic solder (no flux needed)for that, hammer the copper in (get rid of any lead burr you pushed up inside), then heat the copper with a big flame. The lead melts from the inside and joins well. It'll need flux in there , ordinary plumbers flux will be ok.
You can go on to heat the lead to soften it more, not hot enough to melt, , then let it all cool. Lead recrystallizes at low temperature ( even room temp) so there aren't any stresses left in there.
That de-skills the job.
Electronic solder, 60/40, melted (pre lead free) at 183. That's called a Eutectic alloy; it melts and freezes at one temperature, which is what you want for electronics.
The other alloys have a "freezing range" or what used to be called "mushy freezing". In that range, you can push it about.
Alloy "D" 70 / 30 tin (PLumber's metal or Stick solder) melts between the 183 and 250 odd.
Lovely stuff, you can fill car bodies with it, if you're more clever than me.
For flux there was always Bakers fluid. - acidic, but modern plumbing flux is less or non corrosive.
For joining a bit of copper to lead which is a good fit, clean the inside of the lead and warm it up. If you "tin" the copper pipe - you can use normal plumbing solder, or electronic solder (no flux needed)for that, hammer the copper in (get rid of any lead burr you pushed up inside), then heat the copper with a big flame. The lead melts from the inside and joins well. It'll need flux in there , ordinary plumbers flux will be ok.
You can go on to heat the lead to soften it more, not hot enough to melt, , then let it all cool. Lead recrystallizes at low temperature ( even room temp) so there aren't any stresses left in there.
That de-skills the job.
The only flux I've ever known for using when lead wiping is Tallow.
IMO, using copper pipe tinning flux for lead wiping could leave an unsafe joint.
IMO, using copper pipe tinning flux for lead wiping could leave an unsafe joint.
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I didn't say anything about wiping. It wasn't involved in what I described, which I've done several times.
Neither Tallow nor Lard are well specified materials, and they smoke earlier than fluxes.
If you just want a join, then you need to get rid of oxygen. You do that by chemical reaction and physically keeping it out. Tallow and Lard are animal fats therefore obviously reducing agents, and they flow freely over the metal.
They also encourage dross to float off lead if you're wiping.
I've heard of people using beeswax, sounds credible; and also motor oil (!?).
A flame is a reducing agent as well of course, which helps with the "just a knife" method. (Or the "heat and solder with a self tapper in the hole" method!.)
Copper tinning flux leaves a safe joint but wouldn't provide the lubrication and flow over wiped lead which lifts dross at a low temperature.
Poster #39,
Are you claiming that you have repaired leaking lead pipes using the "metallurgy 101" "several times"?
What do you mean by saying "tallow is not a well specified material"
The easiest answer to the OP's question is to cut the pipe at the leak & use a lead pipe coupler to repair.
That way no call backs - period.
Are you claiming that you have repaired leaking lead pipes using the "metallurgy 101" "several times"?
What do you mean by saying "tallow is not a well specified material"
The easiest answer to the OP's question is to cut the pipe at the leak & use a lead pipe coupler to repair.
That way no call backs - period.
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I'm saying what I'm saying.
We know you're a troll, I'm not getting into straw man arguments with a troll.
I've done enough with lead to know what I'm talking about. All of the above is valid.
If you put a nail or drill in a pipe buried in a wall it would be silly to use a lead-lead coupler. They're enormous. And if it has lead rust you're very likely to get a call-back. using those.
Tallow - I didn't use any hard words, you'll have to look them up
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@ree . You evidently have nothing to say - like so often.
You just proved that you clearly don't know what you're talking about. Lead to lead couplers in a wall!! That's pathetic.
You are clueless, That's an attack on you, but I have not lost any argument, because I'm right here.
There isn't an argument because I'm not biting your mis-stating of what I wrote.
What I am saying exactly, is what I'm saying, it's not something you can complain about.
What I'm saying is correct. I have explained.
I don't have to prove more to an ignorant troll.
Reported.
Off you go.
You just proved that you clearly don't know what you're talking about. Lead to lead couplers in a wall!! That's pathetic.
You are clueless, That's an attack on you, but I have not lost any argument, because I'm right here.
There isn't an argument because I'm not biting your mis-stating of what I wrote.
What I am saying exactly, is what I'm saying, it's not something you can complain about.
What I'm saying is correct. I have explained.
I don't have to prove more to an ignorant troll.
Reported.
Off you go.
Sometimes, there is simply no other way to deal with a troll, than to attack the troll directly. This is especially true in this case!
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