soldering pliers for sale anywhere?

[KnappGate]

I'm looking for a plumbing tool, but having trouble finding it. Can you help?

It's something I've seen many years ago but I haven't seen them for sale recently.

I'm not sure what the proper name is for this tool, essentially it is a pair of pliers with tips shaped to fit round a copper pipe, and a heating element inside each tip so the whole thing acts as a great big electrical soldering iron. It's a very convenient way to make soldered pipe connections without scorching everything.

The nearest thing I've been able to find recently are these ones made by the German company REMS:

http://www.circuit-hydraulics.co.uk/acatalog/REMS_Hot_Dog_2.html

These ones are quite expensive (£200 or so) and I'm hoping to find some alternatives that are a bit less expensive. At the end of the day it's only a couple of soldering irons and some copper blocks and hardly seems to justify that sort of price tag. So far I'm drawing a blank though. Surely these aren't the only people in the world making these things?

 

[ChrisR]

eg
http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/search/browse.jsp?N=411+1000754&Ntk=gensearch_001&Ntt=soldering+iron&Ntx=

Those are too slow for more than an odd joint. The REMS ones probably actually WORK!

 

[TicklyT]

RS part no. 231-5433?

http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/s...fllmcefeceeldgkidhgi.0&cacheID=ukie&Nr=avl:uk

 

[KnappGate]

That's great, much closer to the sort of price I was expecting. From the comments I gather they're not very effective in practice?

 

[Breesey]

Not really no.
A soldering mat is always handy to prevent 'everything' getting scorched, and a decent one is only £15.

 

[Softus]

KnappGate - frankly (if I may call you that) you'd be better off with an up-to-date blowtorch and a top quality heatmat (or two).

You might be pleasantly surprised at the super-whizzy features compared to the ones that you and I might have used many moons ago - instant trigger ignition, super accurate flame control, built-in horses-hooves-stones-remover, you know the kind of thing. Some of them are so good that they'd be safe even in Jeremy Clarkson's hands. shock

 

[KnappGate]

I have made do with an oldie fashioned blow lamp for now. Two lessons learned to date: the flames spread a *long* way and I need another mat or two; the smoke alarm a couple of feet away but conveniently out of sight around the corner (a) works and (b) is very loud!

The main reason I was looking into the electric option was the impending need to solder joints up in the loft. This would involve grovelling into very restricted spaces surrounded by birds nests and other stuff that could have been hand-picked for their potential to go "woof".

)

I think I'll stick to a blow lamp for now, and I think I'll get myself one of those snazzy new auto-igniting ones. My current one was probably designed for stripping paint or something, it seems to do that bit very well indeed.

 

[Softus]

When there's a distinct danger of 'woofing', I tend to go for plastic pipe and push-fit fittings. They're a godsend (except to the copper fetishists who'll now come running here bemoaning the advent of plastic).

But I really do think you'd get on well with it. The speed of installation is also a big advantage when lying in layers of filth/hair/homes-of-startled-animals in a dark corner of the loft. I favour Hep2o, but some prefer Speedfit. Chapter and verse on the pros and cons is available for the asking.

 

[ChrisR]

There's always compression fittings! Just be careful where you buy or the prices are silly. WIckes are OK.

 

[Softus]

Wha' do we want? PLASTIC!

When do we wannit? NAAAHH!

Give us a 'P'! P!

etc...

 

[KnappGate]

Plastic sounds convenient, but I do wonder whether it'll cope with the heat OK.

 

[Softus]

There are limits, of course, which basically manifests in an exclusion zone that extends one metre from the boiler. What and where is your boiler, and what pipework are you modifying?

 

[baxpoti]

Plastic sounds convenient, but I do wonder whether it'll cope with the heat OK.

What's your kettle made of?

 

[ollski]

Plastic sounds convenient, but I do wonder whether it'll cope with the heat OK.

What's your kettle made of?

Stainless steel.....cheapskate