Soldering - what am I doing wrong?!!
Discussion
I’m tying to make a copper pipe towel rail as a little ‘keep me busy in the evenings’ sort of job. It’s not going to be heated at all, so water-tightness of the joints doesn’t matter.
I’m using solder ring fittings, have cleaned and fluxed the end of the pipes and tightly fitted them into the fixings. Heated with a blow torch, but maybe 1 in 5 is actually adhering, I can just pull the rest out with no force, even when it’s cool enough to touch without gloves.
I’ve heated them until the copper goes multi coloured on one or two of the joints, so i’m pretty sure I’m getting it hot enough, but still nothing!
What haven’t I done right?!
I’m using solder ring fittings, have cleaned and fluxed the end of the pipes and tightly fitted them into the fixings. Heated with a blow torch, but maybe 1 in 5 is actually adhering, I can just pull the rest out with no force, even when it’s cool enough to touch without gloves.
I’ve heated them until the copper goes multi coloured on one or two of the joints, so i’m pretty sure I’m getting it hot enough, but still nothing!
What haven’t I done right?!
Sounds like to much heat and boiling off flux before the solder has a chance to flow.
Clean and flux female fitting, easier with a small brush, apply a small amount also to pipe too.
Blowtorch on a low flame - no whooshing gas, moving the flame slowly around the fitting, aim for even heat distribution.
You will see the flux bubble and the Yorkshire fitting should now flow solder evenly. If there appears to be a spot where it won’t flow, quickly wipe with flux on the brush (not with flame in way!) as it can help draw it out.
If the fittings are going purple you are using too much heat.
Also if your using yellow MAPP gas bottles and the bottle is low you will notice the flame turn orange, this is the propane part of the mix which burns hotter.
Hope that helps.
Clean and flux female fitting, easier with a small brush, apply a small amount also to pipe too.
Blowtorch on a low flame - no whooshing gas, moving the flame slowly around the fitting, aim for even heat distribution.
You will see the flux bubble and the Yorkshire fitting should now flow solder evenly. If there appears to be a spot where it won’t flow, quickly wipe with flux on the brush (not with flame in way!) as it can help draw it out.
If the fittings are going purple you are using too much heat.
Also if your using yellow MAPP gas bottles and the bottle is low you will notice the flame turn orange, this is the propane part of the mix which burns hotter.
Hope that helps.
Cheers guys, got further with it tonight than I have in the past 3 nights thanks to you 
Barring the odd joint where I had to apply solder to it, they’ve all held up and look surprisingly good!
Now, if anyone can tell me how to add 15mm to a copper pipe after you’ve cut it to the wrong size, I’d appreciate that...!!
Barring the odd joint where I had to apply solder to it, they’ve all held up and look surprisingly good!Now, if anyone can tell me how to add 15mm to a copper pipe after you’ve cut it to the wrong size, I’d appreciate that...!!
It takes a bit of getting used to, I tend to scrub the end of the pipe with those abrasive strips before soldering, even on new copper. After you see the solder start to bubble out of the fitting, bob a bit of flux on a brush and smooth the solder off. Providing you hold it still for 30 seconds it should be fine.
I also got a lot better at it when I purchased a rothenberger sure fire 2 torch, quality bit of kit.
I also got a lot better at it when I purchased a rothenberger sure fire 2 torch, quality bit of kit.
Jonboy_t said:
Now, if anyone can tell me how to add 15mm to a copper pipe after you’ve cut it to the wrong size, I’d appreciate that...!!
Cut it back a bit more and use one of these: https://www.screwfix.com/p/solder-ring-equal-coupl...Reading back through the post maybe you were blasting just one side of the fitting. I play the flame all around and the solder makes its classic little ring quite quickly. Also make sure the end 1/2" of pipe is fluxed.
After doing many soldering DIY jobs over the years I was frustrated by the odd failure same as the OP.
I went to a local independent plumbers merchant and asked for some advice and purchased what they recommended. In a nut shell:
Abrasive strips to clean the pipe, even on new fittings. Some wire wool has oil on it to stop it rusting which can transfer to the pipe and interfere with the flux flow
Clean inside of fitting with a wire brush even on brand new
Use plenty of decent flux, good clean brush
Mapp Gas
Never had a problem since.
Also, my dad used to say heat the pipe in a way to draw the solder out of the fitting as the solder will flow towards the heat, you can then see when to stop.
Not sure if this is the right thing to do or not but it works for me.
I went to a local independent plumbers merchant and asked for some advice and purchased what they recommended. In a nut shell:
Abrasive strips to clean the pipe, even on new fittings. Some wire wool has oil on it to stop it rusting which can transfer to the pipe and interfere with the flux flow
Clean inside of fitting with a wire brush even on brand new
Use plenty of decent flux, good clean brush
Mapp Gas
Never had a problem since.
Also, my dad used to say heat the pipe in a way to draw the solder out of the fitting as the solder will flow towards the heat, you can then see when to stop.
Not sure if this is the right thing to do or not but it works for me.
Turn7 said:
I hate Yorkshire fittings for that reason....
As said, dont heat the fitting directly, allow slower heat transfer. There isnt a great deal of solder in these, and its dead easy to just boil it away.
If you have to solder, Id be using end feed, or as an alternative Copper pushfit....
Me tooAs said, dont heat the fitting directly, allow slower heat transfer. There isnt a great deal of solder in these, and its dead easy to just boil it away.
If you have to solder, Id be using end feed, or as an alternative Copper pushfit....
I will tackle most anything but Yorkshire fittings I just cannot do
Compression fittings, two spanners, get in no problem....
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