I've been on the quest of gathering materials for my first pot still this week, and now that I know where to get most of the things I need in terms of tubes and fittings, it's time to worry about the soldering aspect.
This is something I've searched in the forums and can't find an answer to, maybe it's because it's not even relevant (or I don't know how to look?) but looking on the internet for lead free solders I notice a lot of them have different diameters. Just looking at the first few options on amazon the diameters range between 0.020-0.039 inches.
This will be my first ever soldering project so I really don't know if this different diameters is something I can use interchangeably with no issues. Or maybe it's easy to pick a thinner (or maybe thicker) diameter for a beginner? I'm a little puzzled
Thin is better. You can always add more, but cleaning up a puddle is a pain in the ass. Get the thinnest silver bearing solder you can.
I use 1/8" Harris staybrite and hammer it flat to thin it out.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
Deplorable wrote: ↑Thu Oct 29, 2020 7:58 am
Thin is better. You can always add more, but cleaning up a puddle is a pain in the ass. Get the thinnest silver bearing solder you can.
I use 1/8" Harris staybrite and hammer it flat to thin it out.
Deplorable wrote: ↑Thu Oct 29, 2020 7:58 am
Thin is better. You can always add more, but cleaning up a puddle is a pain in the ass. Get the thinnest silver bearing solder you can.
I use 1/8" Harris staybrite and hammer it flat to thin it out.
Thanks so much for the response
Just a quick question, wouldn't that make 1/8" (0.125") in diameter THICK AS Flowers? The solders I found are a mere fraction (at least 3x+ less in diameter) of that at 0.039" the thickest.
You don't want flux core solder. You want solid core lead free solder suitable for household plumbing.
If you are soldering Stainless to Copper, you need silver bearing solder. If you can find .063 diameter silver bearing solder buy it. Otherwise .125 will work fine.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
Deplorable wrote: ↑Thu Oct 29, 2020 8:18 am
You don't want flux core solder. You want solid core lead free solder suitable for household plumbing.
If you are soldering Stainless to Copper, you need silver bearing solder. If you can find .063 diameter silver bearing solder buy it. Otherwise .125 will work fine.
Here's a picture of what I used also if you're doing stainless to Copper use a good-quality liquid flux. Just remember the more silver content the stronger the joint.
IMHO thickness is a miniscule detail that offers only a tiny bit of convenience. I have at least 2 thicknesses of stay brite, and have a teensy preference for the thicker of the two so I only have to feed half as much. If you're not particular you can wing most anything, but I tend to look up the appropriate amount of solder for the size joints I'm doing that day. Then I put a bend in the solder for the appropriate length (based on solder diameter and joint size) so I know I put in enough but not so much that it's just running through and puddling up on the inside. Makes cleanup easier, if you clean up. Also, when doing close joints immediately back to back it's super handy to 2 right sized kinks in your solder so you can just jump from one to the next.
If you have to err, get smaller. As mentioned you can always put in more, but thick solder is annoying and messy if you're ever doing small stuff, like just through wall soldering a thermowell or something similar.
I always forget where I find the reference for solder amount, but my guess is either the copper tube handbook, or the harris website.
Thanks for your input zapata, I think you also chimed in in my previous newbie question thread. I feel much more confident on soldering now as the days have passed and have had the chance to watch videos and read some threads.
zapata wrote: ↑Thu Oct 29, 2020 1:19 pm
I always forget where I find the reference for solder amount, but my guess is either the copper tube handbook, or the harris website.
You read my mind, that was going to be my first question
zapata wrote: ↑Thu Oct 29, 2020 1:19 pm
Makes cleanup easier, if you clean up. Also, when doing close joints immediately back to back it's super handy to 2 right sized kinks in your solder so you can just jump from one to the next.
I'm going to have this situation with a short 2 1/8 pipe that will be used as a nipple on my pot still (And in my country I could only find L type ugh, it was a miracle that I didn't have to buy the whole 20ft). Something that came to mind to ask is do you have any tips on the positioning of the pipes for soldering? Especially if two of them are going to be really close? My guess is (and as i recall correctly what I've seen done) is position them so the pipes/joints are facing up/down. Logically it makes sense since I would work it from the sides and if the joint is facing down capillary will take care of it. But since I've never done this maybe there's benefits on positioning the connections a different way?
edit: Wow thank you so much for letting me know of the Copper Manual's existence so much detailed information
Sailman wrote: ↑Thu Oct 29, 2020 8:25 am
Here's a picture of what I used also if you're doing stainless to Copper use a good-quality liquid flux. Just remember the more silver content the stronger the joint.
20191218_125441.jpg
But also the stronger it is the higher the melting point no? If it's copper to copper then I would suppose it would be more efficient to use something with low amounts of silver, right?
Sailman wrote: ↑Thu Oct 29, 2020 8:25 am
Here's a picture of what I used also if you're doing stainless to Copper use a good-quality liquid flux. Just remember the more silver content the stronger the joint.
20191218_125441.jpg
But also the stronger it is the higher the melting point no? If it's copper to copper then I would suppose it would be more efficient to use something with low amounts of silver, right?
Yes you are correct the higher the silver content the more heat that is required to get it to melt. In the picture that I posted you will see that this is staybrite solder by Harris not the staybrite number 8. The staybrite solder only has a 4% silver content the staybrite number 8 is 6%. I started out using MAPP gas but soon found out that propane worked just as easy. Some of the people on here like to use the staybrite number 8 but this is all I could find locally. The welding supply house that I got it from gave it to me to give it a try because they had just brought it in as a new product.
I've swung a keg around by fittings soldered with whatever was at the hardware store, staybrite, and brazing rod. I'm not sure strength of various solders matters much to our applications as keg swinging really ought to be the most load they ever see. Certainly not in a sweat soldered fitting, it certainly could matter for surface soldering or simple through hole attachments.
Something that came to mind to ask is do you have any tips on the positioning of the pipes for soldering? Especially if two of them are going to be really close?
Capillary action will make either orientation workable. I mostly put it however it is easiest to work on with a slight preference to horizontal. If you over fill or overheat a horizontal joint then you tend to end up with a drip on the outside at the bottom that can easily be filed off. If you over fill or overheat a vertical joint it tends to just run into the pipe where it will be near impossible to remove (if that matters).
