Possibly a too tight of a fitting pre solder

[Tōtōchtin]

I have some ferrules I bought that are just over 1mm to big. I peened the edge of the pipe so I could start the ferrules. I sacrificed 1 ferrule to be able to beat in and silver solder/braze a ferrules. When I removed it the ferrule was so tight the inside of the pipe looks like I burnished it.
So can a fitting be too tight? I feel after I flux it would rub off when I install the ferrules. I don't really have a clean way to swedge the pipe to accept the ferrules. I can hammer out a wider opening but I want it to look purdy even if it's under an inch of insulation. I thank you for you time.
Tōtō

[Tōtōchtin]

I use sober when I wrote that. I can not find a way to change the header.
Tōtō

[shadylane]

Anneal, then cool the end of the copper tubing, push the ferrel in and gently hammer all the way around the tubing were the arrows point, until you get the fit needed. It looks counterintuitive, but it will increase the diameter of the pipe by making it thinner and thereby bigger around.

[Yummyrum]

Mods can change tittle Tōtō.
What do you want ?

[Bottles]

I'd say you can't have a joint too tight. So long as you can get the ferrule in. Clean both surfaces of joint push in, then Flux joint and solder.
I have the issue of my pipe is wider then my ferrules. I need to hammer in the pipe to get a tight joint, or make thin shims to get a tight fit.
One advantage I have is I have various hammers and stakes for metal forming.

[Tōtōchtin]

The fit is so tight no flux is going to penetrate. If it wasn't explosive I would say they are tight enough to run a still as is. Today I'm going to try and tin a ferrules then slam it into the pipe and solder, if I can get a thin coat I'll do the pipe also. For my elbows they are to big for the pipe as I ordered cxc. I just cut the pipe one inch wide to use as a shim.
I thank you all for your time.
Tōtō

[Dancing4dan]

If the pipe is copper it sands down pretty easily. I have used a cork on a drill bit wrapped with emery paper to “hone” inside of cylinders. Adjustment of diameter can be made by adding or subtracting layers of tape under the strip of emery cloth.

[MooseMan]

The fit is so tight no flux is going to penetrate. If it wasn't explosive I would say they are tight enough to run a still as is. Today I'm going to try and tin a ferrules then slam it into the pipe and solder, if I can get a thin coat I'll do the pipe also. For my elbows they are to big for the pipe as I ordered cxc. I just cut the pipe one inch wide to use as a shim.
I thank you all for your time.
Tōtō

Toto have you tried just cleaning/prepping all the mating faces, coating with flux and fitting them together?

If they will go together and there's flux in there, the solder will flow in when the temp is right.

[jonnys_spirit]

Heat is a little with your torch. Then paint the flux before it’s too hot. The heat will help wick it into the joint.

Cheers,
-j

[shadylane]

So can a fitting be too tight?

If the fitting is too tight, solder can't wick into the joint and make a proper bond.

[Tōtōchtin]

No if you needed to run water thru these pipes at 100 psi they wouldn't leak.
I tried yesterday coaxing it with flux,but it would only solder the edges. I then tried Shady's idea just doing a hard anneal only. Banged out a small lip,beat the ferrule in,then tapped around the edge with a 2 lb hammer. By the time I was finishing my second revolution the ferrules was starting to fall out. I thank you again for another tip Shady.
I thank you all for your advice and help.
Tōtō

[shadylane]

Glad to have been helpful.
Next time don't be bashful about annealing.
It opens up another world about making copper easily do what's needed.

[Yummyrum]

Glad to have been helpful.
Next time don't be bashful about annealing.
It opens up another world about making copper easily do what's needed.

Thats Punny as all fuck Shady ….. and never a truer word spoke


For the more literal reader’s ….. annealing means softening the copper . You do this by heating it up until its a cherry Red hot .

This will require a lot of heat . Typically you will need a MAPP gas torch . That will easily anneal most sizes up to about 2” .
Above that , you’ll need an extra heat source .

At this point copper is easily able to be expanded or shrunk .
You can literally “bash” it to what ever shape you need .

The more you “bash” it , the harder it becomes …….then you need to anneal it again to continue the “bashing”

[Bottles]

Does everyone think solder is like glue? The bigger the gap and the most amount of glue makes for the strongest joint? From jewelery making and welding. The smallest joint and least amount of solder, filling the joint completely, makes for the strongest joint.
If you can get a ferrule into a tube. It should solder. Unless it's not a tight fit and needs shimming or reducing the tubes width. This is where annealing the tube will help.
Andrew

[NormandieStill]

Does everyone think solder is like glue? The bigger the gap and the most amount of glue makes for the strongest joint? From jewelery making and welding. The smallest joint and least amount of solder, filling the joint completely, makes for the strongest joint.
If you can get a ferrule into a tube. It should solder. Unless it's not a tight fit and needs shimming or reducing the tubes width. This is where annealing the tube will help.
Andrew

Glue (or at least some) doesn't work like that either. Standard PVA wood hours make the strongest bond when the gap is small. Larger gaps make for weaker bonding where the glue joint will fail.

It is possible to have a joint which is so tight that the solder can't flow. Check the manufacturers specs or a soldering or brazing guide and you'll find minimum and maximum gap sizes which must be respected.