Solder

[Deerhunter]

Of all the safety precautions about distilling which worries me the most, it would have to be using the correct solder. After reading the threads on soldering I'm still not sure what to use. Searched the web as well and there's a ton of different types of solder out there. I understand it has to be lead free. Not to mention food grade solder which mainly requires brazing. Would like to know what the members here in the states used to build there stills. The solder we use for our copper water pipes is lead free, but as someone mentioned on here when subjected to column temps. may not be appropriate for alcohol vapors. I know how to sweat pipe using the traditional "MAPP" gas. Have no welding experience at all. Worried more about lead poisoning then alcohol poisoning.

[humbledore]

If you are planning on working with stainless, then harris stay-brite #8 and harris stay-clean flux is the gold standard. If you are only using copper, then any lead-free solder would do as far as I know. I used Oakley lead free solder/flux from a big box store. Worked great.

[RandyMarshCT]

Any lead-free silver bearing solder is what I use for soldering. Harris 15 for brazing, but brazing is more of a PITA than necessary for most of this stuff. For stainless to copper connections I have a friend tig weld them using silver brazing rod as filler.