Nice surprise buy copper pipe today

[Husker]

got a 10' 2" stick of M pipe for $62 today (bought a couple). Was about 3x that price last year. Put off making a still head then, and now I am pretty glad I did. Funny thing was DWT was $72. Lol, M cheaper than DWT.

Fittings are still not "too" cheap. 2" couplers were about $7 and a 2" elbow was $12. But I should be able to build a dual purpose inline / pot for not too much (at least for the copper).

But since I offered to make a column still head for one of the newer members, I figured I would build a boka for myself, and build it in a way where the still head could detach from the mount adapter, so I can put a pot head on it also.

I was just really surprized with copper 2" from a hardware store, being back to a "reasonable" price.

H.

[CoopsOz]

It has definitely come back down. I bought 2" couplers from Reece last week @ $12 each. A 1" bend was $4.50 although I still got stung on the 2" x 2" x 1" reducing T.....it came in at $44.00 I didn't price the pipe but I reckon things are better here in Oz as well, I might need to check it out on Boxing day.

[HookLine]

although I still got stung on the 2" x 2" x 1" reducing T.....it came in at $44.00

Ouch!

[punkin]

It has definitely come back down. I bought 2" couplers from Reece last week @ $12 each. A 1" bend was $4.50 although I still got stung on the 2" x 2" x 1" reducing T.....it came in at $44.00 I didn't price the pipe but I reckon things are better here in Oz as well, I might need to check it out on Boxing day.

Thought i'd taught you better than to pay retail...

Got all that stuff sitting in my fittings box.







SpeciallyReeceRetailPunkin

[CoopsOz]

I thought about hitting you up Garry but didn't want to take advantage of your good nature. I may still put in a order anyway, I stuffed up the fitting today....I couldn't maintain the heat with the MAPP torch because the column was conducting all my hard earned heat away. As a result the silver solder is well and truly stuck to the fitting but not the column.

I'm gonna get some besser blocks, build some sort of heat trap and have another go in the near future....just got find the blocks first. If it fails I'll just cut the end off the column and start again. BTW, I'm enjoying some muck as I type....fresh eggs are the key I reckon.

Sorry Husker....I'll continue this elsewhere if this shift in topic offends.

[big worm]

prices in the scrap yards falling too. the multi head feature is a good idea more bang for the buck. i think i'll have to look around at fittings prices...some of them 2" ones got up into the $20's for a while perhaps they falling now.

[HookLine]

Are you using low temp soft silver solder, or high temp silver braze?

A MAPP torch on a 50mm pipe is pushing it for brazing. When I brazed the brass fitting onto the end of my 50mm pot column, it took the MAPP torch and a friend driving a propane torch with a large nozzle to get it hot enough. And that was inside, away from any breeze, on a warm day.

[Husker]

That is why I am SOOOOO glad I have Oxy/Acc. That TINY little hot flame works SO much better than that large "flickering" MAPP flame. Plus, you can very quickly, heat a small area, draw solder into it, and then move on.

H.

[CoopsOz]

Are you using low temp soft silver solder, or high temp silver braze?

I'm only using 5% rods so that was my original problem, now the current problem I've got is the fitting has accepted the braze but the column hasn't......I'm gonna have to spend hrs grinding it all off if I want to go the soft silver route or find me an oxy setup.

[trthskr4]

I'd suggest spending the money and buying the oxy/acetylene kit and rent the bottles. The initial cost is about $350 US for us here or maybe a little less. You'll find more things to use the torch for if you have it.

I haven't noticed the prices on copper dropping around here though. I'd like to get a 2" piece for less than $10/ft. but then I'd have to buy all the fittings to build me a new still and that would be a shame...Right?

[big worm]

i love the pop and black soot from the ACC i could not imagin soldering with mapp on large od pipe.

[HookLine]

Are you using low temp soft silver solder, or high temp silver braze?

I'm only using 5% rods so that was my original problem, now the current problem I've got is the fitting has accepted the braze but the column hasn't......I'm gonna have to spend hrs grinding it all off if I want to go the soft silver route or find me an oxy setup.

I brazed my fitting on using 2% silver rods. The higher % silver are too expensive for me coz I can only get them as a pack, not individually.

If you can borrow another MAPP torch or a propane torch, using both together is probably worth trying. Save you buying an oxy/ac kit.

You can also get oxygen bottles to suit MAPP to make a MAPP/oxy set-up, and that will add a lot of heat. Bunnings sell them.

[Husker]

Oxy/Mapp will burn VERY hot (not as hot as Acc, but still MUCH hotter than MAPP with air).

Part of what I like on the Ox/Acc is the torch. The tip can produce a TINY but super hot little flame. I find that SO much more controlable, and it does not 'over' shoot, and carbonize the flux. That was one of the bigger problems I had doing 1.5 and 2" tubes, with the cheap torch tips you screw into MAPP bottles. The damn flux ended up black chunky carbon, and then did NOT work, and the solder would not draw. With a tiny flame, I can heat the pipe about an inch above the fitting, then move to about 1/2 deep on the fitting, and the solder will literally JUMP off the rod, and into the joint. Then let that spot cool a little, and do the other side, it will work the same. Then do the 3 o'clock and 9'oclock sides, then fill in. With MAPP and air, you are always fighting to keep the thing hot enough. I was out in the garage today, temp was about 20 F (probably -8 or so C), I had NO problems at all with 2" and coupler and 2" with elbow. Worked like a champ, where if I was using MAPP, I would have had to fight HARD to keep it hot enough to even try to flow solder.

Now all I did today was soft soldering, but still, with pipe that cold, I was pretty impressed by how well that tiny little flame shooting out of the #2 torch tip behaved.

H.

[trthskr4]

I use 15% silver brazing rods, last pound I bought was $70 US. I just wish I could do pretty enough work to show the beauty and expense of the rod, LOL.