[[email protected]]

Hi all,

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes?
What are advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ?
I will be laying new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the
job.

thanks for your help

[Grunff]

wrote:

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes?

No, they are not.


What are advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ?

The main disadvantage is that you won't be able to solder with the hot
air gun.


I will be laying new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the
job.

That'll be one of these:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...88230&ts=77814


--
Grunff
Low temperature Stirling engine:
http://www.shinyshack.com/product.php?prid=211027

[Tournifreak]

On 11 May, 10:58, wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes?

Nowhere near hot enough.

Jon.

[Andrew Gabriel]

In article .com,
writes:
Hi all,

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes?
What are advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ?
I will be laying new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the
job.

I did all mine (up to 28mm copper) with a £10 blowtorch,
and it worked no problem at all. I can't imagine a hot air
gun will have the power or ability to concentrate the heat
where you want it (or the ability to see where the heat is
going at all).

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

[Cicero]

On Fri, 11 May 2007 02:58:35 -0700, maciej.olchowik wrote:

Hi all,

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes? What are
advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ? I will be laying new
CH piping and want to get proper tool for the job.

thanks for your help

===================================
One of these or very similar can be bought from almost any DIY / Hardware
shop including B&Q, Wickes etc. Refills are available:

http://www.toolstation.com/search.ht...hstr=blow+lamp

They're quite suitable for most basic plumbing applications but may not be
powerful enough for large runs of copper pipe which tends to dissipate
heat too efficiently.

Cic.
--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

[[email protected]]

No, they are not.
cheers for that - saved me lots of frustrations ...

The main disadvantage is that you won't be able to solder with the hot
air gun.
That's what I thought - I got the impression that's it's do-able when
reading about steinel heat guns:
http://www.engineeringlab.com/steinelheatgun.html
In the middle of the page they show a picture of soldering copper
pipes with their heat gun.

I will be laying new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the job.
That'll be one of these:http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...88230&ts=77814
many thanks for that - will use this one fueled by propane

[EricP]

On 11 May 2007 03:22:43 -0700, wrote:

The main disadvantage is that you won't be able to solder with the hot
air gun.
That's what I thought - I got the impression that's it's do-able when
reading about steinel heat guns:
http://www.engineeringlab.com/steinelheatgun.html
In the middle of the page they show a picture of soldering copper
pipes with their heat gun.

That's because it's a professional heat gun designed to solder pipe
and the price reflects this. From the picture it would still take an
ice age to solder 28mm pipe with the thing.

[LSR]

wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes?
What are advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ?
I will be laying new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the
job.

thanks for your help

Dunno about soldering, but I just bought the DW340 (for melting beeswax and
propolis off beehive frames, so I wanted fine adjustment of temperature,
rather than hot / very hot). Amazon were cheaper than Screwfix or
Toolstation if you take their free delivery option.

--
LSR

[The Medway Handyman]

Cicero wrote:
On Fri, 11 May 2007 02:58:35 -0700, maciej.olchowik wrote:

Hi all,

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes? What are
advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ? I will be laying
new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the job.

thanks for your help

===================================
One of these or very similar can be bought from almost any DIY /
Hardware shop including B&Q, Wickes etc. Refills are available:

http://www.toolstation.com/search.ht...hstr=blow+lamp

They're quite suitable for most basic plumbing applications but may
not be powerful enough for large runs of copper pipe which tends to
dissipate heat too efficiently.

The very one I use. Good bit is you can get the gas cartridges almost
everywhere. You will probably find a heat resistant soldering mat useful as
well
http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;js...ng+mat&x=8&y=6

Don't buy the cheap one - they fall apart after a few use's.



--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

[Tony]

"LSR" wrote in message
...
wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes?
What are advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ?
I will be laying new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the
job.

thanks for your help

Dunno about soldering, but I just bought the DW340 (for melting beeswax
and propolis off beehive frames, so I wanted fine adjustment of
temperature, rather than hot / very hot). Amazon were cheaper than
Screwfix or Toolstation if you take their free delivery option.


B&Q are doing them for £22 although they were £19 just a few weeks ago when
I picked one up.
http://tinyurl.com/3c2r2e

[robgraham]

On 11 May, 12:06, "LSR" wrote:
wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes?
What are advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ?
I will be laying new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the
job.

thanks for your help

Dunno about soldering, but I just bought the DW340 (for melting beeswax and
propolis off beehive frames, so I wanted fine adjustment of temperature,
rather than hot / very hot). Amazon were cheaper than Screwfix or
Toolstation if you take their free delivery option.

--
LSR

Hey what a good idea - I get fed up scraping the wax off. Thanks for
that one.

Rob

[Cicero]

On Fri, 11 May 2007 13:03:23 +0100, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Cicero wrote:
On Fri, 11 May 2007 02:58:35 -0700, maciej.olchowik wrote:

Hi all,

Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes? What are
advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ? I will be laying new
CH piping and want to get proper tool for the job.

thanks for your help

===================================
One of these or very similar can be bought from almost any DIY /
Hardware shop including B&Q, Wickes etc. Refills are available:

http://www.toolstation.com/search.ht...hstr=blow+lamp

They're quite suitable for most basic plumbing applications but may not
be powerful enough for large runs of copper pipe which tends to
dissipate heat too efficiently.

The very one I use. Good bit is you can get the gas cartridges almost
everywhere. You will probably find a heat resistant soldering mat useful
as well
http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;js...ng+mat&x=8&y=6

Don't buy the cheap one - they fall apart after a few use's.

==================================
A bit of light gauge mild steel ( 20g - about 9" square) is a suitable
alternative. It can be bent to any convenient shape to reflect the
heat and lasts for years.

Cic.
--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

[LSR]

robgraham wrote:
... but I just bought the DW340 (for melting
beeswax and propolis off beehive frames...

--
LSR

Hey what a good idea - I get fed up scraping the wax off. Thanks for
that one.

Rob

It works really well. Apparently they can also be used for uncapping at a
low setting -the wax cap is so thin capilliary action pulls it back to the
outside of the cell as it melts.
--
LSR

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article .com,
wrote:
Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes?

Why do you think it would be?

What are advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ?

The disadvantage is it won't melt solder.

I will be laying new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the
job.

Then use what everyone else uses - a blowlamp. The electric clamp types
are near useless too.

Your only real decision is which blowlamp to buy. If you will use one a
lot, then the type with a separate gas cylinder and a hose to the torch is
more expensive but cheaper to run.

For just this job and occasional blowlamp tasks there's a vast range. I'd
go for one where the re-fills are readily available.

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...87727&id=43225

Looks to be good value for the cost of replacement canisters and they
appear to be a standard type.

--
*I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

[Robin]

http://www.toolstation.com/search.ht...hstr=blow+lamp

The very one I use.

Which one please as the link gives (for me) 3 different blowlamps?

Also, as I am a novice with soldering plumbing, can you give me a rough
guide as to how many joints a cylinder should do in (say) 22mm pipe? (I
shall apply my own divide-by-3 'cos I'll need to practice factor -
unless 3 is not enough.)

--
Robin

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article ,
Robin wrote:
Also, as I am a novice with soldering plumbing, can you give me a rough
guide as to how many joints a cylinder should do in (say) 22mm pipe? (I
shall apply my own divide-by-3 'cos I'll need to practice factor -
unless 3 is not enough.)

Mine - which uses those squat pierceable canisters - would do so many
you'd not bother counting. Certainly no need to have more than one spare
canister per day given normal rates of one man working - but Screwfix sell
them in packs of 5 anyway.

Worth also laying in a supply of disposable lighters for lighting the
blowlamp - I reckon these are cheaper and more reliable than the self
igniting kind.

One tip you may find useful - spare ceramic tiles no longer needed are
handy as heat shields.

--
*Generally speaking, you aren't learning much if your lips are moving.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

[Cicero]

On Fri, 11 May 2007 12:56:26 +0000, Robin wrote:


http://www.toolstation.com/search.ht...hstr=blow+lamp

The very one I use.

Which one please as the link gives (for me) 3 different blowlamps?

Also, as I am a novice with soldering plumbing, can you give me a rough
guide as to how many joints a cylinder should do in (say) 22mm pipe? (I
shall apply my own divide-by-3 'cos I'll need to practice factor -
unless 3 is not enough.)

==================================
The lowest of the 3 illustrations shows a 'generic' blow lamp available
almost anywhere and the cartridges are also readily available. This is the
one for most people who don't need something for constant heavy use. Look
on the shelves of your local DIY store and you'll find one. 'Taymar' is a
common name.

I can't help with a specific figure for number of joints from one
cartridge (depends on so many variables) but I can say that they're not so
short-lived that you need to worry about constantly running out.

Cic.

--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

[robgraham]

On 11 May, 13:39, "LSR" wrote:
robgraham wrote:
... but I just bought the DW340 (for melting
beeswax and propolis off beehive frames...

--
LSR

Hey what a good idea - I get fed up scraping the wax off. Thanks for
that one.

Rob

It works really well. Apparently they can also be used for uncapping at a
low setting -the wax cap is so thin capilliary action pulls it back to the
outside of the cell as it melts.
--
LSR

I take it you haven't tried that yet but that would be a real winner -
uncapping is a real messy pain and then you have to sort all capping
plus the attached honey. Could do with it this weekend too as the
rape is going over and the honey will have to whipped off. Thanks for
the heads up on that.

Rob

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article ,
Robin wrote:
Also, as I am a novice with soldering plumbing, can you give me a rough
guide as to how many joints a cylinder should do in (say) 22mm pipe? (I
shall apply my own divide-by-3 'cos I'll need to practice factor -
unless 3 is not enough.)

If you are a novice practice first before soldering in anger. Tube and
bulk end feed fittings are cheap enough to allow this. After soldering a
trial say 22mm tee, take it apart by re-heating and see how well it has
tinned. One tip is to watch the colour of the flame - it goes sort of
green when the copper is hot enough.

--
*Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

[The Medway Handyman]

Robin wrote:
http://www.toolstation.com/search.ht...hstr=blow+lamp

The very one I use.

Which one please as the link gives (for me) 3 different blowlamps?

Also, as I am a novice with soldering plumbing, can you give me a
rough guide as to how many joints a cylinder should do in (say) 22mm
pipe? (I shall apply my own divide-by-3 'cos I'll need to practice
factor - unless 3 is not enough.)

TH2000PZ.

How many? Not a Scooby! I bought my blowlamp in November last year and I
changed the original cartridge 2 weeks ago.

Cartridges are easily available though - buy two when you buy the blowlamp &
when the first one runs out buy another as a spare - that way you always
have a full one in reserve.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

[Robin]

v.m.t. x 4

(e&oe on the 4)

--
Robin

[Andrew Gabriel]

In article ,
"Robin" writes:

Also, as I am a novice with soldering plumbing, can you give me a rough
guide as to how many joints a cylinder should do in (say) 22mm pipe? (I
shall apply my own divide-by-3 'cos I'll need to practice factor -
unless 3 is not enough.)

I've used 2 canisters I think (maybe plus the original) although
one of these was double sized. That's a whole central heating
system, and completely replacing all the plumbing in the kitchen
and bathroom, and new 28mm gas feed full length of the house, all
done in end-feed capilliary fittings. Plus the odd bit of plumbing
for other people.

The double sized canister can make it harder to use the blowlamp
in small corners.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

[Peter Parry]

On 11 May 2007 02:58:35 -0700, wrote:


Does anyone know if electric hot air guns like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...77285&id=14303

are any good for soldering copper pipes?

They will work. Contrary to what some have said they have more than
sufficient output and temperature to melt solder on 15 or 22mm pipe -
I use one quite often for just this although the application is
rather unusual.

However - they are far from ideal for domestic plumbing jobs as they
take some time and have far too much heat spread with the risk of
damaging surrounding items, a blowlamp is much better.


What are advantages/disadvantages over propane blowtorch ?

Advantages - none really. Disadvantages - take too long, cause
damage to surrounds.

I will be laying new CH piping and want to get proper tool for the
job.

Hot air gun isn't it.
--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

[Harry Bloomfield]

Peter Parry has brought this to us :
They will work. Contrary to what some have said they have more than
sufficient output and temperature to melt solder on 15 or 22mm pipe -
I use one quite often for just this although the application is
rather unusual.

However - they are far from ideal for domestic plumbing jobs as they
take some time and have far too much heat spread with the risk of
damaging surrounding items, a blowlamp is much better.

I agree.

They work under ideal conditions - making bits of pipe up on the bench,
but for anything else use a gas blow lamp.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk