wrote:
On Jul 22, 7:19 pm, Jeff Wisnia wrote:

wrote:

http://www.terrylove.com/forums/index.php

Like I said before, go to this forum, search for the thread on sweat
joints. Read the pro's recommendations and follow through.

Thanks! There's lots of great info on that forum. I think I have
multiple problems. I don't think I got the joints clean enough,
although I tried. I think I apparently used the wrong type of flux. I
also had flux outside of the joint and I just now read that there
shouldn't be any flux outside of the joint. Then, I think I also had
temperature issues, either trying when it was too hot or when it
wasn't hot enough. Then I followed someone else's advice to actually
apply heat to the solder. That apparently is wrong because it can
oxidize the solder and cause it not to flow properly. I think that
explains some of the weird behavior of the solder that I was seeing.

This project is deceptively difficult. It's much harder than it
looks!

So is playing a violin. G

Ah feel your pain, and as others have said, i" copper pipe OUTSIDE in a
breeze with a "standard" sized Bernz-O-Matic propane torch ain't going
to be a piece of cake, it's too difficult to get the whole fitting
heated up to the right temperature, particularly if you can't hit the
fitting from all sides with the torch because of obstructions.

I've got a "large" sized Bernz-O-Matic torch head with a burner about
1-1/4" diameter which fits a standard propane can but puts out a lot
more heat, I've done 1" copper with it nos sweat. (pun intentional. G)

Also, the current "health safe" lead free solders have a higher melting
temperature than to good olde tin-lead solders I grew up with. You may
have better luck if you get some "60-40" solder, it's still sold, and
for use on a sprinkler system the lead certainly won't be poisoning anyone.

If all else fails, why not just pick up some compression fittings and if
you need it a short length of "extra" 1" copper pipe.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.98*10^14 fathoms per fortnight.


A compression fitting wouldn't work. The piece I'm trying to repair is
just a straight piece of pipe that originally had a one-inch coupling
soldered in the middle of it. The solder joint broke because of the
ground moving over the winter. It doesn't look like it was a good
joint to begin with, though.


Is there some reason you can't use TWO compression couplers with maybe a
6" long piece of 1" copper pipe between them? you could cut back the
currently buggered up ends of the existing pipe and put the new stuff in.

Thas why I worded my last sentence as I did.

Good Luck,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.98*10^14 fathoms per fortnight.