On May 12, 7:53*am, (Doug Miller) wrote:
In article , Glenn Lyford wrote:

I have used both silver bearing (3-1/2%) and non-leaded solders---made by
Harris. I highly recommend them over the others, especially Oatey, which I
found to fill and run poorly.

I found that I can get an acceptable joint with the Oatey stuff with
silver in it, but their tin-antimony no-lead stuff works too hot for a
regular propane torch (it might be fine with acetylene, it's not been
worth my time to find out).

Don't know about acetylene, but it's fine with a standard plumber's MAPP
torch. It can be used with a propane torch, too, but it takes a looooong time.

Some of the best money I ever spent on a tool was the forty bucks it cost me
to get a MAPP torch. Make a dozen sweat joints with a MAPP torch, and you'll
never go back to propane. (It takes six or eight joints before you realize
just how *fast* that sucker heats the fittings -- just a few seconds on
half-inch pipe, only a bit longer on three-quarter. After three or four more
joints at a few seconds each, you'll be hooked.)

I've got one, I've just not had to do any plumbing since I got it.
Try the solder with a little silver in it, melts at a lower heat so
you're not cooking the heck out of your fittings, flows super easy, I
bet it's a joy even with the mapp torch.
--Glenn Lyford