JIMMIE wrote:
I don't usually have a problem sweating Cu pipe but this is a little
unusual. I need to put a coupling on a short pipe protruding from a
wall covered with ceramic tile. When I place the coupling on the pipe
the coupling extends back into the wall so I cant solder to it.
Removing the ceramic tile is a last choice, it is very old, nearly 100
years and I doubt if a match could be found. Getting to the plumbing
from the back side of the wall is also not a good choice. I was
thinking of drilling some solder holes around the perimeter of the
coupling to feed the solder into. I have experimented with this
technique on a couple of pieces of scrap and it seems to work OK.
Anyone here ever done something like this before.

Jimmie

One method would be to try a diamond hole saw, slightly larger than the
outside diameter of the pipe. Drill the hole around the pipe into the tiles.
This would make a neat but larger opening around the pipe which may give you
some extra room to solder. Fill with grout.

Another method is to locate some 1/2" outside diameter copper pipe. It
should fit snuggly inside the normally 1/2" inside diameter pipe. With some
carefull cleaning of the old pipe with a chuck mounted wire brush made for
copper fittings, you could clean the inside of the old pipe and then solder
a piece of the smaller pipe inside it as an internal coupling allowing you
to extend the old pipe enough to solder on the fitting.