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(ississauga) wrote:

I am using a propane torch to melt a recently made solder joint
holding together half inch copper plumbing pipes, but the solder won't
melt no matter how long I heat it for. I leaked out the water and
heated once till copper pipe turned red. Is there another way to melt
the solder ?

"David Meiland" wrote in message
...
(ississauga) wrote:

Doesn't sound right to me. If the pipe was red hot, the solder was
definitely liquid, or possibly you still had water in there. Now,
getting a joint apart can be difficult. You need a thick pair of
gloves, a wet rag, and maybe a pair of pliers.
....snip...

If using a rag use a dry one. If you grab a really hot pipe with a wet
rag the water turns to steam and there is a great chance the steam will
blast through and around the cloth and burn your hand. Use a dry rag
and it maintains its insulating properties, it may scorch of course, so
don't use your best shirt. Also a wet rag tends to cool the work which
you don't want. If you still had water in a red-hot pipe you would hear
of hissing and popping and steam would come out the end.

The deal here is to fasten one end of the assemply in a vise or clamp if
it isn't already fixed and as you heat up the joint twist the free end
with a gripping tool (wrench, spanner, multi-grips, pliers whatever you
have). You will feel it start to give when the solder softens, which is
long before red heat, then pull the joint apart. If the joint is very
tight you may have to keep twisting back and forth as you work the free
end off.

David