In article . com, "stretch" wrote:
I disagree. Heat the pipe first, then the fitting a little away from
the joint.

This is incorrect.

Both the pipe and fitting should be hot so the solder will
adhere to both. Just don't overheat either one or you will "burn the
joint". You want the solder to suck into the joint by capillary
action.

Right, and that's exactly why you heat the fitting only, and not the pipe: to
expand the fitting slightly so that capillary action will wick the solder into
the joint. If you heat the pipe, you risk expanding the pipe so much that it's
not possible to get enough solder into the joint to make a proper seal. There
is enough contact between the pipe and the fitting that heating only the
fitting gets the pipe plenty hot enough to do the job.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?