Doug Miller wrote:
In article .com, "stretch" wrote:

Doug,

That's funny.


Maybe you could quote a little context when you post, so that we don't have to
guess at what you're talking about?

[snip ancient history]

Heat the tubing a little, then the fitting, then apply the solder.
Then take it apart. You will find the solder sucked inside just fine.
If you are brazing and don't heat the pipe at all, you will get a very
shallow joint. If you take the joints apart, you will see what I mean.


You can make your soldered joints any way you like. But you should realize
that you're doing newbies a disservice when you advise them to heat the pipe
and the fitting: that's *not* the best way to make the joints. The joints are
easier to make, and less likely to leak, when only the fitting is heated. It's
just plain silly to advise someone who's never soldered copper before to heat
the pipe first. There is a better and easier way to do it.

--
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?

I've commented about this before, most of the time your way will work
but a newbie is more likely to screw up heating the fitting only.
If the interior pipe is not up to temp the solder will not amalgamate
with the pipe. The result is a weak joint and sooner or later a leak.
My formal training comes from a Carrier Corp. factory training class,
with an instructor who spent years on their condenser assembly line.
To sum up the two days I spent on this part of the training.
Use plenty of torch, start heating the pipe, keep the torch moving,
when the pipe is hot move the torch onto the fitting and use the flame
to draw the solder into the fitting.
Your way may be easier but it's not better.
Dave