Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?

Willie

On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:55:17 -0500, wrote:

You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff
But you need the steel CLEAN. NO ZINC.
Solder can be used on steel, copper, brass and several other metals
(including Aluminum, but soldering that stuff is no fun) - and can
solder virtually any two solderable materials to each other.

Many thanks to numerous respondents.

I'm starting to get an idea of the details ...

Wire wheel on bench grinder is likely to suffice to remove zinc, etc?

I *think* I've got a little bit of silver solder left from
AC work. Any good for copper/u-bolts??

Thx,
Willie

On 12/13/2010 10:10 AM, Willie The Wimp wrote:

Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?

Willie

Your best bet would be to get the correct brazing rod from a supply
house. The U bolt may have a zinc coating and it may have to be removed
in order to braze the steel to the copper. I have special brazing rods
from the supply house to braze steel service valves to copper pipe that
I use for refrigeration work. Tell the guys at the supply house what
you're trying to do and they can tell you what you need. Of course, you
can always experiment.

TDD

"Willie The Wimp" wrote in message
...

Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?


You can. The proper question is "why?"

Solder connections per se aren't very strong.

When you solder copper pipe the solder joint tends to be 1/2" of overlap and
the basic copper just isn't a high strength material.

Solder has long been used to help fabricate things made from tin plated
steel. Without a long overlap and crimping these connections are quite
weak compared to, say, spot welded joints.

"Tin roofs" often use a standing seam which can be soldered.

Going back to your initial "problem," it may well make sense to solder a
sheet material (e.g.: copper plated steel) to a copper pipe to make a solid
connection without requiring clamping. But a U bolt would have minimum
contact area and the solder joint just would not have much strength.
Effectively you would be as well off just using clamping force.

Willie

On Dec 13, 11:10*am, Willie The Wimp
wrote:
Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?

Willie

You can braze those two together but it's easier to braze steel to
steel..

Willie The Wimp wrote:

Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?

Willie

You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10e12 furlongs per fortnight.

On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:06:57 -0500, jeff_wisnia
wrote:

Willie The Wimp wrote:

Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?

Willie

You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff
But you need the steel CLEAN. NO ZINC.
Solder can be used on steel, copper, brass and several other metals
(including Aluminum, but soldering that stuff is no fun) - and can
solder virtually any two solderable materials to each other.

On Dec 14, 1:06*am, Willie The Wimp
wrote:
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:55:17 -0500, wrote:
You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff
But you need the steel CLEAN. NO ZINC.
Solder can be used on steel, copper, brass and several other metals
(including Aluminum, but soldering that stuff is no fun) - and can
solder virtually any two solderable materials to each other.

Many thanks to numerous respondents.

I'm starting to get an idea of the details ...

Wire wheel on bench grinder is likely to suffice to remove zinc, etc?

I *think* I've got a little bit of silver solder left from
AC work. Any good for copper/u-bolts??

Thx,
Willie

The question no one has asked is what is the purpose of the joining?
I've never soldered
steel to anything and question how well it could work and how much
strength it would have.
If this is something that has no stress and no consequences, then
it's one thing. But if failure means
water pouring everywhere or 50 lbs falling on your head, then it's
another. I've never seen
a soldered plumbing connection of steel.

On Dec 13, 11:10*am, Willie The Wimp
wrote:
Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?

Willie

Tin the two pieces first.

On Dec 14, 12:06*am, Willie The Wimp
wrote:
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:55:17 -0500, wrote:
You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff
But you need the steel CLEAN. NO ZINC.
Solder can be used on steel, copper, brass and several other metals
(including Aluminum, but soldering that stuff is no fun) - and can
solder virtually any two solderable materials to each other.

Many thanks to numerous respondents.

I'm starting to get an idea of the details ...

Wire wheel on bench grinder is likely to suffice to remove zinc, etc?

I *think* I've got a little bit of silver solder left from
AC work. Any good for copper/u-bolts??

Thx,
Willie

Silver solder + MAPP gas ought to work pretty well and will be much
stronger than 50-50.

Joe

On 12/14/2010 12:06 AM, Willie The Wimp wrote:
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:55:17 -0500, wrote:

You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff
But you need the steel CLEAN. NO ZINC.
Solder can be used on steel, copper, brass and several other metals
(including Aluminum, but soldering that stuff is no fun) - and can
solder virtually any two solderable materials to each other.

Many thanks to numerous respondents.

I'm starting to get an idea of the details ...

Wire wheel on bench grinder is likely to suffice to remove zinc, etc?

I *think* I've got a little bit of silver solder left from
AC work. Any good for copper/u-bolts??

Thx,
Willie

Your best bet is to get the brazing rods coated with a special flux.
I mentioned in another post that I use it for joining steel service
valves to copper pipe. The regular 15% silver solder would not work.
Been there done that, already ruined some material. Remember:
"Experience is a fools best teacher." Ralph Waldo Emerson :-)

TDD

On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:06:17 -0600, Willie The Wimp
wrote:

On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:55:17 -0500, wrote:

You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff
But you need the steel CLEAN. NO ZINC.
Solder can be used on steel, copper, brass and several other metals
(including Aluminum, but soldering that stuff is no fun) - and can
solder virtually any two solderable materials to each other.

Many thanks to numerous respondents.

I'm starting to get an idea of the details ...

Wire wheel on bench grinder is likely to suffice to remove zinc, etc?

Much better to just dip it in muriatic acid. Tinners fluid is muriatic
acid cut with zinc (zinc chloride, I believe)and as it has a "full
load" of zinc, it will not remove the zinc on the bolt - and sice the
tinners fluid is (AFAIR) Zinc chloride, using muriatic acid won't
hurt. Rinse well when finished.

I *think* I've got a little bit of silver solder left from
AC work. Any good for copper/u-bolts??

With the right flux it is great.

Thx,
Willie

On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:23:41 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 12/14/2010 12:06 AM, Willie The Wimp wrote:
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:55:17 -0500, wrote:

You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff
But you need the steel CLEAN. NO ZINC.
Solder can be used on steel, copper, brass and several other metals
(including Aluminum, but soldering that stuff is no fun) - and can
solder virtually any two solderable materials to each other.

Many thanks to numerous respondents.

I'm starting to get an idea of the details ...

Wire wheel on bench grinder is likely to suffice to remove zinc, etc?

I *think* I've got a little bit of silver solder left from
AC work. Any good for copper/u-bolts??

Thx,
Willie

Your best bet is to get the brazing rods coated with a special flux.
I mentioned in another post that I use it for joining steel service
valves to copper pipe. The regular 15% silver solder would not work.
Been there done that, already ruined some material. Remember:
"Experience is a fools best teacher." Ralph Waldo Emerson :-)

TDD
silphos, I believe the stuff is called.Silicon/phosphor bronze. Used
extensively in refrigeration.
SNAG is also becomming pretty common.

On 12/14/2010 3:57 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:23:41 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 12/14/2010 12:06 AM, Willie The Wimp wrote:
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:55:17 -0500, wrote:

You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff
But you need the steel CLEAN. NO ZINC.
Solder can be used on steel, copper, brass and several other metals
(including Aluminum, but soldering that stuff is no fun) - and can
solder virtually any two solderable materials to each other.

Many thanks to numerous respondents.

I'm starting to get an idea of the details ...

Wire wheel on bench grinder is likely to suffice to remove zinc, etc?

I *think* I've got a little bit of silver solder left from
AC work. Any good for copper/u-bolts??

Thx,
Willie

Your best bet is to get the brazing rods coated with a special flux.
I mentioned in another post that I use it for joining steel service
valves to copper pipe. The regular 15% silver solder would not work.
Been there done that, already ruined some material. Remember:
"Experience is a fools best teacher." Ralph Waldo Emerson :-)

TDD
silphos, I believe the stuff is called.Silicon/phosphor bronze. Used
extensively in refrigeration.
SNAG is also becomming pretty common.

It's Sil-Fos 15. It doesn't work for that, I tried it for installing the
steel fittings to copper pipe. The brazing rods I used had a blue flux
coating and I would have to call my buddy at the supply house to find
out the name of the darn things. I do a lot of silver solder and brazing
for refrigeration and HVAC.

http://www.silfos.com/index.html

TDD

On Dec 13, 11:10*am, Willie The Wimp
wrote:
Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?

Willie

Far better to use U bolts to clamp stuff to copper pipes, easier
faster and more secure

On Dec 13, 11:10*am, Willie The Wimp
wrote:
Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?

Willie


As the other posters have asked, "What are you trying to accomplish by
soldering the copper pipe to the steel U-bolts?"

If you are trying to hang the pipes from something and have water flow
through them, then you are barking up the wrong tree... Soldered
joints are meant to seal things together but not support any kind of
loads or mechanical stresses... Pipes move around (expanding and
contracting) with temperature changes and waterflow (water hammer)...

If you explain how the pipe must be run and where it can be hung
from, we can perhaps suggest a way of hanging it to you which will
be safe and proper...

If this is for some other application where the pipes will not be used
to supply water -- then describe what you are trying to use said pipes
for and we can advise you better to fit your application...

~~ Evan

On 12/14/2010 12:55 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:06:57 -0500, jeff_wisnia
wrote:

Willie The Wimp wrote:

Say you've got common equipment for soldering copper water pipes. Can ya
solder other metals to copper?

Solder, say, steel u-bolts to copper pipe? Same procedure, clean 'em up,
flux 'em, heat 'em up and apply solder?

Willie

You should be able to do it with soft solder and a propane torch if you
use "Tinners Fluid" (acid soldering flux, available at many hardware
stores.) to get the solder to wet the steel u-bolts.

Jeff
But you need the steel CLEAN. NO ZINC.
Solder can be used on steel, copper, brass and several other metals
(including Aluminum, but soldering that stuff is no fun) - and can
solder virtually any two solderable materials to each other.

Add stainless steel to the list.