Awl--

I'm putting a 3/4 sweat fitting OVER 1/2" brass pipe, cuz, well, I think I
have no choice, cuz the brass pipe will be cut, w/ no thread.
The fit is loose, about .020 on radius.
Do you think sweating this is still OK? Solder won't be too weak??
Other choices? Saw the JustforCopper link--might could do that on nice
slip-fits, but doesn't sound suitable for loose joints.

Also, I have heavy rosin core solder, almost as heavy as plumbing solder.
Is it usable for normal sweating, and for this abnormal sweating??

I guess if I had to I could braze it... been a while since I've brazed, and
wasn't too swift at it when I was doin it!!

Interestingly, HVAC copper A/C piping/joints are brazed, *without* flux!!
They use a funny kind of rod, sort of rectangular, IIRC. Anyone know about
this??

Thanks.
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

HVAC joints are done with "hard" copper and SilPhos rod.

JW

On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 10:59:48 -0500, "Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote:

Awl--

I'm putting a 3/4 sweat fitting OVER 1/2" brass pipe, cuz, well, I think I
have no choice, cuz the brass pipe will be cut, w/ no thread.
The fit is loose, about .020 on radius.
Do you think sweating this is still OK? Solder won't be too weak??
Other choices? Saw the JustforCopper link--might could do that on nice
slip-fits, but doesn't sound suitable for loose joints.

Also, I have heavy rosin core solder, almost as heavy as plumbing solder.
Is it usable for normal sweating, and for this abnormal sweating??

I guess if I had to I could braze it... been a while since I've brazed, and
wasn't too swift at it when I was doin it!!

Interestingly, HVAC copper A/C piping/joints are brazed, *without* flux!!
They use a funny kind of rod, sort of rectangular, IIRC. Anyone know about
this??

Wrap the 1/2" pipe with a few turns of solid #26 clean bare copper
wire before soldering or brazing.

In article . com, jw says...

HVAC joints are done with "hard" copper and SilPhos rod.

And typically with a gas-fluxer setup.

Jim


--
==================================================
please reply to:
JRR(zero) at pkmfgvm4 (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com
==================================================

Proctologically Violated©® wrote:
I'm putting a 3/4 sweat fitting OVER 1/2" brass pipe, ...

This wouldn't be the old-fashion fine-thread brass would it? I once had
a piece of fine thread brass break at the threads. I "fixed" it by
soldering a piece of 3/4" copper PIPE over it. A very good fit. Bob

Proctologically Violated©® wrote:

Awl--

I'm putting a 3/4 sweat fitting OVER 1/2" brass pipe, cuz, well, I think I
have no choice, cuz the brass pipe will be cut, w/ no thread.
The fit is loose, about .020 on radius.
Do you think sweating this is still OK? Solder won't be too weak??

Assuming this is used at reasonable temperatures and pressures, it should be
fine. If cold water or drains, etc. then there is no worry at all. If
something got
or higher pressure, then you might have a concern.


Also, I have heavy rosin core solder, almost as heavy as plumbing solder.
Is it usable for normal sweating, and for this abnormal sweating??


Rosin-core is generally 60-40 electronic solder. If not for water use, you
can use 50-50 (50% tin, 50% lead) which is a bit harder. If for water use,
there is 95-5 (95% tin, and several different mixes for the remainder) that
is MUCH harder. You should have no problem filling a .020" gap for normal
uses. In air conditioning service, a .020" gap would be a concern,
especially
on the high pressure side.

I guess if I had to I could braze it... been a while since I've brazed, and
wasn't too swift at it when I was doin it!!


Brazing works very poorly for filling gaps. You'd really need to find a
better
way to fit the parts first.

Jon

If I run into that problem (I often do) I will just enlarge part of the
inner tube until I have a snug fit at some point.

LB

"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in message
...
Awl--

I'm putting a 3/4 sweat fitting OVER 1/2" brass pipe, cuz, well, I think I
have no choice, cuz the brass pipe will be cut, w/ no thread.
The fit is loose, about .020 on radius.
Do you think sweating this is still OK? Solder won't be too weak??
Other choices? Saw the JustforCopper link--might could do that on nice
slip-fits, but doesn't sound suitable for loose joints.

Also, I have heavy rosin core solder, almost as heavy as plumbing solder.
Is it usable for normal sweating, and for this abnormal sweating??

I guess if I had to I could braze it... been a while since I've brazed,
and
wasn't too swift at it when I was doin it!!

Interestingly, HVAC copper A/C piping/joints are brazed, *without* flux!!
They use a funny kind of rod, sort of rectangular, IIRC. Anyone know
about
this??

Thanks.
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 04:23:39 GMT, "Leonard & Peggy Brown"
wrote:

If I run into that problem (I often do) I will just enlarge part of the
inner tube until I have a snug fit at some point.

LB

"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in message
...
Awl--

I'm putting a 3/4 sweat fitting OVER 1/2" brass pipe, cuz, well, I think I
have no choice, cuz the brass pipe will be cut, w/ no thread.
The fit is loose, about .020 on radius.
Do you think sweating this is still OK? Solder won't be too weak??
Other choices? Saw the JustforCopper link--might could do that on nice
slip-fits, but doesn't sound suitable for loose joints.

Definitely not for loose joints.

Also, I have heavy rosin core solder, almost as heavy as plumbing solder.
Is it usable for normal sweating, and for this abnormal sweating??

I guess if I had to I could braze it... been a while since I've brazed,
and
wasn't too swift at it when I was doin it!!

Interestingly, HVAC copper A/C piping/joints are brazed, *without* flux!!
They use a funny kind of rod, sort of rectangular, IIRC. Anyone know
about
this??


SilPhos?
Thanks.
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in message
...
I'm putting a 3/4 sweat fitting OVER 1/2" brass pipe, cuz, well, I think I
have no choice, cuz the brass pipe will be cut, w/ no thread.
The fit is loose, about .020 on radius.
Do you think sweating this is still OK? Solder won't be too weak??
Other choices? Saw the JustforCopper link--might could do that on nice
slip-fits, but doesn't sound suitable for loose joints.

Why don't you "bell" the brass to fit the copper more precisely? A
twenty-thou expansion won't tear the pipe.

Interestingly, HVAC copper A/C piping/joints are brazed, *without* flux!!
They use a funny kind of rod, sort of rectangular, IIRC. Anyone know
about
this??

Yep. A common, "always available" version of that particular silver solder
is available wherever Forney welding supplies are sold. Their brand is
called "SilFlo". It's a totally self-fluxing-on-copper silver solder with
enough copper in it so that the final joint looks almost self-metal welded.
Really, really NICE material to work with on plumbing of all sorts.

A warning though -- SilFlo and other silver solders don't always take on
brass. Bronzes, yes; brasses, not all of them. "Test on a small,
inconspicuous area before applying to visible parts of the garment."

LLoyd

"jw" wrote in message
ups.com...
HVAC joints are done with "hard" copper and SilPhos rod.

JW


Not always. Allot of soft copper AC linesets out there.
Greg