How do you apply your flux?

[Keefy]

am I right in thinking all those who use the finger method are over 50 or dont have girlfriends!!!!!!!!!!!

With a tub of flux on the bedside cabinet.

Disclaimer: Your imagination not mine.

 

[Sid Viscous]

am I right in thinking all those who use the finger method are over 50 or dont have girlfriends!!!!!!!!!!!

Got a few years to go before I'm qualified to answer that one dude, but no complaints so far!!

 

[Sid Viscous]

With a tub of flux on the bedside cabinet.

Disclaimer: Your imagination not mine.

And a 22mm bending spring! Oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TerryWaite]

Eh? What's the reason for this ?

It's to do with future work hardening and material sag over certain lengths of table x, can also lead to dezincification and pitting of brass further down the line if excess flux is pushed into pipe roughly 535mm (21") or longer.

 

[tamz]

Tempting fate surely tamz!?

Touch wood if i get a leak tomorrow it is the boys fault and he'd better run :lol:

 

[Keefy]

It's to do with future work hardening and material sag over certain lengths of table x, can also lead to dezincification and pitting of brass further down the line if excess flux is pushed into pipe roughly 535mm (21") or longer.

 

[tamz]

or my hands and make them fall apart?

Keep off the everflux. That bites into even my hands!

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

It's to do with future work hardening and material sag over certain lengths of table x, can also lead to dezincification and pitting of brass further down the line if excess flux is pushed into pipe roughly 535mm (21") or longer.

yes thats why its tight but is laco suitable as a lubrcant or should i stick to templars? or is going in dry best?

 

[tamz]

With a tub of flux on the bedside cabinet.

Disclaimer: Your imagination not mine.

You're taking that too far :lol:

 

[Keefy]

You're taking that too far :lol:

That's what she said.

 

[tamz]

She'll need to get used to you bringing your work home with you :lol:

 

[lame plumber]

this threads gone down hill since my contribution

 

[DustyM]

Just the pipe for me; after it and the fitting have been thoroughly cleaned.......again the way I was taught !

Now read through the rest of the thread and realised we have somewhat diluted the original topic......:blush2:

 

[woodytheplumber]

just the pipe normally with my finger havnt used a brush since i lost my last one about a year ago!

 

[kay-jay]

Pipe only

 

[TerryWaite]

Just to clear up my comment about the 21" or longer was complete balls I just made it up, I think most people knew it was in jest.

 

[Whyme]

I think you may have made a few apprentices recite that......I believed ya..:yesnod:

 

[Keefy]

Just to clear up my comment about the 21" or longer was complete balls I just made it up, I think most people knew it was in jest.

I think you may have made a few apprentices recite that......I believed ya..:yesnod:

I just finished screaming at R.D. Treloar over the phone accusing him of leaving this vital information out of his book - PLUMBING 4th Edition, he called me a wacko. Thanks a lot TerryWaite! :32:

Oh, I asked him about fluxing and he said pipe only...

 

[tamz]

Oh, I asked him about fluxing and he said pipe only...

There is an old saying.
Those who can, do.
Those who can't, teach.

 

[kay-jay]

I was watching a young plumber yesterday. We get provided with powerflow flux on site (i prefer la-co)
Anyway this lad didn't flux pipe or fittings. He assembled all joints dry then brushed flux around the joints and then sweat them up.

Never seen or heard anyone doing it this way. He says its because the powerflow flux makes it difficult to assemble joints and twist them etc when the acid bites. I know what he means this is why i hate powerflow flux.

 

[payney1974]

I apply it just to the pipe and turn the fittings around on the pipe so it goes smoothly around everything,
The 2 blokes i work with both put it in the fitting and on the pipe, they teach at college NOT to put it in the fitting EVER,
not sure why!

Its because when you push pipe into the fitting the excess flux gets pushed into the pipework system, if you put it onto the pipe you will see the excess seep out externally.

 

[Bunker]

I only fit pipes when I'm sitting
I flux dip the end if the solder
I wipe it on pipe AND the fitting
But I'll finger it when I'm much older.

 

[Centralheatking]

pipe & fitting with my finger, then i wipe my fingers on my jeans, then on my fleece
some usually ends up in my nose and on to the steering wheel and then I have to clean the transit seat afterwards. Finally it gets on the door knob at home and some ends up on my office chair. after leaving some on the hand rail on the stairs - office on 3rd floor. some ended up on Sams babygrow when he was little

centralheatking

 

[Whyme]

I was watching a young plumber yesterday. We get provided with powerflow flux on site (i prefer la-co)
Anyway this lad didn't flux pipe or fittings. He assembled all joints dry then brushed flux around the joints and then sweat them up.

Never seen or heard anyone doing it this way. He says its because the powerflow flux makes it difficult to assemble joints and twist them etc when the acid bites. I know what he means this is why i hate powerflow flux.

I work with a bloke who does that every time and never gets leaks but i wouldnt feel confident doing it..also he has to heat it up really really slowly so the flux gets drawn in and not just burned off.

 

[Centralheatking]

Nice idea - i will try this - seems a really less messy way to do things

I work with a bloke who does that every time and never gets leaks but i wouldnt feel confident doing it..also he has to heat it up really really slowly so the flux gets drawn in and not just burned off.

 

[Mike Jackson]

Why not just do it the way the copper development board recommend.

Flux the pipe only.

 

[Guest123]

Once my brush is fluxed I just buy a new one.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

right board now flux this,flux that i want answers to more serious questions,who craps them selfs when sweating up in the eves :winkiss:

 

[Dannypipe]

Pipe and fitting is just one vote behind pipe only!! Ha!

Don't care what the copper board says any more Mike!!

 

[AWheating]

I was watching a young plumber yesterday. We get provided with powerflow flux on site (i prefer la-co)
Anyway this lad didn't flux pipe or fittings. He assembled all joints dry then brushed flux around the joints and then sweat them up.

Never seen or heard anyone doing it this way. He says its because the powerflow flux makes it difficult to assemble joints and twist them etc when the acid bites. I know what he means this is why i hate powerflow flux.

i remember a team of 3 engineers (if you can call them that) who used to do the same, and im going back about 13-14 years ago. They did have more leaks than most and there slodering was not very neat tbh, but they were rough.

im currently using roughly 60/40 laco to powerflow mix and its working well, i tried 60/40 powerflow to laco but it did start to bind more like you normally get with powerflow alone.

 

[Mike Jackson]

Is that because you only use plastic and flexis now then?

Too late posting, was replying to Danny,

 

[Dannypipe]

Is that because you only use plastic and flexis now then?

Too late posting, was replying to Danny,

Yeah mate, and push fit flexis' at that. None of this compression lark.

My tool kit has a plastic pipe cutter in it, and a fork for my pot noodles. And that's it.

 

[Keefy]

right board now flux this,flux that i want answers to more serious questions,who craps them selfs when sweating up in the eves :winkiss:

Had a hairy situation in my sisters loft while extending the OSV. It was clipped along a few roof spars which looked like rough sawn (really old house) and the splinters decided to suck the flame from my blowtorch and quickly began sharing it with their mates. I managed to pat out the flames with my solder mat but for a moment I honestly thought I'd have to dive head first out the loft hatch.

That was a heart pounding moment and since then I've always kept a mini fire extinguisher close by.

 

[Dale Greaves]

Pipe and twist, bush if I can find it in my tool bag

 

[TerryWaite]

Does anyone dip the pipe in the flux? Tell me no ones ever done it just once to be rebellious....

...oh and I would love to meet R.D. Treloar. Imagine being his apprentice, you would be doing boiler houses in a day by 2nd year! Legend!

 

[Keefy]

Does anyone dip the pipe in the flux? Tell me no ones ever done it just once to be rebellious....

...oh and I would love to meet R.D. Treloar. Imagine being his apprentice, you would be doing boiler houses in a day by 2nd year! Legend!

I recall someone saying he was a student of Treloar's, sure it was a member of this forum.

 

[Whyme]

I recall someone saying he was a student of Treloar's, sure it was a member of this forum.

Mike jackson..

 

[Dannypipe]

I am R.D. Treloar. Danny is my pseudonm.

 

[Dannypipe]

Oh and with 61 votes cast....pipe only versus pipe and fitting is dead even. Who'd have thunk it!?

 

[Howsie]

Pipe on its own mostly but when I know it's going to be a ******* both.

 

[Koogatubac]

Flux? Whats flux?

 

[WHPES]

I think it was the old Yorkshire Fittings guide which stated flux should be applied sparingly to both surfaces to be soldered, and that is what I have always followed. Otherwise if you get any surfaces the flux does not run onto you risk non-adhesion

 

[kay-jay]

I think it was the old Yorkshire Fittings guide which stated flux should be applied sparingly to both surfaces to be soldered, and that is what I have always followed. Otherwise if you get any surfaces the flux does not run onto you risk non-adhesion

I twist the pipe where possible.as this smears flux all around. Not too fussed really though as the flux runs around the joint when heated. Capillary attraction works on the molten flux just as it does on the solder

 

[WHPES]

Fine for the standard 15 and 22mm fittings but as they get larger it's more important

 

[Guest123]

Why not just do it the way the copper development board recommend.

Flux the pipe only.

Ah but Yorkshire recommend flux inside their fittings and on the pipe.

 

[Dannypipe]

Fittings and pipe is a vote ahead. No one is going to argue with stalwarts like WHEPES and System3 are they?

So all you fittings only lot, mend your ways!

 

[shaunsinky]

both, with a twist too, no wonder my install jobs take ages

 

[Keefy]

Fittings and pipe is a vote ahead. No one is going to argue with stalwarts like WHEPES and System3 are they?

So all you fittings only lot, mend your ways!

Get out of it, never had a soldered joint fail yet plus my flux lasts twice as long.

 

[Dannypipe]

You've not had a single joint fail you yet....ever, ever?

In the past 15 years or more, I've had one joint fail me (I can still remember the joint). Reducing tee, with a street elbow, and another elbow off of that. One part of the joint wouldn't take. Think I burnt the flux.

So I can't be doing much wrong my way. My tub of flux lasts me ages too.

I am considering going fitting only for gas work. I tend to use powerflow for gas now as it's less aggressive than Ever.

 

[Keefy]

You've not had a single joint fail you yet....ever, ever?

Never... ever. I've always used LA-CO too, tried Powerflow once and hated it.