How to solder vertical joints

[Best]

Have a laugh at this video teaching you how to solder a vertical joint properly.
Amazing how some people are so confident and think they can use their expertise to enlighten others.
Seems I have been doing it all wrong. :smile:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cHjFOTGueQc

 

[jaydebruyne]

An English demo of end-feed soldering whilst on the job:

https://www.************/cityplymplumbing/posts/535464623276294

I'm not ashamed to admit this, but I've never seen soldering done like this - I was taught to run the solder all around the joint and use about a diameter worth of solder.

I know I'm not great at soldering, I think there is a skill to getting it right .. goddamn it his joints look amazing! So after you've heated the pipe you just hold the solder in one spot and let science )capillary action) do its thing? I'm DEFO gonna try that!!!

As for the yank - blow me even my joints don't have bogies like that!! Biggest greenies I've EVER seen in m'life!

 

[Best]

I'm not ashamed to admit this, but I've never seen soldering done like this - I was taught to run the solder all around the joint and use about a diameter worth of solder.

I know I'm not great at soldering, I think there is a skill to getting it right .. goddamn it his joints look amazing! So after you've heated the pipe you just hold the solder in one spot and let science )capillary action) do its thing? I'm DEFO gonna try that!!!

As for the yank - blow me even my joints don't have bogies like that!! Biggest greenies I've EVER seen in m'life!

Remember that capillary action will take place no problem if heat is enough all around the fitting and flux is there. While solder can stay liquid it will go all around the inside of joint.
I still believe in doing minimum of each side of a fitting or whole way around it, just to be sure.
I prefer to use a rag to wipe the joints on leaded solder, but with unleaded it is harder to do & I try to be careful just getting it spot on first time. On Yorksire fittings you are really just supposed to gently heat them until a neat ring of solder appears. Guess most of us add a bit of solder. Habits are hard to break.

 

[jaydebruyne]

Remember that capillary action will take place no problem if heat is enough all around the fitting and flux is there. While solder can stay liquid it will go all around the inside of joint.
I still believe in doing minimum of each side of a fitting or whole way around it, just to be sure.
I prefer to use a rag to wipe the joints on leaded solder, but with unleaded it is harder to do & I try to be careful just getting it spot on first time. On Yorksire fittings you are really just supposed to gently heat them until a neat ring of solder appears. Guess most of us add a bit of solder. Habits are hard to break.

Do you/anyone brush a bit of flux around the fitting once you've applied the solder? The guy I shadowed does it and his joints are always neat and leak free - but when I tried it a couple times I think I end up making holes in the solder and then have to redo it :/

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Do you/anyone brush a bit of flux around the fitting once you've applied the solder? The guy I shadowed does it and his joints are always neat and leak free - but when I tried it a couple times I think I end up making holes in the solder and then have to redo it :/

normally about 10-15 secs after soldering saves wire wooling it after-wards

 

[jaydebruyne]

normally about 10-15 secs after soldering saves wire wooling it after-wards

Ahh, I think I've been doing it too soon then, soon as I've put the solder on I turn off my torch and brush the flux over it..

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Ahh, I think I've been doing it too soon then, soon as I've put the solder on I turn off my torch and brush the flux over it..

you should see the solder turn dull then wipe/add a tiny bit off the brush and then whipe the whole joint with a damp rag/cloth and done

 

[Best]

I wouldn't cool the fitting with flux or water just after it is soldered. Might weaken the joint. Brushing some flux over it and then giving the whole fitting a short blast of heat again to melt the solder leaves it guaranteed to be sound again if left alone to reharden

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I wouldn't cool the fitting with flux or water just after it is soldered. Might weaken the joint. Brushing some flux over it and then giving the whole fitting a short blast of heat again to melt the solder leaves it guaranteed to be sound again if left alone to reharden

the solder will tell you when its cool/ ready to be wiped it will turn dull which is the solder cooling off and hardening

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

Best. You are old school as I am. These newbies get a angle finder out to bend pipe. Then wonder why there not earning any money

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

I wouldn't cool the fitting with flux or water just after it is soldered. Might weaken the joint. Brushing some flux over it and then giving the whole fitting a short blast of heat again to melt the solder leaves it guaranteed to be sound again if left alone to reharden

Just leave it alone for a few mins and wipe it later. I know when it's soldered right and always confident of the joint. It's the odd compression fitting that worries me more.

 

[Best]

the solder will tell you when its cool/ ready to be wiped it will turn dull which is the solder cooling off and hardening

I know that! :smile: Been wiping soldered joints forever.
I usually only wipe them while the solder is still liquid as I keep the torch topping the heat up if needed. I will not wipe or move a joint without giving it a final heat & I won't touch it until it's hard. I basically do it like a lead pipe joint. Obviously I try to do lead free soldering with little or no wiping as it is difficult to work with

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

I don't touch it at all for about a minute or so then wipe it over. It's only soldering a joint. You just know if it's right as it gives you a very visual marker by a nice silver ring.

 

[jaydebruyne]

Best. You are old school as I am. These newbies get a angle finder out to bend pipe. Then wonder why there not earning any money

Us newbies can only do as we're taught, until we get taught better by old school folk like yourselves on here

 

[Best]

Best. You are old school as I am. These newbies get a angle finder out to bend pipe. Then wonder why there not earning any money

I use grease based traditional flux which is gentle on the pipe & lets the solder flow well. I try not to overheat the fitting - so all it needs is a rub over with a rag to remove flux when cool & perhaps a shine up with steel wool. Yes, I am old school, :smile: but my plumbing just is built to give no trouble.

 

[Best]

I don't touch it at all for about a minute or so then wipe it over. It's only soldering a joint. You just know if it's right as it gives you a very visual marker by a nice silver ring.

But you can have the nice ring of solder and the internal joint missing patches of solder. I see this a lot with plumbers joints and I think it is down to dirty fittings not cleaned first on mild flux & perhaps also careless heating of fitting. I think my way of adding flux as you solder by a dab on tip of solder wire is the proper way. Let's face it, flux runs out of fitting as you heat the fitting

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

I agree mate. But you just know when it's right by the feel of it etc

 

[Best]

Us newbies can only do as we're taught, until we get taught better by old school folk like yourselves on here

The man that taught me was a perfectionist and I could never improve on his ideas, except I try to be a bit quicker. I was lucky to learn from him. I think it is hard to go against a habit you have been taught. Leaks were not acceptable ever by him.

 

[Best]

I agree mate. But you just know when it's right by the feel of it etc

I am sure you have removed a soldered joint you did by melting it off because you wanted to modify your pipe work or add to it. It gives a great test to how good your soldering is.

 

[jaydebruyne]

The man that taught me was a perfectionist and I could never improve on his ideas, except I try to be a bit quicker. I was lucky to learn from him. I think it is hard to go against a habit you have been taught. Leaks were not acceptable ever by him.

Aren't we (plumbers) here to prevent leaks?? Among other things. I can't walk away from a job even if something ever so slightly weeps.. If it ain't dry, it ain't right.

At the end of the day, I think there are a few different techniques to soldering and its what suits you best - as long as the end result is the same: a solid, dry and long lasting joint.

 

[Best]

I am same. I will not accept very slight damp at brass joints or at washer at valve heads or packing nuts. I will replace new olives with better ones & I use brass olives instead of copper on heating pipes. I also use paste on compression joints. I am careful to compress joints & I check they are compressed & full in and I know that is weird, but no plumber can be sure of all types of brass fittings being compressed or full in and the worst thing about them is a pipe falling out.
Take no chances and hopefully you will have no bother

 

[solutions]

I use grease based traditional flux which is gentle on the pipe & lets the solder flow well. I try not to overheat the fitting - so all it needs is a rub over with a rag to remove flux when cool & perhaps a shine up with steel wool. Yes, I am old school, [emoji2] but my plumbing just is built to give no trouble.

Which flux is it you use Best? Which are grease based?

 

[Best]

Which flux is it you use Best? Which are grease based?

I use the Traditional Yorkshire Flux or the similar greased based Fluxite. I read on this forum it is like a Vaseline base. Apparently it can burn a bit if getting overheated when doing hotter work, like on lead free soldering, but I have no bother with it. Got to clean the inside of fittings & outside of pipe, unlike acid based fluxes.
I don't like Powerflux or Everflux, but have a new tub of Laco to try.
Guess I am doing if the old fashioned but proven way. I know some jobs are specified to use the traditional flux

 

[solutions]

I use the Traditional Yorkshire Flux or the similar greased based Fluxite. I read on this forum it is like a Vaseline base. Apparently it can burn a bit if getting overheated when doing hotter work, like on lead free soldering, but I have no bother with it. Got to clean the inside of fittings & outside of pipe, unlike acid based fluxes.
I don't like Powerflux or Everflux, but have a new tub of Laco to try.
Guess I am doing if the old fashioned but proven way. I know some jobs are specified to use the traditional flux

Interesting will have to give it a go.

 

[Best]

Interesting will have to give it a go.

Fluxite Tin Soldering Paste | Jewson Tools Direct

 

[jaydebruyne]

I suck at soldering I don't know where I'm going wrong.... Just tried that method in the video, first attempt only one side took completely, 2nd attempt was a lot better. Then it just all went Pete tong from there.

I hold the heat on the fitting for around 10 seconds and gently tap the solder on the joint until it melts.. I dab it on the other side so it goes all the way round. Then I solder the other side of the fitting ... And repeat.

But then I get this:

Or this:

Some of my soldering comes out great, and then some of it looks like the above.

Where am I going wrong? Could I be using too much flux?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Needs slightly more heat and a wee bit more solder

 

[jaydebruyne]

Needs slightly more heat and a wee bit more solder

More heat before I apply the solder?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

More heat before I apply the solder?

Slightly yes and a wee bit more solder your nearly there tho

 

[jaydebruyne]

Slightly yes and a wee bit more solder

I'm just paranoid of holding it there too long and burning all the flux away..

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I'm just paranoid of holding it there too long and burning all the flux away..

Tbh I've had a fitting red hot and it's been fine also if you want dip the end of your solder in the flux a bit if you think your too hot