SpudFiles

For soldering copper pipes and other soft metals, which is better? flame or heat soldering?

flame for sure.

was this thread needed, im sure google would have answered this one.

Then what's the use of those electrical soldering irons? why not use them?

Small objects, up to quarter inch can be done easily with electrical soldering irons. After that point the copper (or whatever metal) doesn't heat up as quickly and diffuses faster from your solder point making it harder for the solder to "flow" and make your joint.

and its for wires/tin and stuff..for pipes definately use flame...

You want the flame there only because it produces so much heat. The process of soldering doesn't need flame, just focused heat. A torch does that really well.

Don't use a torch for electrical soldering unless it is for HUGE wire. I'm talking like... 1 gauge wire.

Thanks guys..last question...those mini butane torch thingies are fine right?

Should... can always search on google if you're not sure. Otherwise there's only one way to find out.

i would use flame it would be much more difficult with a soldering iron.

And yes, those mini butane things should be able to do the job.I remember using one for this purpose a while ago.

If there's a good mechanical fit between the metals, you can use solder, else brazing would be better.
If you're using it for pressure, I suggest using brazing rods rather than solder, I build air conditioners and the pressure can get quite high sometimes ~300psi, I never use solder cuz its not accepted by the industry due to its weak bond.

yea the small torch shouild work...under 1 inch copper pipe..maybe only up to 3/4 because ur talking little butane torch right? yea i would invest in a 3 dollar big propane tank and jsut use that...

I used a blowtorch on my copper cannon, 15mm tube, did the job fine. The largest soldering i've ever done with a soldering iron was attaching some small brass chain to the top of a shotgun cartridge (empty). I was making a matchbox :angry4:

No, the small pen-sized torch will not work. They do not give off enough heat to keep the whole pipe hot enough at the same time to join correctly. Those are made for other applications like large-scale electrical soldering.

You need a propane torch for copper soldering.

I have found that I can only (reliably) solder up to 3/4" pipe with a pencil tip propane torch. After failing a few times with 1" copper pipe, I finally spent $40 on a high flow, swirl-tip torch head that also starts with the push of a button, and I haven't looked back since (I did chance the pencil tip torch head into part of a propane meter though...)

Well when i made my post i was refering to one of these Mini Butane Torches.

And it worked fine.(just clearing that up.)

Happy Spuddin'