The second wife build

Perforated & bubble cap plated columns

Re: The second wife build

Postby Mr Tinker » Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:11 pm

Looking awesome mate!

I know you’ve probably heard and read it a thousand times, but...
Just don’t forget to drill and solder your water connections on the condenser before putting the guts in.

And be patient with it, it’s a fair old job soldering these things up.

Looking forward to seeing them done

Cheers,
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Re: The second wife build

Postby A&O » Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:37 pm

Yee haa , got the PC soldered.

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TA DA!!!!! I made a sprinkler!!

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Well the things I’ve learnt.

Soft solder will not flow across dirty copper regardless how much heat is applied. :violence-smack:
Bakers flux will clean dirty hot copper. :happy-partydance:
Plastic bristled paint brush melts in hot copper. :violence-smack:
Too much heat and too much flux makes solder go in all sorts of directions wanted or unwanted. :think:
Dropping little bits of solder next to join before heating gives a good indication of when there’s enough heat to add flux.
Don’t forget to keep flame near area not completely off to maintain heat to flow solder.
Don’t touch copper when heating without gloves, it all gets hot. :angry-banghead:

Watch this space, hopefully tonight I should have a non leaky RC.
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Re: The second wife build

Postby bluc » Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:42 pm

I feel your pain lol :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: The second wife build

Postby woodduck » Mon Feb 05, 2018 3:09 pm

Nice job gotta be happy with that. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

If that's soft solder you got it way too hot, it shouldn't go black like that. Clean, flux, then heat. Only need flux after if you have a hole that won't fill and that will only be caused by not cleaning enough.

Good luck with the rc :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: The second wife build

Postby A&O » Mon Feb 05, 2018 4:28 pm

Yep soft sold Woodduck.
Yep, I reckon I didn’t clean it enough.
Yep, I reckon not enough flux, we’ll, most likely I burnt the flux off getting things too hot.
Best thing, I’m enjoying this build so much. I am learning soooo much.
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Re: The second wife build

Postby Dig Brinker » Mon Feb 05, 2018 4:47 pm

Getting there. Just flux the parts you want to solder and let it dry before applying heat. And for stubborn spots that don’t want to join, add some flux while hot like you’ve been doing. Should help seal the sprinkler. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: The second wife build

Postby db1979 » Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:13 pm

The only time I've had problems with soft solder is from not cleaning the copper properly first.

Use a cotton wool tip, it won't melt if you need to hot flux and you can add small amounts of flux (I use Bakers) and into hard to access places too.
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Re: The second wife build

Postby Mr Tinker » Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:23 pm

Enjoying yourself is the most important part of it all A&O.
And it’s obvious you are nailing that part of it.

The fact that your going to have yourself a damn fine still at the end, is a pretty awesome bonus too!

Good on ya mate.
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Re: The second wife build

Postby hillzabilly » Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:27 pm

I got a few small brushs from bunnings with the metal handle (1cm wide 5inch metal handle in the painting section) I think they are for acetone or similar,they are like the brushs that come with the burnsamatic kit but a little bigger,yes I have scorched a few ,when you have soldered it up and the solder is liquid load the brush with some flux and go over ya joins with it adding only enough heat ta keep things flowing,you should find you are able ta brush away shit and exess solder while being able ta push more solder were ya need it,works well for me but will cost a few cheap brushs.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: The second wife build

Postby A&O » Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:12 pm

After a wee bit of advice good people.

I’ve run into a little trouble plugging holes in my PC.

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What I think is happening is th copper between the flanged out end of the PC casing & the end cap is not clean enough. As it’s only a pin hole I’ve got nothing to get in there to scuff it up. So after I clean up the outside I’m not cleaning the inside and doesn’t seem to matter how much flux I try ran poke into the hole cold/warm/hot with the solder solid or pooled, there is just one spot it just won’t take.

The only thing I can think of but not entirely sure if it’s going to work, is go down IGA grab some citric acid, make up a solution, cap the lowest cooling line outlet, then fill the RC with citric acid solution. The theory in my mind is as the citric acid slowly gravity feeds through the pinhole it’ll clean up the surfaces to allow the flux/solder to flow and plug the hole.

Will this work? I’m open to suggestions.
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Re: The second wife build

Postby hillzabilly » Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:03 pm

I use a small drill bit(oxy jet drill bits work well and bunnings sell a set that comes in an aluminium pen tube ) and go in the pin holes ta clean out ,or re heat and brush the old solder away and clean up with emery paper and reflux then resolder,I would also make sure the insde is dry befor soldering,as after testing with water there will be some left inside and I donot think it helps.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: The second wife build

Postby A&O » Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:06 pm

Cheers Hillzabilly, onto it. I just needed a reason to go to Bunnings :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: The second wife build

Postby woodduck » Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:54 am

I still recon you are either over heating or have a dirty flame. Your copper shouldn't change color like that with soft solder? What torch are you using?

If I get these pinholes I just persist with the brush and flux and plenty of it. Brush the solder away from the joint and when fresh solder is added is sometimes washes the dirty crap out with its capillary action. Don't give up mate, you'll get there.

If you want to see me soldering/building a shotty hit the donate button and flick some money to the forum and then you will have access to the site donor area where I have a video series on building a shotty, might help? If not you've not lost out as you've helped keep the forum going :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: The second wife build

Postby db1979 » Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:57 pm

:text-+1:
Keep at it, don't rush it, you want to see a nice smooth curve to your soft solder that transitions smoothly to your copper. If it looks like it stops abruptly, then it hasn't wetted the copper properly.
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Re: The second wife build

Postby A&O » Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:26 pm

Bingo, we have a winner.

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I grabbed the wife’s engraving tool, shhhh don’t tell her, and worked the hole big enough to get a tip cleaner as Hillzabilly suggested in. I worked the hole till I coul fit a 1.5 mm drill bit in to hack against the copper to clean best I could. Hit the outside with the wire brush & emery then heated it up with shitloads of flux.

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This is my heat source Woodduck. I took onboard what you said about getting the pipe too hot. I was running the flame reasonably high so there was no reddy/orange to the end of the flame. This time I cut the flame back heaps and worked the flame around a lot more and not heating in one spot too much. Looks like I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice. Very much appreciated
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Re: The second wife build

Postby woodduck » Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:16 pm

Glad it's working out well for ya mate :handgestures-thumbupleft: thats the same type of torch I use. That tip is pretty big so you definitely don't need it going too hard. I bought a smaller one from bunnings and it's a bit more direct and not as hot, works well for me.

Keep it up mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: The second wife build

Postby A&O » Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:37 pm

Oh the time up my sleeves now school is back. Love being the stay home parent.

Next job done, block head complete.

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I wish I charged my phone last night, so I could take some photos while I was working, but I’ll do my best to describe.

I had already soldered on the easy flanges, and marked out the inside and outside of the outlet with a marker. I drilled a 25mm hole in the middle of the 2 circles. Using a 12” crescent, I slowly levered out, little by little continuously around the hole until I had a rough outward facing outlet, about 10mm high.

Then using a hammer as a dolly and a little ball pien hammer, I slowly tapped the outlet wider continuously checking with the piece of pipe for a nice tight fit. Cleaned up best as possible with a file to smooth off the rough bits then hit it with the wire brush followed by some emery. Gave both the spout and the outlet pipe a good coating of flux then fitted the outlet pipe.

I decided to only heat the outlet tub to try and not overheat the main body of the blockhead. This worked a treat. I managed to flow loads of solder into the joint from insid & outside. I had solder falling on the floor all over the place, but I ended up with a good covering through the joint. Nothing a file & sand paper couldn’t fix, but it did take about an hour to slowly file & sand back the excess solder. Buggered if I was going to heat it again, and a heap of solder fall out of the joint causing a leak.

Cleaned & fluxed the end of the outlet, 90 bend and short easy flange end. Heated them up & soldered, I’m starting to get used to this now, I’m using so much less heat than I was when I started soldering easy flanges. Got the files & emery tape out and cleaned all the bird shit off, and it looks pretty decent.

I’m one happy daddy :D
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Re: The second wife build

Postby A&O » Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:41 pm

Oh, I also left the pc hooked up to the hose overnight by mistake. So this morning when I realised my mistake, no leaks, bone dry except a miserable dribble from the hose on the Barb because they are crappy jade clamps. I’m well please with that.
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Re: The second wife build

Postby hillzabilly » Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:32 pm

Nice work mate.Try leaving ya soldered bits in a citric acid or vinegar solution overnight and then scrub with ssteel scrubbers ,rinse and repeat until happy and you have gotten all the shite off,a stanley knife will trim off big bits of soft solder as well if used carefully.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: The second wife build

Postby A&O » Wed Feb 14, 2018 11:42 pm

Thanks Hillzabilly. Got my citric acid in the mail today too, so yep, out with the big bucket to start giving everything a clean.
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