Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

I built this condenser using only a butane torch and soft solder, it's 3" with 7 x 1/2" tubes inside.

Just trying to make things a little more simple for those who believe you cant do this, and the noobs that have read the bullshit info it cant be done!



You will read that soft solder is weak, and you cant do this without desoldering joints that are close together..... the experts reckon you must braze the parts of this.

I say just use low flame, heat gentle & you'll be fine...... it can be done without expensive MAP gas or OXY & it's piss easy if you just take your time ;-)

Hope this helps out and makes life easier for those who are just embarking into the building scene, might even be of interest to some who are building and think soft solder is weak :D

I'll bet the copper on this would bend before the solder gives way :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I think you are right McStill. Soft solder is all about the surface area of the join or joint. Flanging and expanded overlapping joins are the perfect use for soft solders. End on end is properly the least optimum type of soft solder join, but where there is a will there is a way. :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

did mother make you do it ? (behind the raid)

the strength of soft solder can be pretty strong and surprising on even simple but joints.
i did some fittings for a pump today and had to re-do one and thought i would just "break it off" and redo it.
it wouldn't let go with considerable force and i had to take the torch to it
IMO the prep work and fit makes a big diff on a join

nice looking shotgun :)

WHERES THE REST OF THE :text-coolphotos: !!!!!!!!!! I just see a piece of pipe with some reducers on it :teasing-tease:

It's all about filling the joint, right amount of heat to draw the solder to where you want it.......... too much heat and you'll fuck it!

I've got OXY, MAP, TIG, MIG, ARC, and generally use butane and soft solder for all my copper work.

Easy to clean, files off and looks schmick! :D

I've even been having great success soft soldering SS to copper, bit of a soft touch & technique to it but it's working brilliantly now :handgestures-thumbupleft:

sam_and_liv wrote:WHERES THE REST OF THE :text-coolphotos: !!!!!!!!!! I just see a piece of pipe with some reducers on it :teasing-tease:

This topic is not so much about the build pics, but more about what "YOU" can do with a butane torch and soft solder ;-)

maheel wrote:did mother make you do it ? (behind the raid)

the strength of soft solder can be pretty strong and surprising on even simple but joints.
i did some fittings for a pump today and had to re-do one and thought i would just "break it off" and redo it.
it wouldn't let go with considerable force and i had to take the torch to it
IMO the prep work and fit makes a big diff on a join

nice looking shotgun :)

I'll make a hook out of 2 but welded (soft solder) joins in 1/4" pipe and swing something heavy off it, I'll bet my scrawny nuts it wont break :))

McStill wrote:

sam_and_liv wrote:WHERES THE REST OF THE :text-coolphotos: !!!!!!!!!! I just see a piece of pipe with some reducers on it :teasing-tease:

This topic is not so much about the build pics, but more about what "YOU" can do with a butane torch and soft solder ;-)

I understand that Mac but you have posted this for the "newbs" and they wont have a fuckin clue what you are talking about in this thread.

If someone could post some staggered pics of a shotgun build, that would be beneficial, fuck it took me ages to work out wat was going on there :?

sam_and_liv wrote:

McStill wrote:

sam_and_liv wrote:WHERES THE REST OF THE :text-coolphotos: !!!!!!!!!! I just see a piece of pipe with some reducers on it :teasing-tease:

This topic is not so much about the build pics, but more about what "YOU" can do with a butane torch and soft solder ;-)

I understand that Mac but you have posted this for the "newbs" and they wont have a fuckin clue what you are talking about in this thread.

If someone could post some staggered pics of a shotgun build, that would be beneficial, fuck it took me ages to work out wat was going on there :?

Here's the internals of another I built.

There is not one bit of this rig brazed, every join is soft soldered :handgestures-thumbupleft:



And this one too

Thanks mac, that first bubbler pic almost looks like its in the right setting for moonshine production just put it under a tree and light a fire under it and keep a lookout for the excise man!

McStill wrote:It's all about filling the joint, right amount of heat to draw the solder to where you want it.......... too much heat and you'll fuck it!

thats my problem with soft solder too much heat :doh: , I can't get myself to taper it down, just a bad habit that I have to break
I bought myself a butane burner the other week , every thing was OXY before, Now I just gotta work out how to do nice little joints with it

nice shotgun too Mac, it looks the goods, I hope ya gunna polish it :laughing-rolling:

Cheers

I have moved all the crap in this thread. Please keep posts within this category on topic.

After everything I've read about needing OXY & having to braze shotgun condensers to stop desoldering of joins I've set out to prove such advise wrong.

People have also been saying you cant get enough heat into 4" with MAPP & or butane to solder it, well it's all bullshit & can be done quite easily with a butane torch, without any problems what so ever.

Here is a soft soldered 4" shotgun I built today using a $20 butane torch from Bunnings, it's water tight and no joins were fucked up by soldering other joins :mrgreen:

did you soft solder on that 4" ferrule ?

what flux you using for that ?

Mac experience probably helps a huge amount. Knowing exactly where to heat along with what to heat and sometimes at what angle. From what Ive learned in my short soldering carreer all of these play some part at some time. For an experienced solderer Im sure its quite possible...........for a newbie its a whole lot trickier.

maheel wrote:did you soft solder on that 4" ferrule ?

what flux you using for that ?

Yep! SS to Copper is easily done using soft solder, takes a little practice but it works great :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Will have to check the flux & let you know ;-)

SBB wrote:for a newbie its a whole lot trickier.

True, but in this case it's the low heat of the butane torch that helps.... just takes a little extra time and patience :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Is this advise right . I was at bunnings the guy there told me to get propane as polypropylene tends to make too hot a flame for the 2% silver solder he recommended I use , recommending it because it will do both my structural and nonstructural joints . I'm use to oxy sets and soldering irons so have no idea about any of this

CE
I use 45% silver in the rods i get, and I use oxy/acetelene for most welds, although I am using soft solder more and more