Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Recently dropped my RC + PC and cracked the solder joints of the water pipe connections.
Just had 1/2" pipe soldered at right angles into the RC, PC bodies.
They're currently weeping water.

Was thinking about using a brass bush
Eg. http://www.bunnings.com.au/brass-thr-tu ... 0_p4700184

I'd insert the threaded end inside the RC, solder around the hex plate, and solder in the copper pipe. This would give some extra mechanical strength and help eliminate leaks thru solder joints. My soldering skills are not ideal.

Thoughts about this? Too fiddly? Other ideas welcome

Why not just re solder them? Would be easier i recon. The solder would all ready be there just a bit of flux (if soft solder) and a bit of heat and bobs ya uncle.

Unless I've missed something :think:

woodduck wrote:Why not just re solder them? Would be easier i recon. The solder would all ready be there just a bit of flux (if soft solder) and a bit of heat and bobs ya uncle.

Unless I've missed something :think:

Have had one quick go at resoldering, but the joints are weeping.
I'm thinking I have remove the pipes and clean up the area and existing solder as its a mess.
Wanted a better connection and a solder joint less likely to weep.

Yer, you might have to pull them out for a good clean and grind/file back the solder and start again.

I think solder will be fine. There would be heaps of stills out there that have soldered joints like that and don't have problems. if things are dropped they have a tendency to break and unfortunately for you that's what has happened. Did you have problems before that? If so, maybe the joint wasn't quite soldered right. I think you maybe over complicating things with the bush but if you want to go that way it should work ok.

I reckon these would be better mate more brass to grip to the copper otherwise braze it if you have the tools bunnings socket

whiskeyshiner wrote:I reckon these would be better mate more brass to grip to the copper otherwise braze it if you have the tools bunnings socket

I'm liking the idea, solder in a socket.
Then can screw in fittings by putting the bush on the copper pipe or any other 15mm screw fittings.

But if you want to solder in a socket why not just solder the joint you already have :-B

It would be a lot easier. ;-)

I used these things on both condesers. I hope that pic works.
Any plumbing store will have them. 1/2"capillary male connector. In the ACT you can ask for a 1/2"number 3 and the plumbing shop people will know. They have a longer engagement than a tube bush so drill a hole & solder in.
If you have used soft solder on the rest of the build, I would stick with that. Just clean and flux.
My cooling lines are SS braided hoses which screw straight on.
If you try and silver braze them, the extra heat required will cause major problems on any soft solder close by.
Trust me, I found this out the hard way many years ago.

Cheers.

SX170 wrote:

15w3.jpg

I used these things on both condesers. I hope that pic works.
Any plumbing store will have them. 1/2"capillary male connector. In the ACT you can ask for a 1/2"number 3 and the plumbing shop people will know. They have a longer engagement than a tube bush so drill a hole & solder in.
If you have used soft solder on the rest of the build, I would stick with that. Just clean and flux.
My cooling lines are SS braided hoses which screw straight on.
If you try and silver braze them, the extra heat required will cause major problems on any soft solder close by.
Trust me, I found this out the hard way many years ago.

Cheers.

Got a picture of your setup?

SX170 wrote:

15w3.jpg

I used these things on both condesers. I hope that pic works.
Any plumbing store will have them. 1/2"capillary male connector. In the ACT you can ask for a 1/2"number 3 and the plumbing shop people will know. They have a longer engagement than a tube bush so drill a hole & solder in.
If you have used soft solder on the rest of the build, I would stick with that. Just clean and flux.
My cooling lines are SS braided hoses which screw straight on.
If you try and silver braze them, the extra heat required will cause major problems on any soft solder close by.
Trust me, I found this out the hard way many years ago.

Cheers.

Good point i forgot that if the plumbing was soft soldered then the rest is probably soft soldered thats a no for brazing then :handgestures-thumbdown:

1 2many wrote:But if you want to solder in a socket why not just solder the joint you already have :-B

It would be a lot easier. ;-)

+1

I think you're best bet is to pull it all apart (by heating the solder...), then grind all the solder back to clean shiny copper tubes, and start again. A bit of time, but the end result will be worth it :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Yes I have to pull out the copper tubes and clean up the areas/ grind back any solder remanents. Its not a big deal to solder in tubes again, really just thinking of options,different ideas.
Won't be brazing anything, was never a thought, haven't the gear.

Oh I see, I kind of read it like a weird fix for the crack...

Now I get it. Yeah there's no reason that wouldn't work mate. I actually went the other way with the tube soldered in the hole on the RC, and then the bush on the end of that with the thread sticking out for fixing other connections to :-D

Your idea will work fine, and would definitely be stronger :handgestures-thumbupleft: