What to do - 1934 Standard Bathtub faucet

[TheGreek]

Hello,

I have a 1934 Standard Bathtub faucet. All rebuilt and we put it in. Only to discover that one of the pipe connections is leaking. Turns out that this one connect, of many, has two or three hairline cracks in the threads. It does not go through, it does leak down and out past the threads. Tape or dope will not stop it.

Changing the unit is not an option. My choices are:

1. Tighten the nipple and then silver solder the joint.
2. Tighten the nipple and then braze the joint.
3. Machine out the threads smooth and create a new nipple with pipe on one end and smooth on the other and solder that in. (not my favorite)
4. Ideas from this forum.

Thoughts? James

 

[Jeff H Young]

Silver solder is brazing but you need to use flux with brass. Just screw a nipple in by hand as not to stress the crack braze around the nipple to body and put a bead on outside of valve body at the crack area

 

[Sponsor]

 

[TheGreek]

Thanks Jeff, I was wondering about the concept of only going hand tight. You are correct about Silver Solder is brazing. What I meant when I said brazing was O-A Welding with brazing rod.

I will try the Silver Solder and see what I get.

James

 

[shieldcracker]

Hello,

I have a 1934 Standard Bathtub faucet. All rebuilt and we put it in. Only to discover that one of the pipe connections is leaking. Turns out that this one connect, of many, has two or three hairline cracks in the threads. It does not go through, it does leak down and out past the threads. Tape or dope will not stop it.

Changing the unit is not an option. My choices are:

1. Tighten the nipple and then silver solder the joint.
2. Tighten the nipple and then braze the joint.
3. Machine out the threads smooth and create a new nipple with pipe on one end and smooth on the other and solder that in. (not my favorite)
4. Ideas from this forum.

Thoughts? James

Option 1 seems to be the less invasive. I would do it like this . Wire brush the joint then apply flux to threads, screw in your brass nipple into the faucet by hand to the point where it just begins to bind then proceed to apply solder at the threads. As an alternative you can use brass/bronze filled epoxy instead of solder (regular JB weld too)

Option 4 Drill out the threads and solder in a flush bushing. This keeps the original the functionality faucet.

Silver solder is fine, I would avoid brazing.

 

[TheGreek]

Thank you, I will try option one. If it fails, one could undo it and then use the flush bushing approach.

The way I did this second floor bathroom, I used a large steel access door at the head of the bathtub in the second floor stairwell wall, I can access all the plumbing and pull the unit in and out with minimum fuss. I can also get to the P-trap if need be. After decades of living in San Francisco flats and having issues requiring down stairs units to have their ceilings opened up...I made sure in this house that I could get to everything easy.

 

[John Gayewski]

Brazing rod is welding rod, "silver soldering" is brazing (braze welding) rod. If your going to weld something your melting the base metal. If your going to do a braze weld you get the base metal right next to melt temp. If your going to braze weld your going to use silver solder which is brazing rod. A brazed joint cannot be peeled apart the metal will rip. Oxy Acetylene is a method of heating you can use it to heat metal for any method of connecting copper pipe or brass.


Braze
Solder
Weld
All different things

Silver solder isn't a term that is used anymore because it confuses these terms.


I suggest the regular solder also. There are some really good different flux mixes you can get and different rods for different brazes if solder isn't strong enough.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Silver "solder" still requires a good amount of heat not going to work good metal that thic with a hand mapp torch I dont think.
Just capping the outside at threads is easy , but a life long guarrantee that the crack is ok would be my question the copper bushing might be good Im guessing thats a .875 ish O.D. on that and Id trust that after drilling with a 7/8 (.875 ) drill . and I would just soft solder it with zero doubt 100 percent confidence. Only issue is the cost of a 7 /8 drill bit and or drilling it withg my hole hawg no drill press or fancy equiptment here.
So My way is a bit more work in some ways I trust opening up the hole and soft soler over brazing but brazing might be a solid fix and super easy Im just not quite as confident