Is kester 60/40 solder ok to use

and potentially more opportunity for it to flow where you don't want it to

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lol, I did some fantastic soldering over the weekend with my lead free solder, but a bit dropped and solidified on my finger.

It bloody hurt! Didn't leave a burn though.

I'm gonna be more careful this weekend when I do some more.

It makes no difference to me whether it is lead or, lead free solder. There is not a substantial difference to me. Now brazing is a substantial difference!

Gravity is an important force to keep in mind while sweating a pipe! Its not fun to catch molten solder with your bare hands.

Ian Gills said:

lol, I did some fantastic soldering over the weekend with my lead free solder, but a bit dropped and solidified on my finger.

It bloody hurt! Didn't leave a burn though.

I'm gonna be more careful this weekend when I do some more.

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Look up "wiped joint" and see what kind of fun your ancestors had with solder.

lead

If you were to check the water coming into your building for lead, you would probably find that that is where the lead is entering the water, not after it gets into your house. If the lead in your faucets could leach out, it would leave "holes" in the brass and it would leak.

That's it. I am going to bring back wiped joints.

Will lead-free solder be OK for this? I assume I just melt it, pour it onto the joint, and then wipe the joint with a cloth so as to shape the joint as required.

Can you see any problems? And can I do it with copper pipe, or should I repipe with lead? And should I flux the outside of the joint first?

And why don't we use brass pipes any more? I have brass pipe, coming just after my meter. Its difficult to solder but more sturdy than copper?

So many questions . . .

I used 50-50 lead-bearing solder for many years. it was far easier to work with than the newer lead-free solder. It had a larger "window" that allowed you to wipe the joint with gloves or rag and make it look neat. The lead-free solder is either very liquid or very solid.

Similarly, wiping a lead joint requires wiping solder, and it has a longer window. The technique involves pouring the molten solder over the joint (after preparation) until it warms the lead enough for the solder to meld with the lead, but not so warm that the lead melts - a real possibility. It took a goodly amount of coordination and skill, and the old masters of the art could wipe some complex and difficult joints.

I know little about lead for water pipes since I've never actually seen it done where I worked, so I do not know the method of joining them. The lead wiping is for drainage lines.

One of the questions on one of my state plumbing tests was: "How do you support lead pipes?" And the correct answer is, "continuously, with wood strips." However, none of the lead pipes I've ever seen were supported that way, or at all, except by their connections or the floor joists they were hung on. That may be because at the time the joints were being made, there were no codes nor inspections in this state.

Thanks Herk. Fascinating.

Now who can tell me if brass pipes are good or bad?

I prefer soldering brass fittings. The solder seems to flow better.

Brass is more stable than copper.