Soldered Joints Rough / Grainy Finish at top of Joint (Lead free Solder & Mapp)

[sammathias]

Haven't read all the posts but the way I solder...

Clean pipes and fittings.
Add flux to fitting (flux to only pipe if gas)
15mm heat the fitting
Once upto temp tap solder on backside of fitting so isn't visible, always work from top to bottom literally only a few mm of solder needed. You will find a bottom joint will need hardly any solder due to solder running down from top joint(people will disagree...)

22mm same process although I rotate torch back and forth to disperse heat evenly around fitting

Turbo extreme torch with mapp gas

 

[Roy_66]

I use the fernox stuff. It’s good. Screwfix can be quite cheap on it also.

Big thanks to all.

Just managed to get to screwfix to get some Fernox Lead free (Frys powerflux).

Joints now look as good if not better than leaded ones, so real big thanks for that.

Takes me back 40 years to my childhood when I first learned to solder wires using a poker stuck in the coal fire and a gungy tin of orangy brown Fry's Fluxite. The one with the Red Devil on the tin. Still got that listed on Amazon, but unavail:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Solder-Connection-20423-Fluxite-Soldering/dp/B01MRTWID3

Anyone used that in the past on any type of plumbing?

Don't worry I'll be sticking with the new stuff 🙂

Thanks again to all,

Roy

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Think @Best uses it

Still available it is

 

[Roy_66]

As above to much heat and a bit to much solder .kop

View attachment 37827

Nice looking work.

Yes thanks I have learned to turn the heat down (which originally I was concerned would end in flux burning because of length of time). I can see now low gas does take practice and confidence but is what you want on real jobs where access may not be ideal. So worth learning, rather than the quick blast. I can see pros under pressure to build new housing estates having to use the quick method.

My problem was duff Oatey lead free solder. Have switched to screwfix Fernox (Frys Powerflux) and now goes on better than my old reel of lead.

I do still have to learn verticals but first project next week just a horizontal elbow.

Many thanks

 

[Roy_66]

Haven't read all the posts but the way I solder...

Clean pipes and fittings.
Add flux to fitting (flux to only pipe if gas)
15mm heat the fitting
Once upto temp tap solder on backside of fitting so isn't visible, always work from top to bottom literally only a few mm of solder needed. You will find a bottom joint will need hardly any solder due to solder running down from top joint(people will disagree...)

22mm same process although I rotate torch back and forth to disperse heat evenly around fitting

Turbo extreme torch with mapp gas

Many thanks.

My problem was the solder I was using - see other replies.

Agree with verticals - from little I've done on my training piece. I noticed when doing Tees that if you do topmost first then solder can appear at the lower connections, so I'd then concentrate on any bits with no solder.