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How to Support a Solder Joint
I’ve got a stainless steel keg and I’m looking to add some additional tri clamp fittings to it.I had previously installed a 1.5″ tri clamp ferrule for the heating element. I used Harris stay brite #8 solder and stay clean liquid flux. Using the same materials moving forward I’m now trying to add a 4″ ferrule at the top of the keg and another ferrule on the side for a drain. When I install the fittings, I drill a hole in the keg as close to the size of the fitting as possible. I then use a dead blow mallet to tap the fitting in. I THOUGHT the fit up was tight.The problem us, the fit up must not be great because once the solder starts flowing, it normally finds a hole or 2 and leaks right into the keg.I was wondering if I could make some kind of a seal of sorts similar to playdough out of flour and water and use that as a backing on the joint to prevent solder from rolling out. Anyone try such a thing?
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2 Replies
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Try packing some copper scrubby material into that area or some fine strand automotive wire to form a matrix to hold the solder.”What harms us is to persist in self deceit and ignorance”Marcus AureliusI’m not an alcoholic! I’m a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings!
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I’ve not tried this with stainless so not sure how difficult it would be to get right, but with copper I have used a wire ring to bridge a gap and add some mechanical strength.
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