Michael
|
SE3 still de-soldering at T jointHi fellow steamers,
Still having problems keeping a soldered joint on my SE3 on the T pipe joint closest to the boiler.
I have used electrical solder twice and now used lead free plumbing solder but each time the solder melts. It is not coming apart as I would expect if not correctly done but melting the solder so it sprays out in fine drops and sticks to the side of the boiler.
The only thing I can think that would cause this is that the joint between the T and the pipe is now a loose fit. Can anyone tell me from experience if a loose fitting joint would contribute to solder melting?
I have spare pipe if this will fix the problem but both the pipe and T joint are original and this is a very early SE3 so I would not wish to change them unless necessary.
Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.
The good news is that when she was running she powered a line shaft and three of the Mamod workshop accessories so went well when she did run.
Cheers Mick
|
Stilldrillin
|
I`ve had that happen to me twice! 
Both times during slow running, using full burner heat.
The steamflow is not sufficient to carry the heat with it, so the superheated section under the boiler overheats, and melts the solder.... 
I`ve never had any problem when fast running with full heat.
Or, when slow running on a smaller burner.
|
Roly Williams
|
I don't think they were originally soldered. I suspect they were crimped or something like that. You may have to use silver solder.
|
Stilldrillin
|
| Roly Williams wrote: | | I don't think they were originally soldered. I suspect they were crimped or something like that. You may have to use silver solder. |
Roly,
I`ve only had 1 crimped one. And you know what happened to that one!
All of the others I`ve got/ had were soldered...... 
|
Roly Williams
|
| Stilldrillin wrote: | | Roly Williams wrote: | | I don't think they were originally soldered. I suspect they were crimped or something like that. You may have to use silver solder. |
Roly,
I`ve only had 1 crimped one. And you know what happened to that one!
All of the others I`ve got/ had were soldered...... |
Maybe I've been luck/unlucky (depending on your viewpoint). Neither of the two that I've tried to dismantle were soldered. I had to put a join in the pipe because I couldn't get the T apart.
|
Michael
|
This one I/m sure is not a crimped fitting as the original pipe is smooth as is the ID of the T piece. Im guessing that it is so loose that so much solder to seal it may be part of the problem
|
johnreid
|
I wish I could fine a couple of thpse T pieces, I have two that leak on my De Winton and I bet they came off of SE3s
|
Michael
|
I would think that they would be quite easy to produce on a lathe as I can imagine they are like hen's teeth to find
|
Michael
|
Just cleaned and oiled the SE3 after cooling down after the solder blow out.
I noticed the action was a bit gritty while oiling it so took out the piston and noticed fine pieces of copper or brass that must have been from drilling and cleaning the inside of the T piece for soldering and also what I think was small globules of solder from the solder failure.
Its obvious to me know that this would carry down the pipe when the solder started to melt but didnt think of this before.
So dismantled the piston sleeves and cleaned them out with tissue and Q tips. I will have to watch that next time or will run into excessive piston and sleeve wear
|
Stilldrillin
|
| Stilldrillin wrote: | I`ve had that happen to me twice!
Both times during slow running, using full burner heat.
The steamflow is not sufficient to carry the heat with it, so the superheated section under the boiler overheats, and melts the solder....
I`ve never had any problem when fast running with full heat.
Or, when slow running on a smaller burner. |
WELL!!!!!! Would you believe it!!!!!!
This happened 1 hour ago........
Not posed in any way, despite my less than convincing voiceover.......
|
xlchainsaw
|
i cant seem to get your vid to play .  it must be too hot and steamy and big brother has censured it!! i havent had the plumbing off mine. liz wont let me touch it and it really needs some repairs . i thought that the steam pipe went totally through the t and a hole was drilled for the bottom pipe???ours has "heavy solder work all over it!! it could do with a tidy up. but!!! some people try and solder so neatly and wipe off excess that only a very thin bit is left!! a match would melt it. ive known of this problem via this forum and so ive been very reluctant to remove the excess solder in fear of it totally leaking?????perhaps a heavier application of solder would fix this problem??? silver solder would fix it but it doesnt look very neat. people that polish and clean their engines wouldnt like it at all. 
|
Stilldrillin
|
Sorry about your Aussie Censor, Glenn. It`s still working ok this end..... 
It happened while slow running, on normal heat......
The joint (not the T) wasn`t made by me. Someone far more experienced did it for me.
Story to follow....... Which is why I was filming an SE3, with only 2 cylinders. 
|
Les
|
| Stilldrillin wrote: | Sorry about your Aussie Censor Glenn. It`s still working ok this end.....
It happened while slow running, on normal heat......
The joint wasn`t made by me. Someone far more experienced did it for me.
Story to follow....... Which is why I was filming an SE3, with only 2 cylinders. |
This sounds intriguing.
|
Stilldrillin
|
| Les wrote: | | Stilldrillin wrote: | Sorry about your Aussie Censor Glenn. It`s still working ok this end.....
It happened while slow running, on normal heat......
The joint wasn`t made by me. Someone far more experienced did it for me.
Story to follow....... Which is why I was filming an SE3, with only 2 cylinders. |
This sounds intriguing. |
Les, it would sound a lot better, if I could keep the joints together!
|
xlchainsaw
|
i managed to see the vid! ive had trouble soldering small brass fittings to copper pipe. and had them blow. i put it down as not enough heat was in the brass for the tin to alloy with it . when it happens to me i light the oxy !!!!!!get the brass really hot in a flash and apply the solder. it doesnt come apart then!!!ive given up using anything less than an oxy for soldering brass fittings to copper tube. in the mamod vid it looks like mamod uses an oxy also. recently i tried to soft solder a piece of steam pipe to a much heavier brass fitting. all looked good till the steam came!!! so.... if i have to light the oxy to solder the fittings i may as well use silver solder and be done with it. the cost is the same. i use the oxy strictly as a last resort ...if there is another way i will do that way instead of using the oxy...its not cheap!! it costs about $1 just to open a oxygen bottle and that is wasted ...you get nothing for it plus the cost of gas used.$$$$$$$
|
Michael
|
Not enough heat may be the problem as I am very conservative with the heat in case of de soldering the other joint on the T piece.
On my T joint the pipe does not go all the way through but I could do this if I were to change the pipe.
|
Wallace
|
| Michael wrote: | Not enough heat may be the problem as I am very conservative with the heat in case of de soldering the other joint on the T piece.
On my T joint the pipe does not go all the way through but I could do this if I were to change the pipe. |
That may be the problem, lack of heat when soldering. I've never had one apart but would expect a soldering a joint like that being so close to another, it is best to do both at once?
I just checked mine and the pipe is definitely tinned. That would be the best way to do it too.
Mine looks original.
|
Stilldrillin
|
| Roly Williams wrote: | | Stilldrillin wrote: | | Roly Williams wrote: | | I don't think they were originally soldered. I suspect they were crimped or something like that. You may have to use silver solder. |
Roly,
I`ve only had 1 crimped one. And you know what happened to that one!
All of the others I`ve got/ had were soldered...... |
Maybe I've been luck/unlucky (depending on your viewpoint). Neither of the two that I've tried to dismantle were soldered. I had to put a join in the pipe because I couldn't get the T apart. |
All of `em soldered, Roly........
P.S.
Don`t tell anyone I`ve got these......
|
Roly Williams
|
| Stilldrillin wrote: | | Roly Williams wrote: | | Stilldrillin wrote: | | Roly Williams wrote: | | I don't think they were originally soldered. I suspect they were crimped or something like that. You may have to use silver solder. |
Roly,
I`ve only had 1 crimped one. And you know what happened to that one!
All of the others I`ve got/ had were soldered...... |
Maybe I've been luck/unlucky (depending on your viewpoint). Neither of the two that I've tried to dismantle were soldered. I had to put a join in the pipe because I couldn't get the T apart. |
All of `em soldered, Roly........
P.S.
don`t tell anyone I`ve got these...... |
OK, I won't say anything. Just don't mention it on any forums.
|
tmuir
|
Just to add to the speculation on my large boiler that I use to run model steam engines all the pipe work is soft soldered with electrical solder and steaming with a Bowman 234 loco 7 wick burner none of the joints have come even close to desoldering. But then my steam line isn't superheated.
|
