Use Solder As Rope/Temp Tie

[MilkyWhy]

I find that lots of times, I will use a length of rather thick Solder to secure items together mechanically. I'm not talking about melting or heating or actually soldering it, then. The beauty of Solder (used as a tie or rope) is that it can easily be bent or looped in any direction, it will retain that shape and not try to uncoil.

For instance, say you want to create a 3 foot long suspended rope with a hook to connect something, or you want to hold a door open or closed. Just tie it or make it with a length of Solder (wire). This will do the job temporarily, you then position and hold the items in place, then you remove the (securing) Solder.

[Joe Bobst]

Many commercial shops will use mechanics wire, soft iron, available in two guages to suit the task at hand. Casual use of lead around the home or work place isn't a very good thing. There is a health hazard, so why risk it? My nickel's worth.

Joe

[Harry K]

It is also a whole bunch cheaper. Solder isn't cheap the last time I had to buy some. I keep a coil of cocrete form tie wire to do that job. Is that the same stuff as the 'mechanics wire'?

Harry K

[RipTides]

Lead solder is neigh impossible to get, and ususally you have to get it at a supply house as many common hardware stores don't or won't carry it anymore, I've had the same small roll of lead-based solder for about 12 years now in my toolbin, and only used it twice for non-water applications.

While most solder does contain a small amount of lead this IS the same solder used in welding copper pipe, that you drink out of. So i would not be too concerned about dry lengths of solder lying around. Most plumbers find all sorts of uses for dry solder as the parent poster stated and they are not dropping like flies. At least not from lead poisioning anyways.

-Rip, who speaks only of plumbing solder and not electronic fluxcore solder.

[John Hines]

Not no more, lead free antimony and silver solder is used. And soldering is different from welding, one doesn't weld copper pipe used for plumbing.

[MilkyWhy]

As always, I buy such stuff at yard sales for no more than a dime. There'll be

20 feet of solder on each old roll. A lot of times, too, when I am going to fabricate something with very rigid steel wire, I will first form and shape it into the right shape with super pliable solder, then I will use that template and bend the steel wire to match that shape.

[nobody]

"RipTides" wrote in news:0tbqd.38031$ [e-mail]:

Lead poisoning isn't obvious in adults who are generally dumb anyway.

If you have kids around that's a different matter.

If they are still using lead in pipe solder, then that must have been an economic decision and not a health decision.

[Charles Spitzer]

i'm not quite sure where you are, but it's dead easy to get tons of it. take a trip down to home depot.

[calhoun]

Must be a local/state regulation. My HD only has tons of lead free solder.

[Charles Spitzer]

home depot sells it on their web site. furthermore, it's used in the stained glass industry, and you can buy it that way.