alternative to solder?

[werwer]

I have a copper jonint, to a tub, that is in a very tight place. Is there an alternative, good alternative, to soldering a copper joint? I don't want to burn the house down ... and other things. thinks

[Travis Jordan]

Try a good local hardware store, or:

[Toller]

I've used an epoxy from Lowes because the pipe was right up against the wood. It was two years ago and it hasn't leaked yet. However, I tried to use it again last year and it had gone bad. It is a lot of money for a couple joints.

One of these days I am going to try a CA glue called "just for copper" because it claims it can be used on dripping pipe; but haven't gotten around to buying it. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

That said, pine is difficult to actually set on fire with a propane torch; a little scorching never hurt anyone.

[CJT]

Depending on the details, you could consider a compression fitting.

You might also be able to "move" the final solder joint needed to someplace easier to get at by doing most of the joints on your workbench and then putting them in place as an assembly. Again the details will govern.

[louie]

You could buy a soldering shield to put between the workpiece and the wood. A small, carbon-fiber blanket will insulate the wood from the flame of your soldering torch as long as you don't take too long about it. The blanket will get red hot, but most of the heat will not make it through to the wood.

As for the epoxys and other fixes, they are the reason that I've recently had to purchase one of these shields (previous owner decided that epoxy and duct-tape were suitable copper pipe repair materials in tight spaces).

[maradcliff]

Duct tape should fix everything. Whoever installed the tape must have used it wrong. They probably unrolled it from the roll backwards.

Some day I want to build an entire house out of ONLY ducttape. The problem is how to get electricity to conduct thru the tape for the wiring, and how to make light bulbs that glow, using only duct tape. Then too, there's the duct tape furnace that can not be flammable, and the ducttape plumbing that makes great pipes, but it's making a faucet out of ducttape where the ducttape washers wont stick to the ducttape seats, that's a problem. Once completed, the completely ducttape car will be next. I'm still trying to figure out how to keep the ducttape pistons from sticking to the ducttape engine block. The ducttape tires are easy though, just keep rolling it until it's big enough....

By the way, has anyone made a ducttape Christmas tree yet?

[spudnuty]

I'm adding this as a point of interest. I heard about this recently and can't wait until it's available here. Someone I know saw new construction being done using this new device. It uses a compression tool to make the fitting mechanically.

" The first seal in the piping system is the copper-to-copper press connection. With 2,000 pounds of force being applied to the connection, the final result is a tight copper-to-copper joint between the copper tubing and fitting." Richard