Making and fitting pipe ferrules

[heavydamper64Participant @heavydamper64]

What is the most suitable material to use for making pipe ferrules? I’m guessing brass, but what composition?

Once turned, I was going to solder them to the pipes, but a similar question to above, what solder to use?

Below is why I need to make and replace pipe ferrules;

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

CZ121 brass

 

Silver Solder 55%

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

For cold service (not boiler temperatures), any reason you can’t use soft-solder?

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

The first pic shows a pipe with what looks like a metric brake pipe flare, the second is odd. The first will take a normal cone fitting the other will need either a flat face or machining to take a cone. Jason has shown a brass and solder.  Noel.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

One other point STW are likely to have used metric pipe so the one that the ME trade sell are unlikely to fit as they all tend to be imperial.

The second photo would need a mating female taper in the Ferrule

[Brian Baker 2Participant @brianbaker2]

Greetings HD64, I would make a copper ring, and silver solder it to the end of your existing pipe, having first cut off the old ferrule, not forgetting to retain the nut in place, then just tighten gently in place and the soft copper will mould into the shape required to give a good seal.

Much stronger than sleeve type ferrule, usually made from brass, which break more easily.

Regards

Brian B

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

the end of that brass fitting looks flat to me, when the nut is tightened it flattens the end of the pipe and seals. A bit like the flat fittings on some pressure/vacuum gauges.

[Martin Johnson 1Participant @martinjohnson1]

I see we have discussed this in another place.  Anyway, there is nothing inherently wrong with a pipe flare.  It is quick, strong & avoids soldering.  I used them on my steam lorry project as I hate making brass olives and sleeves.

However, what you have there are badly formed fllares.  So I would be looking to make some decent tooling that will reliably make good flares.  I bought a brake pipe flaring tool for 3/16 pipe and it is pretty simple to reproduce in different sizes.

If you go down the soldered nipple route, brass nipples and silver solder is the way to go.  Copper sleeves will also work well and very economic if you can find stacking tube sizes.

Martin

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I see nothing wrong with soft solder for cold water. If the length of engagement is equal to the diameter the shear stress is 1/4 of the water pressure, which is low. It works fine on domestic plumbing, and I used soft solder on the water pipes on at least one of my locos

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