Elements of Plumbing Part 7

_Third_, do not allow the bending irons to touch the inside walls of the pipe when stretching the opening.

_Fourth_, secure the branch into the run.

_Fifth_, secure the pipes into position for wiping.

_Sixth_, spread the heat on the edges and the bottom of the joint.

_Seventh_, wipe with the branch cloth.

_Eighth_, cut the paper.

_Ninth_, mark the outline of the joint.

BRANCH JOINT PLACED FLAT

When the wiper has mastered the branch joint placed at an angle of 45, he can proceed to wipe the joint placed in the next position, which is flat.

PREPARATION.--The preparation of this joint is identical with the preceding one placed at an angle of 45. If a new joint is to be prepared, it would be well to pay strict attention to the details, such as keeping the paste on the paper only and having the edge of the paper cut perfectly smooth and even. Before putting on the paper see that the pipe is free from all grease and dirt. The paste and paper will stick better if all the dirt is removed. The branch should be well fitted into the run of the pipe so that no solder will get into the bore of the pipe. The branch should not extend into the run of pipe enough to obstruct the bore of it. If the instructions for preparing the pipe are not carried out as detailed, the wiper will experience some trouble that he may find hard to overcome.

SUPPORTING.--The run can be supported on bricks. The branch can be supported on a brick placed at its end the same height as the run.

This will bring the joint in the correct flat position. The branch should point away from the wiper. Solder straps can now be poured over the ends of each pipe. If weights are used to hold the pipe firm instead of solder straps, they should be so placed that they will not interfere with the hands when wiping.

WIPING.--The wiping of this joint is more difficult as the beginner will experience trouble in heating the bottom and keeping the solder on the bottom. Solder is dropped on the joint and along the pipe so as to bring the pipe to the proper wiping heat. Some solder will acc.u.mulate on top of the joint. This is melted off on the catch cloth and this hot solder held against the bottom of the joint. This operation is repeated until the bottom as well as the top of the joint is heated properly. When the solder can be worked freely around the pipe, the branch cloth is taken and each side is wiped from the bottom toward the top. Solder is acc.u.mulated on the top where it is wiped off on the catch cloth and put on the bottom of the joint. Now reach way around each side and wipe the edge and body of the joint, a wipe across the top completing the joint. The bottom can be wiped with a cross wipe also if desired. The top and the bottom should be identical. Notice carefully the drawing of this joint and endeavor to have the same lines. The perfecting of these joints comes only with patient practice. The beginner must not get discouraged because of a burn or two. As soon as confidence in oneself has been gained, the possibility of burning the fingers is entirely eliminated.

BRANCH VERTICAL

The materials, tools, and preparation for this joint placed in a vertical position are just the same, practically, as those in the preceding branch joints. One or two points wherein they differ are mentioned below. To rigidly support the joint for wiping, allow the run of the pipe to rest on some bricks as before mentioned, with the branch looking up. Now take a piece of wood and drive a nail through one end of it about 1 inch from the edge. Let this nail enter the bore of the vertical branch. The wood is allowed to rest on the back of the bench or is braced against the wall. Supporting the pipes in this way will allow the wiper perfect freedom. When wiping this joint, splash the solder on from the ladle as on the upright joint. As all the sides of this joint can be seen, it is not a difficult matter to make a perfectly symmetrical solder bulb.

When the proper heat is gained, the top edge of the joint is wiped first, then the lower curved edge, using the branch cloth. The body of the joint is then wiped and the joint finished with a cross wipe, if necessary.

BRANCH HORIZONTAL

The next position for this joint is to have the branch pipe horizontal and the run vertical. The materials, tools and preparation for this joint are the same as for the preceding ones.

The supporting and wiping differ a little.

SUPPORTING.--One end of the run is placed on the catch pan. The other end is held in place the same way as the branch was held in the preceding joint. If the pictures of this joint are carefully looked over, the methods employed to hold the pipe will be readily noted. The branch is best held by inserting one end of a bending iron in the bore of the pipe and placing the other end of the iron on a brick built up to the right height. The iron should be weighted to keep the joint from swaying.

WIPING.--The solder is now dropped on the branch as in the round joint, and splashed on the vertical run as in the upright joint.

Sufficient solder is put on the joint to keep the edges covered with hot solder. Solder is worked around the joint until all parts of it are thoroughly heated and the solder works easily, then all the edges are wiped clean. The top half is then wiped evenly and the bottom half wiped to match the top half. A cross wipe in front completes the joint. When this cross wipe is made on any joint, a thick edge of solder must not be left. The edge must be wiped clean. This joint should be wiped first with the branch pointing to the right and then with the branch pointing to the left. It will take the beginner some time to master these branch joints, for not only must they be wiped symmetrically for the sake of appearances, but they must be wiped while the solder is hot to secure a tight joint. A joint that is wiped with solder that is too cold will be porous and will leak when put under pressure. With care the same pipe can be used throughout for all the positions of this branch joint.

ONE AND ONE-HALF-INCH BRANCH JOINT

Upon the completion of the small sized branch joint in its various angles, the 1-1/2-inch branch joint is to be wiped. This branch joint is wiped in the same positions as the 5/8 branch was wiped.

The pipe being larger, there is more solder for the wiper to handle, and the edges to keep clean and to wipe are longer.

MATERIALS NEEDED.--The materials needed for this job are 12 inches of 1-1/2-inch light lead pipe for the run, and 6 inches of 1-1/2-inch pipe for the branch, paste, paper, solder, and catch pan.

TOOLS NEEDED.--The tools necessary for this job are the saw, rasp, shave hook, bending irons, drift plug, hammer, ladle, wiping cloths, and tap borer.

PREPARATION.--To an experienced wiper, the procedure of preparing this joint and wiping it are so near like the 5/8-branch joint that a detailed description would be unnecessary; but for the benefit of the beginner, I will repeat the details as they apply to this particular joint and thereby avoid any error. We will take the preparation of the run first. Square the two ends of the pipe with the rasp. Mark off the center of the pipe. With the round part of the rasp, held at right angles with the pipe, proceed to rasp down the crown of pipe where the center mark was made. Do not rasp through the wall of the pipe, but just enough so that the tap borer will enter the pipe with only a slight pressure. With the tap borer, tap a hole large enough for the bending irons to enter. Now proceed to enlarge the hole, first forcing the edges up and then forcing them back, making the hole larger and making a collar around the hole at the same time. Continue to open the pipe until the aperture is large enough for the branch pipe to enter. The bending irons must not come into contact with the inside wall of the pipe, for if they do the inside bore will be marred and be very ragged. As these joints are usually used on waste lines, these ragged places make an ideal place for lint and grease to collect and cause a stoppage. To make the inside of the hole even, a piece of 1/2-inch pipe can be used in place of the bending irons. To cut out the oval from a piece of paper to fit the joint, fold the paper and cut out one-half of the oval. Now unfold the paper and the complete oval is obtained. The measurements of the oval are taken from Fig. 30, 1-1/8 inches each side of the branch lengthwise of the run. These two lines are connected with a curved line as shown. This curved line can be made with the shave hook. Take the large edge of the shave hook and roll it along between the lines to be joined. A little practice will perfect one in doing this quickly. The beginner should make a number of these ovals so that he can get them perfect. The graceful appearance of this joint depends upon the neatness with which it is prepared. I do not want the beginner to think that a graceful shape of the joint is all that is to be desired or that it is the most essential point.

Further along, perhaps, more vital requirements will be brought out and the beginner will be made acquainted with them.

The ends of the 6-inch piece are now squared with the rasp. The edges of one end are rasped off as shown in the sketch, making a wedged fit into the run. This end is then cleaned with the shave hook. Paper is then pasted on to cover the pipe except the 1-1/8 inches cleaned on the end. This cleaned part forms part of the joint, therefore no paste or paper must be put on it. The pipe is now fitted into the run and the collar beaten against it with the bending irons. The run is now cleaned with the shave hook for about 3 inches each side of the center. The paper oval cut out is now pasted on the joint. The paste and paper are then allowed to dry before they are handled further.

SUPPORTING.--The supporting of this joint, which is placed with the branch on an angle of 45 pointing away from the wiper, is not a difficult matter. The beginner can use his own ingenuity for supporting the pipe if conditions do not warrant the using of the methods previously described.

WIPING.--The solder should now be tested for heat. If the solder is at the proper heat, the ladle is taken and heated. Take a ladle full of solder and drop the solder on the joint. The lead of which this branch joint is made is considerably lighter than any lead that has been used before. Therefore, the beginner must drop the solder on carefully, making sure that the solder is not dropped on the same spot, for a hole can be burned through the pipe very quickly. The ladle must be kept moving, then the solder will not burn through the pipe. The heat is got up on the pipe by dropping the solder on the run and on the branch, catching the surplus solder on the catch cloth and heating the under side of the joint with it. To form the joint, distribute the solder and then wipe it into shape. Notice that I said wipe it into shape. A beginner is very apt to try to push or poke it into shape. This must not be done as it has a tendency to make the joint lumpy. All the edges are wiped off clean first, then the body of the joint is shaped and wiped. When forming the joint, be sure that the bottom and the top are symmetrical. Do not have one-half larger than the other. The last wiping strokes are made swiftly and rapidly. If the wiper will watch his movements and note the results and then try to improve them, keeping in mind that a symmetrical joint is wanted with thin edges, perfection in wiping will come much more quickly than if no attention is paid to the strokes made when wiping.

BRANCH JOINT WIPED FLAT

The materials required for this joint do not differ from the preceding one. If the pipe used for the branch joint at a 45 angle is in good shape, it can be used for this joint by simply changing positions. The tools needed will not be any different. The ladle and the wiping cloths, of course will be required. A pair of pliers can be used to advantage in picking up the hot solder. The wiping cloths should receive a little more oil to keep them soft and pliable. Oil the edges of the cloths well.

SUPPORTING.--To support this pipe for wiping have each end rest on a brick. Each end can be weighted to hold it in place.

WIPING.--To wipe this joint, proceed to drop the solder on the joint. When the pipe is thoroughly heated and the solder works freely around the pipe the joint can be wiped. The procedure is like the preceding one. The wiper is cautioned to move the ladle constantly while dropping the solder.

BRANCH HELD VERTICAL

After a number of the previous joints have been wiped successfully, the pipe is placed in such a position that the branch will be vertical. The supporting of the pipe to hold the joint in this position for wiping is very easily done after handling the 5/8-in.

joint in this position. The following points may be found helpful: The solder is splashed on the joint from the ladle. The top edge of the joint is kept hot by keeping the solder covering it. When the proper heat has been got up, the top edge is wiped first, then the bottom edges both front and back. The body of the joint is wiped last and a cross wipe finishes the joint. I have found that the beginner in many cases, when this joint is reached, tries to wipe it with many short strokes. The habit is a bad one and should be stopped as soon as noticed. Learn to wipe the top edge with only two strokes, the bottom edge with not more than four, the body of the joint with four, and one cross wipe to finish. This joint should be finished as symmetrically as possible and wiped while the solder is hot.

RUN HELD VERTICALLY

When the vertical branch has been conquered and the wiper can get a good joint every time it is tried, the pipe can be changed to a different position. The run is placed in a vertical position and the branch horizontally to the left. The catch pan is put under the end of the pipe. Follow the same directions for supporting this joint as were given under the 5/8-in. branch placed in a similar position. The wiping of this joint is so nearly like the preceding branch joints that I will not give any instructions at all. This joint is finished at the same point that the other branch joints are finished. However, there are one or two matters that should be kept in mind. Some of the small matters are often overlooked and should be called to mind occasionally. Do not allow the solder to acc.u.mulate in the pan. If the cloths are burned, they should be turned, or new ones made. If the paper has started to come off from the pipe, new paper should be put on at once. Test the solder occasionally and see that it does not get too hot. Upon completion of the joint in this position, the branch joint in its various positions is finished. The beginner has found out while wiping these various joints a number of points that were not mentioned in my description. No amount of detailed description will make a good joint wiper. Patience and practice are as important in joint wiping as good preparation and good solder.

POINTS TO REMEMBER.--

_First_, materials--18 inches of 1-1/2-in. lead pipe.

_Second_, use of tools.

_Third_, keep bending irons away from the wall of the pipe.

_Fourth_, make a good collar around the opening.

_Fifth_, make a tight fit with branch and run.

_Sixth_, hot solder will quickly burn through the lead.

_Seventh_, use branch cloth for wiping.

_Eighth_, cut out paper for joint even and symmetrical.