DrPhilGood

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Ok I got all the parts in to start learning how to solder these fittings (minus the solder/flux). I used a greenlee 1/2" conduit punch then I used my dimple tool. I'm going to post some pics to let everyone see and make sure I am doing this correctly. I am testing on an old sanke lid so I am not 100% sure the fitting is going through straight. Any advice on how to keep the fitting straight? I also didn't sand/deburr the hole so it scratched up the outside of the fitting pretty badly.

matc

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If anyone is willing to sell their keg tool, I'd buy it ! I live in canada and mcmaster don't ship here so it's impossible for me to build one !

slakwhere

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phil, i use my sight glass setup to thread into the fitting and pull the fitting till it's square.

DrPhilGood

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Have any pictures? Thanks for the input, just want to visualize your set up better.

slakwhere

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i dont' have any pics of that process. basically i pulled the fitting through the dimple, then before applying flux/solder i attached the exterior device (ball valve, sight glass, heat element) i was going to use. i pull/push/twist on the fitting until it seems straight in the keg using that fitting, and then remove the exterior device carefully, apply flux/solder and add heat.

make sense?

DrPhilGood

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Yea I figured that's what you meant. Thanks for clearing it up.

slakwhere

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good luck

OMJ

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You dont have to get these parts from McMaster. Check this post a guy got them from amazon http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/soldering-stainless-steel-155782/index81.html#post3829737

azwillnj

Recipes 

If anyone is wondering (I know I was before doing this) here's a couple things I have learned from soldering my kegs:

• You can make a nippling tool by tightening a coupler on the end of a bolt with some washers and nuts, putting the bolt in a drill press, and using an angle grinder with a grinding wheel to make the coupler into a cone (while its spinning in the drill press).
• You can pull the tool into the keg with no problems making the valley, and the solder on the outside, not the inside.
• Three rings of solder from the harris stay brite flux and solder kit is the perfect amount to make a nice bead of solder in the valley.
• With two of the stay brite liquid flux and soldering kits you have the perfect, to the mm, amount of solder to put three rings of solder on a total of 14 fittings including:
  10 - 1/2" Couplers
  2 - 1/4" couplers for sight glasses
  2 - 1" NPT welding spuds for heating elements
• You can successfully solder with an oxy-acetylene torch, just make sure you have a nice long inner flame, heat the fitting about 80% of the time and the keg 20% of the time with the outer flame only and never stop moving the torch.
• Leave the keg level until the solder has completely cooled, even if it looks solidified, it can still run and will pool on one side if you rotate the keg to work on the next fitting.
• Screw your fittings together and mark what side of the coupler should be up for your valves to be in the right orientation after you solder it. You should also give yourself about a 1/4 to a 1/2 turn extra to tighten it

Thanks for all that have come before me, this is much better than the weldless variety.

Alex.

SpartyParty

Recipes 

Couple of questions...

1. Is a jewelers torch a better fit to use for this application, like this one? http://www.amazon.com/Blazer-GB2001-Self-Igniting-Butane-Micro-Torch/dp/B000VML7KO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361722217&sr=8-2&keywords=jewelers+torch

2. I have weldless fittings now and was hoping to repurpose them by soldering them in. Being weldless they are FNPT. Is there any reason I wouldn't or shouldn't just use the FNPT so I can thread a ball valve on from the outside and a coupler on the inside?