Pull Through (dimpled) TC Ferrules for Soldering Prototype Stuff

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I recall a plumbers tip where you test the heat of each part with the tip of the solder, you want to be sure each piece is hot enough to easily melt and flow the solder.

Watch Bobby’s video if you haven’t already,he is pretty thorough. Hats off lol
 
When I'm adding radiused flanges, it never hurts to "tin" both surfaces with flux and solder, let them cool, clean both surfaces. and then re-flux and solder. This way you're sure that both surfaces have solder around the entire perimeter. I normally use a threaded stainless steel rod and two spring-loaded toggle bolts to hold everything in place:
dualtogglebolt.png

works well for me and is easy to remove.
 
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When I'm adding radiused flanges, it never hurts to "tin" both surfaces with flux and solder, let them cool, clean both surfaces. and then re-flux and solder. This way you're sure that both surfaces have solder around the entire perimeter. I normally use a threaded stainless steel rod and two spring-loaded toggle bolts to hold everything in place:
View attachment 611917
works well for me and is easy to remove.


I used one of those to clamp the fitting the first time I did this and it worked well. I'll give it another shot with the surface prep you mentioned. Thanks for all the replies.
 
Hey Bobby,
Just a heads-up that I mentioned your pull-through flaring tool in this month's Zymurgy as a follow-up to an article that I had published in last month's annual "Gadgets" articles.

They also have a photo of it:rock:
 
Got my 2" flaring tool, cant wait to install the ferrule

Also needed a 1/2 half coupler for my temp probe, was going to dimple and then pull a half coupler, but made one by cutting the Male threads off a m/f pull through fitting. Pretty easy to hacksaw off, bench grid and sand smooth.
 
@Bobbym is the 40mm tungsten too small? Just pulled my 2" through, was crazy hard. It bent the fender washer. It also split the flared walls. This is a Concord kettle, so only 1mm thick
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I’m thinking perhaps your initial hole was a bit too small leaving too much meat to flare...

I’m sure Bobby will know better, but I couldn’t help myself from taking a guess...

Thinking the solder will hide and cover the cracks and it will still look good and function well...
 
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I’m thinking perhaps your initial hole was a bit too small leaving too much meat to flare...

I’m sure Bobby will know better, but I couldn’t help myself from taking a guess...

Thinking the solder will hide and cover the cracks and it will still look good and function well...
Correct, hole was too small, but I used the bit he said to use. It was a bare to flare and used tons of solder to fill. It looks fine after solder and is water tight. Just think a larger bit is needed.
 
I've done it about 10 times starting with a 40mm hole but none of the pots were a Concord. I have had another report of the washer bending but nothing like that picture. I think we're going to have to move up to a drilled out 2" TC blank cap to keep that from happening.

Since the hole has to get to 2" and 40mm is 1-5/8", that's only a 3/16" wide band. It looks like it got stretched in addition to 3/16".

Perhaps the 40mm is good on any pot smaller than 1mm and then I'd go up maybe to a 1-3/4" hole for thicker/harder walls. This is a delicate balance because you don't want to loose all that surface area for the solder to adhere to.
 
I've done it about 10 times starting with a 40mm hole but none of the pots were a Concord. I have had another report of the washer bending but nothing like that picture. I think we're going to have to move up to a drilled out 2" TC blank cap to keep that from happening.

Since the hole has to get to 2" and 40mm is 1-5/8", that's only a 3/16" wide band. It looks like it got stretched in addition to 3/16".

Perhaps the 40mm is good on any pot smaller than 1mm and then I'd go up maybe to a 1-3/4" hole for thicker/harder walls. This is a delicate balance because you don't want to loose all that surface area for the solder to adhere to.
Have you tried a 42 mm bit? Might be the happy medium. That is about 1.65. Found them on ali Express, look to be about the same as your tungsten bits.
 
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I haven't tried anything bigger than 40mm yet but I don't know that a single mm on each side is going to be fundamentally different.
I know when I pulled 1/2" there was significant difference in difficulty between the m/m pull through fitting and the m/f pull through fitting which had different diameters. I got a spare lid, may order a 42mm and try it out.
 
I am needing the 1.5 TC pull through tool to do my kettles and Brewhardware is out of stock and with the coronavirus shutting everything in China down, there is no way to know how long it will take to get more. Does anybody have a tool they don't need who would be willing to sell it to me. I'll gladly pay full price and shipping. Located near Atlanta.
 
I am needing the 1.5 TC pull through tool to do my kettles and Brewhardware is out of stock and with the coronavirus shutting everything in China down, there is no way to know how long it will take to get more. Does anybody have a tool they don't need who would be willing to sell it to me. I'll gladly pay full price and shipping. Located near Atlanta.

Sent you a PM

edit: I no longer have the pull through tool.
 
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I am also looking for the 1.5 TC pull through tool. But I also have questions.

My current setup uses a ripple heater element in the hot pod EWL3 enclosure with the weldless install. The current hole size is 1.25" and was done with a greenlee punch in my Bru Gear ProBoiler 15. I want to be able to remove the heating element for cleaning, avoid damage to hotpod and avoid moisture in the hot pod. So, this is what I have been thinking as options to move the element to a tri-clamp connection.

  1. Try the 1.5" TC pull-through first, because it requires a 1.25" hole, which I already have.
    • Concerns here, are posts about cracking when a punch was used for the hole. Use a step bit to just smooth and slightly widen the hole?
  2. If number 1 fails, then try enlarging the hole to 1 3/8" or 1.5" and try the radius face solder flange.
    • If enlarging a dimpled hole, I would assume try using a step bit from the flange side, not the dimple side?
  3. If 1 and 2 fail then enlarge to 1 5/8 and use the weldless 1.5" TC bulkhead.

Anyone have any thoughts, or comments, or suggestions?

Anyone have a 1.5" pull through TC tool to sell? Or rent?
 
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You can also silver solder a 1.5 TC RADIUS FACE SOLDER FLANGE from Bobby at Brewhardware.com. I've done this several times on kettles that I felt might split if I tried to dimple them. Plenty strong and no worries about splits.

Thanks, that was my option 2. You are thinking just go straight for that one? I guess I don't have to enlarge the hole in the kettle, it would just be smaller than the radius flange ID.
 
Like @GaBrewZoo , I'm looking for a 1.5" TC Dimpler tool. I already have the 1/2" NPT pull through tool, so I'd just need the upgrade. Let me know if you have one you're looking to sell...!
 
Hey folks, I know the original post is very old at this point but I'm looking for some guidance on pulling a dimple for a larger ferrule. Anyone have experience with this technique for a 4 inch TC ferrule? I don't have any good welders in my area (asking around it would seem the three around here are all pretty shoddy) and I'm thinking of soldering for my 4" fill/clean-out on the top of my keggle, so I thought I'd ask those with experience! Any help or suggestions would be great! Thanks
 
No, this method won't work on anything larger than 2" and that's already pretty hard to accomplish. Your best bet would be to get a 4" TC spool as short as you can find because that will give you enough flange surface area for the solder.
 
No, this method won't work on anything larger than 2" and that's already pretty hard to accomplish. Your best bet would be to get a 4" TC spool as short as you can find because that will give you enough flange surface area for the solder.
So the same basic idea as your radius faced flanges. Makes sense. Would it be necessary to grind down the inside edge of the soldered flange to allow it to lay more flush against the top of the keg?
 
I've been hoping the 1.5" pull through would come back in stock again, but still no dice and I'm starting to get antsy with wanting to proceed with my equipment mods. @GaBrewZoo I can't seem to PM people (relatively new account I guess), so if you still have a 1.5" you're willing to part with, could you message me?

And in case that pull-through isn't available, does anybody have ideas for anything I can use or build to act as a flaring die? I've been looking, but the closest I've been able to find would be a straight reducer from McMaster-Carr going up to 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" from 3/4" or 1".
 
I've been hoping the 1.5" pull through would come back in stock again, but still no dice and I'm starting to get antsy with wanting to proceed with my equipment mods. @GaBrewZoo I can't seem to PM people (relatively new account I guess), so if you still have a 1.5" you're willing to part with, could you message me?

And in case that pull-through isn't available, does anybody have ideas for anything I can use or build to act as a flaring die? I've been looking, but the closest I've been able to find would be a straight reducer from McMaster-Carr going up to 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" from 3/4" or 1".

Sent you a pm. Let me know if you got it.
 
I don't know how I've not seen this tool/process before, but I'd love to add some 1.5" TC fittings to my 14g domed conical lid. Will this distort the lid? Welders keep telling me they can't really do it for fear of warping the lid.
 
I don't know how I've not seen this tool/process before, but I'd love to add some 1.5" TC fittings to my 14g domed conical lid. Will this distort the lid? Welders keep telling me they can't really do it for fear of warping the lid.

Well, the tool is intended to distort the lid by dimpling it around the TC weld spud. But other than that you shouldn't have any issues. If you put the fitting very close to the edge, it's possible that it will distort the level nature of the edge/lip. Silver soldering shouldn't use enough heat to distort the metal either.
 
That was my question, keeping the lid rim flat in order to insure a good seal. These are older FV's from 2010 or so, so many new options and better hardware which would increase functionality. Trying to figure ways to add to them as I have copper coils wrapped around the exterior that are then insulated with neoprene. Good for ale temps. The top 3" TC is the real issue, I wish it was 4".
 
Yeah, it will stay flat as long as you're 3" or so from the edge of the lid. You could send Bobby an email to get his thoughts, as he probably has more experience/feedback on putting the fittings in weird places.
 
Any comments on the sanitary nature of silver soder? These wouldn't be touching the beer, but it'd be nice to have one on the vessel wall for a sample port or a thermowell.
 
I don't know how I've not seen this tool/process before, but I'd love to add some 1.5" TC fittings to my 14g domed conical lid. Will this distort the lid? Welders keep telling me they can't really do it for fear of warping the lid.

As long as you don't mind the TC flange being parallel to the surface. There's no way to have them be plumb.
 
As long as you don't mind the TC flange being parallel to the surface. There's no way to have them be plumb.
It'd be for gas blowoff, so orientation really doesn't matter. But how sanitary is silver solder if I were to put a TC fitting on the body of the conical?
 
I would say not sanitary at all unless you did the flare outward technique and get the whole valley filled with solder. I'd generally say anything below the wort level on the cold side should be welded.
 
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