Soldering Stainless steel

[nate456789]

For the 1/2in fittings, I probably used a 3/4 and 1-1/4 inch combination. It seems if you seperate by two sizes it creates a nice dimple without the risk of actually punching through (happened once).

I think my kit is older than me and it has punched plenty of stainless electrical enclosures much thicker than kegs or kettles. All my Greenlee tools seem to last forever.

There are some cheaper options:
Knockout Punch Kit - Knockout Punches at Harbor Freight Tools
Hydraulic Punch Driver w/ 5 Hydraulic Punches & Dies

You get what you pay for but these may be ok for limited use?

Yeah I was looking at those when you said you used the 1 1/2 to dimple. The original Greenlee kit only went to 1 1/4 that I want to buy. Maybe I will find a deal on the bigger kit.
Thanks for the info. You should be proud of your craftsmanship.

 

[lschiavo]

Yeah I was looking at those when you said you used the 1 1/2 to dimple. The original Greenlee kit only went to 1 1/4 that I want to buy. Maybe I will find a deal on the bigger kit.
Thanks for the info. You should be proud of your craftsmanship.

This is a very good kit if you really want to spend the money.

http://www.all-spec.com/products/G7238SB.html.

Happy to help and thanks for the compliment. Of course, I only show my best work. There are plenty of brewery projects that I'd rather you guys don't see

 

[gmartin]

You can find Greenlee punches and punch kits on eBay.

In addition to the individual wrench turned punches, it's nice to have one of the hydraulic kits, but the ones from Greenlee are very expensive. But the Chinese kits work with the Greenlee punches. Amazon and Harbor Freight both have them. I got one from HF for about $40, but it didn't have the 3/8" stud that fits the Greenlee punches. Another $35 for a Greenlee stud, and all works fine.

 

[digitalhifi]

I'm sure this has been posted before, but regardless IMO this is a great video on dimpling and soldering stainless couplings. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpMFQFi6Hh4]Dimpling and soldering a 1/2" NPT coupler in a stainless homebrew kettle / pot - YouTube[/ame]

 

[slakwhere]

my couplers and dimple tool were not the right size for me to pull the adaptor all the way through. just a note to anyone watching this video that you may need to pull it and check diameter a few times then push the adaptor back out the way it came. my first test hole was too large for my coupler

 

[nate456789]

This is a very good kit if you really want to spend the money.

Greenlee 7238SB | Knockout Punch Kits.

Happy to help and thanks for the compliment. Of course, I only show my best work. There are plenty of brewery projects that I'd rather you guys don't see

I ended up getting two kits(7235BB & 7237BB) from a guy on craigslist that has all the punches in the kit you suggested. But I didn't get a ratchet in either of the kits.
The kits were brand new still in the wrapper for $150. Buying these same 2 kits on ebay or amazon were not cheaper than $300 + shipping.
Now I am hoping I get a few minutes to actually get to play with them.
I am impressed with the quality of the Greenlee kits. I had never heard of this brand until this site.

 

[lschiavo]

I ended up getting two kits(7235BB & 7237BB) from a guy on craigslist that has all the punches in the kit you suggested. But I didn't get a ratchet in either of the kits.
The kits were brand new still in the wrapper for $150. Buying these same 2 kits on ebay or amazon were not cheaper than $300 + shipping.
Now I am hoping I get a few minutes to actually get to play with them.
I am impressed with the quality of the Greenlee kits. I had never heard of this brand until this site.

Sounds like a great deal. The ratchet is not really necessary. They turn pretty easy with the bearing on the stud. New punches should go through stainless like butter. Post up your results.

 

[Stevo2569]

Maybe I missed it the many pages of this thread, but where is everybody buying Harris Stay Clean at? I've checked HD and Lowes with no luck. Can I use regular plumbing solder?

 

[lschiavo]

Maybe I missed it the many pages of this thread, but where is everybody buying Harris Stay Clean at? I've checked HD and Lowes with no luck. Can I use regular plumbing solder?

I couldn't find flux locally. Maybe a welding shop? I ordered mine from Grainger. I linked the stuff I used a few pages back. I used silver bearing solder. It is stronger with a higher melting temp.

 

[daufdi]

I got mine at Airgas

 

[Stevo2569]

After calling just about every plumbing and welding supply co in town today, I finally tracked down some Harris stay clean flux at Johnstone. Boy when I fired it up, that solder wet just like a dream. Pun intended. Thanks. You guys rock:rockin:

 

[Huaco]

After watching the video on the previous page several times and reading his details on Youtube... I still can not figure out what he is using to dimple with. I see that it is a tapered mandrel of some type, but I can't seem to find anything like it for sale online. Anyone have any idea where to get these?

 

[BargainFittings]

He is using the 3/4" to 1/2" stainless steel butt-weld pipe fitting (McMaster-Carr p/n 45605K711)

Its has a taper.

He lists the parts of the tool he made on the youtube video description.

Somewhere in this thread is some pictures of the tool in use.

 

[Huaco]

Doh... I must have just skimmed over it in my haste. Or, my eyes are tired from reading HBT so much! haha... Thanks for clearing that up, I see now that he indeed listed them... this is wonderful! I may be soldering my fittings into my keggles instead of fooling with washers and o-rings!

 

[cyclogenesis]

Awesome Video!
So I have my regular propane torch I use for copper, how much hotter is a mapgas torch like the one used in the video? Can you do it with propane?

 

[P-J]

Awesome Video!
So I have my regular propane torch I use for copper, how much hotter is a mapgas torch like the one used in the video? Can you do it with propane?

You do not need mapgas. Harris Stay-Brite 8 has a liquid temperature range of 430°F to 535°F, very close to standard plumbing solder. The flux you use does matter when you are soldering SS or Aluminum.

For Stainless you need to use Harris Stay-Clean Liquid Flux.

 

[cyclogenesis]

Thanks... Kinda wishing I would have seen this before putting weldless fittings in.. Looks much more solid...

 

[slakwhere]

cyclo: depending on the size of the hole you drilled you should be able to just buy couplings and pull them through the holes for your existing weldless. that's my master plan

 

[cyclogenesis]

Yes, now I think about you are right... I have a hole big enough for a nipple at the moment and a coupler would have a much bigger OD (actually now I think about it I did drill a 7/8ths hole!)

Need to go buy me some flux... Sounds like the wisdom here is that HD and Lowes was a no go and you needed to go to a welding supply shop?

 

[cyclogenesis]

Is this the same stuff?
Airgas - Harris Welco® Stay-Clean® Liquid Soldering Flux, 4 Ounce Flip Top Bottle

 

[P-J]

Is this the same stuff?
Airgas - Harris Welco® Stay-Clean® Liquid Soldering Flux, 4 Ounce Flip Top Bottle

Yup. That is the correct flux.

 

[cyclogenesis]

Hey another Quick Q: The concentric reducer listed goes from 3/4 to 1/2... Is that the OD of the reducer? does the OD of the wide end of the reducer match up to the OD of the coupler?

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Hey another Quick Q: The concentric reducer listed goes from 3/4 to 1/2... Is that the OD of the reducer? does the OD of the wide end of the reducer match up to the OD of the coupler?

The od of the large part of the reducer should be approximately the od of the coupling. However I did find that some of the coupling I had were way to large and some slightly too small. The large coupling I could not use but with the small coupling I simply did not pull the reducer all the way through thereby leaving the hole slightly small for the smaller fittings I had to fit. It worked great. I believe bargain fittings had the best coupling size that matched perfectly.

 

[cyclogenesis]

Thankyou Mr Monkey...

Out of interest did you by the reducer from McMaster?

 

[slakwhere]

The od of the large part of the reducer should be approximately the od of the coupling. However I did find that some of the coupling I had were way to large and some slightly too small. The large coupling I could not use but with the small coupling I simply did not pull the reducer all the way through thereby leaving the hole slightly small for the smaller fittings I had to fit. It worked great. I believe bargain fittings had the best coupling size that matched perfectly.

+1. my couplers didn't match the OD of my reducer, so i just gave it a couple turns at a time till i found a size i liked. then i pulled the reducer out and pulled the coupler through. a few guys in this thread have over pulled dimples and find a quick tap with a wooden block and a hammer closes them up sufficiently to make good mechanical fitting... but better to measure twice and cut once as it were.

 

[Bobby_M]

Has anyone tried using harris stay clean PASTE flux on stainless? I suppose I mistakenly assumed "stay-clean" in either configuration would work but it seems like stay-brite #8 just beads up on top of the paste.

 

[P-J]

Has anyone tried using harris stay clean PASTE flux on stainless? I suppose I mistakenly assumed "stay-clean" in either configuration would work but it seems like stay-brite #8 just beads up on top of the paste.

The paste flux will not work with stainless steel. Only the liquid flux has the properties to condition the SS for proper bonding.

 

[Bobby_M]

My experience agrees with you but the confusion comes from Harris's own data:

Stay-Clean® Paste Flux
Description: General Purpose Solder Paste Flux
An active soldering flux formulated for use with tin-lead, tin-antimony, and tin-silver solders. Superior flux for most metals, copper, brass, bronze, steel, stainless steel, galvanized, Monel. Not recommended for aluminum, magnesium, or titanium. Not recommended for electrical or electronic applications.

Here's a chat I had with Harris:

Chat InformationPlease wait for a site operator to respond.
Chat InformationYou are now chatting with 'Brandy'
Brandy: Hello. How may I assist you?
you: Hi Brandy, I have a question about the application of Harris Stay Clean Paste Flux
you: the data sheet suggests that it can be used for soldering stainless steel but I'm finding that it doesn't work at all like the liquid equivelent
you: your website says: ...Superior flux for most metals, copper, brass, bronze, steel, stainless steel,
Brandy: For soldering on stainless steel we recommend to us stay clean liquid soldering flux. Superior flux is not our product
you: no....
Brandy: I see sorry
you: http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/en/Products/Alloys/Soldering/Fluxes/Stay-Clean-Paste-Flux.aspx
you: I purchased a 1 pound tub of this based on that data
Brandy: one moment
you: is it possible that text was just copy/pasted from liquid?
Brandy: I believe so because if you look at our spec sheet click on technical documents then under Soldering click on fluxes then click on spec next to stacy clean paste flux
Brandy: I will contact the appropriate person to fix this information on our website
Brandy: The spec sheet is correct
you: Is there any way I can swap this 1 pound tub of paste for a 16oz bottle of liquid since I can't use it
Brandy: Please contact the supplier you purchased from and have them contact customer service ph# 800-733-4043
you: I guess I'm out of luck because I got it from an Ebay vendor
you: who also parrotted the wrong info
Brandy: Sorry but we appreciate you bringing this to our attention we shall fix the information on our website
you: what I'd expect is that you'd ask for proof of purchase and ask for my shipping address so you could send me the correct product
you: I will try this through the vendor but I'm not holding my breathe
Brandy: I apologize but we do not sell direct
Brandy: Would you like a supplier in your area?
you: no, thanks anyway

 

[P-J]

My experience agrees with you but the confusion comes from Harris's own data:

That plainly sucks and is so wrong in so many ways.

 

[Bobby_M]

Right? Thanks for fixing our mistake and saving a bunch of misunderstanding in the future but GTFO.