Copper-Bond plumbing epoxy

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 3:45 am

Peeps...

I have to cap off a 1/2" copper pipe underneath my bathroom sink. Given (a) the pipe's position, and (b) my total lack of experience with a propane torch (yes, I've tried and failed... twice), I'm wondering if Copper-Bond two-part epoxy might work.

The few reviews I was able to Google up seemed to be favorable.

Any of y'all have experience with this product?

TIA...

...D

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 11:08 am

I'm in a similar situation....1/2 " pipe under a bathroom sink, but I need to put some kind of elbow in it to get it out of the way of the drawer in the cabinet, before I can hook up the faucet. If you try this, let me know. I haven't tried a torch yet, but was told the way to succeed is to heat the pipe behind of where you put the solder, so that the solder is "sucked into" the joint. I'm sure there are many soldering experts here on the board, if any of them feel like chiming in. I suspect it's a no-brainer once you get the basics down.

MA

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:12 pm

MaryAnn wrote:I'm in a similar situation....1/2 " pipe under a bathroom sink, but I need to put some kind of elbow in it to get it out of the way of the drawer in the cabinet, before I can hook up the faucet. If you try this, let me know. I haven't tried a torch yet, but was told the way to succeed is to heat the pipe behind of where you put the solder, so that the solder is "sucked into" the joint. I'm sure there are many soldering experts here on the board, if any of them feel like chiming in. I suspect it's a no-brainer once you get the basics down.

You've pretty much got the right idea, MA. Make sure everything to be soldered is shiny-clean (use some emery cloth), use flux and heat the fitting (cap, tee, elbow) that you're trying to join, not the pipe. Apply solder to the joint, and watch while it gets "wicked" into the joint (capillary action). Be generous, so that the solder completely fills any gaps, but don't be sloppy and waste the stuff. Before the joint cools completely, wipe the excess off with a cotton or wool rag (not polyester--it'll just melt and make a mess).

I've seen special epoxies advertised for use in lieu of solder and the reports I've read say that they work, but that, just as in solder, cleanliness is important. The downside is that a soldered joint is ready for use immediately, while an epoxy joint can't be used until the resin has set, which probably explains why epoxy isn't used much by commercial plumbers. That, and it's a mess to clean up if you need to redo the joint.

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:55 pm

Well, FWIW, I went ahead and tried the Copper Bond. It cured for 24 hours while we "borrowed" water from the neighbor's garden hose to flush the toilets. Repressurized this morning, and it looks like it worked!

We'll see if there are any longevity issues, and I have a little pan underneath the fitting just in case. As long as it lasts until we remodel the bathroom, I'll be happy!

...D

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:18 pm

It seems like, in propane torches, you have the mini-torches which are smaller than I'd like; and you have the regular torches which blow heat all over the place. I have used the regular torch by using a pump-up pressure sprayer to soak the surrounding flammables with water and keeping the sprayer close by during the soldering process. There are metal heat shields one can buy, but I've not tried them, because ... well ... I think tuba players don't mess with piddly details like proper fire precautions.

In the distant past, I recall buying a soldering iron tip attachment to go on a torch. It worked well. But I lost it a long time ago and haven't come across another one yet.

For what it's worth, I don't think I'd trust the epoxy. I mean: Would you epoxy your tuba?

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:47 pm

SplatterTone wrote:It seems like, in propane torches, you have the mini-torches which are smaller than I'd like; and you have the regular torches which blow heat all over the place.

If you're going to do a lot of plumbing, get an acetylene-air rig like the pros, or get something like this:

Has the "swirl flame" feature and puts out a huge amount of heat, but keeps it in a flame that's smaller in diameter as a regular cheapie propane torch. But for the knob, it's all metal and should last nearly forever.