Four-Inch Brass Ferrule

Description

This section is from the book "Elements Of Plumbing", by Samuel Edward Dibble. Also available from Amazon: ELEMENTS OF PLUMBING.

Four-Inch Brass Ferrule

The 4-inch brass ferrule joint is the same as the 2-inch, except for size. The materials needed for this joint are 6 inches of 4-inch, 8-pound lead pipe, and one 4-inch brass ferrule, one full pot of solder, some paste and paper, rosin, and 1⁄2 and 1⁄2 solder.

Tools Necessary

The tools required for this joint are as follows: saw, rasp, file, ladle, soldering iron, dresser, bending irons, shave hook, and wiping cloths.

Preparation

Lead Pipe. - With the saw cut off 6 inches of 4-inch lead pipe. This pipe comes in lengths and should be for this work about 8 pounds to the foot in weight. The pipe may be dented badly, but these dents can be taken out as follows: Take a piece of 2-inch iron pipe and put it in a vise. The lead pipe can be slipped over this iron pipe and any dents taken out easily by beating with the dresser. One end of the lead pipe is beaten with the dresser until it fits into the ferrule. The end is then rasped a little. Then, after the brass ferrule has been tinned, the pipe is fitted into it and beaten out against the inside wall of the brass ferrule and a tight joint is made. The lead is next cleaned with the shave hook and paper is pasted on as explained under the 2-inch brass ferrule, the description of which should now be read over.

Fig. 26. Four inch brass ferrule. Fig. 26. - Four-inch brass ferrule.

Brass Ferrule

The first thing to do with the brass ferrule is to file the end that is to be wiped. When the brass ferrule is filed, it should be done away from any part of the room where the filings are likely to get into the solder. After the filing has been done, paper is pasted on all of it except the part that is to be tinned and no paste must get on to this part of the ferrule. If any paste does get on to it, the filing will have to be done over again. When using paste and paper, neatness must be cultivated, or paste will be spread over parts of the pipe that are supposed not to have any paste on them. Next, take the soldering iron and heat it. Take some rosin and put it on the exposed part of the ferrule. With the hot soldering iron proceed to tin the brass ferrule, as explained before, with 1⁄2 and 1⁄2 solder, using rosin as a flux. Now the lead pipe that has previously been prepared is fitted into the ferrule.

Fig. 27. Four inch brass ferrule. Fig. 27. - Four-inch brass ferrule.

Supporting

Set the brass ferrule on a catch pan. The lead pipe is upright. A weight placed on top of the lead pipe will steady the pipe for wiping. When the joint is wiped the free hand can hold the pipe if the weight is not sufficient to support it.

Wiping

Splash the solder on the joint from the ladle, in the same manner as was employed in the two preceding joints. To get the proper heat on the 4-inch joint a little more speed is necessary, also the constant working of the solder around the pipe. The ladle is constantly moved around the pipe so that all parts of the pipe will be evenly heated and come into contact with the hot solder direct from the ladle. When the solder works freely around the pipe and the top edge is hot, the joint is shaped by holding the wiping cloth in the right hand, with the index and the middle fingers spread to the opposite corners of the cloth. The fingers are placed one on the top edge and one on the bottom edge. The cloth is then passed around the joint as far as possible. Then the cloth is taken in the left hand, with the fingers spread, and passed around the rest of the joint. If the solder does not take the shape of the cloth readily, then the solder is not at the right heat. This joint should be wiped very slim to allow room for the caulking tools. When this joint is once started, it should not be left until it has been wiped, otherwise a large amount of solder will accumulate on the joint and will be hard to get off.