Suppose you want to make a joint round a lead and iron pipe. First file the end of your iron pipe as far up as you would shave it if it were lead, and be sure to file it quite bright and free from grease; heat your soldering-iron; then, with your spirit-brush, paint the prepared end of your iron, and with your bit, rub over the pipe plenty of solder, until the pipe is properly tinned, not forgetting to use plenty of spirits; this done, you can put your joint together, and wipe in the usual manner. Caution.—Do not put too much heat on your iron pipe, either when tinning or making the joint, or the solder will not take or stand.
DUMMIES FOR PIPE-BENDING.
FIGS. 38. and 38b.
Figs. 38 and 38b. This tool I had better describe before proceeding to the method of bending. To make it take a piece of, say, ½ in. iron pipe, 3 ft. long, or the length required, bent a little at one end, as shown at A B in Fig. 38 and Fig. 38b. Tin the end about 2 in. up, make a hole with a small plumbing-iron in some sand, and place the tinned end of the iron pipe, B, into this hole; fill the hole up with good hot lead, and the dummy, after it has been rasped up a little, is ready for use. It will be found handy to have three or four different lengths, and bent to different angles, to suit your work. A straight one (Fig. 38b.) made to screw into an iron socket or length of gas-pipe, will be found very handy for getting dents out of long lengths of soil-pipe.
BENDS AND SET-OFFS.
Before you begin bending solid pressed pipes always put the thickest part of your pipe at the back. Lead, in a good plumber's hands, may be twisted into every conceivable shape; but, as in all other trades, there is a right and a wrong way of doing everything, and there are many different methods, each having a right and wrong way, which I shall describe. I shall be pleased if my readers will adopt the style most suitable for their particular kind of work; of course I shall say which is the best for the class of work required.
For small pipes, such as from ½ in. to 1 in. "stout pipe," you may pull them round without trouble or danger; but for larger sizes, say, from 1¼ in. to 2 in., some little care is necessary, even in stout pipes.
Fig. 37 illustrates a badly made bend, and also shows how it comes together at the throat, X, and back, E; L is the enlarged section of X E, looking at the pipe endways. The cause of this contraction is pulling the bend too quickly, and too much at a time, without dressing in the sides at B B as follows: After you have pulled the pipe round until it just begins to flatten, take a soft dresser, or a piece of soft wood, and a hammer, and turn the pipe on its side as at Fig. 37; then strike the bulged part of the pipe from X B toward E, until it appears round like section K. Now pull your pipe round again as before, and keep working it until finished. If you find that it becomes smaller at the bend, take a long bolt and work the throat part out until you have it as required.
