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To clean impure wiping solder with phosphor tin.

When solder has become worthless or nearly so, because of the presence of different impurities, a very small piece of phosphor tin, perhaps the size of a pea, will help it greatly. This is enough for a whole pot, and will result in making the solder of much better quality. A pound of this metal will last for years.

To test wiping solder for proper working heat.

A good test for heat is to plunge into the pot of molten solder, a piece of dry pine, or a piece of paper rolled up. If the pine or paper chars quickly, the solder will be found to be about ready for use. When it has reached this heat, the solder should be closely watched, to guard against too great heat, as in such case the tin will burn out, leaving the solder too coarse. A workman of experience will be able to tell when the solder is at the right heat by its appearance, by the heat given off by the ladle when it is held to his cheek, and by other means.

What is the result of overheating wiping solder?

In the first place, overheating burns out the tin, making the solder too coarse to be worked. When the solder is too hot, there is great danger of melting the lead pipe or trap on which the joint is to be made, thus not only doing harm to the material itself, but allowing metal to run through and into the pipe. It also results in burning the tinning of brass ferrules, etc., with the consequent mixing of more or less zinc with the solder, which results in making it unfit to be used.

To help collect dross from a pot of solder.

The dross can be made to rise to the surface of a pot of wiping solder much more rapidly and thoroughly if a small potato or onion is attached to the end of a stick or rod, and pushed down into the boiling mass of metal. It should be kept in the solder until the dross has entirely risen.

Should wiping solder be stirred when in an overheated condition?

No stirring should be done until the solder has been allowed to cool down to about the proper wiping temperature, as stirring will bring more of the tin to the surface to oxidize or burn, and thus become lost.

How would you restore solder that had been purified by heating to a high temperature?

By adding tin.

What are the principal kinds of wiped joints?

Horizontal round, vertical round, horizontal branch, vertical branch, horizontal flange and vertical flange.

This was taken from the book "Questions and Answers on the Practice and Theory of Sanitary Plumbing, Volume III, Practical Wrinkles" which was published in 1919.

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