Source of Pipe Elbows

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Old Steamer
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Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by Old Steamer » Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:56 pm

Having drawn a blank on the web, it's time to appeal to the Membership. Does anybody know of a source of or have, non-ferrous, braze-able, 90 deg., pipe elbows? The size I'm looking for is to take 9/16" copper pipe but anything that is within a reasonable tolerance that can be adapted, will be of interest.

Plenty of threaded elbows on the market but made for brazing? - So far zilch! "Not made them for 10 years", was one response and that seems to be the general reply.
Regards.
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Re: Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by Lopez Mike » Fri Nov 09, 2018 6:32 pm

You could loosely assemble threaded fittings and silver solder them together. I've been having a fair amount of trouble with inexpensive ferrous T's and pipe. I'm not a fan of numerous unions and getting things to line up without leaks is chancy. Some high temperature silver solder or brazing rod might be the way to put together a solid solution

A possible work around might be to bore out a threaded T. I believe the threaded ones are constructed at a fairly accurate 90 degree angle so you could maybe put together a jig on a face plate and bore them out with a single point boring tool.

I don't know how tight of a fit you will need. I've always silver soldered with a rather close fit but my brazing has been with fairly high viscosity rod that would fill almost any gap.

I live near a submarine base and they use fittings that have a brazing ring inside the female fitting. Looks rather like a metal O-ring with a rectangular cross section. It's all assembled and then heated up as a unit. Of course they are rather understandably nervous about leaks!
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Re: Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by lostintime » Sat Nov 10, 2018 5:04 pm

Just a thought, look for a local refrigeration parts supply werehouse. I believe Gustav Larson has distributors nation wide, and carries them. With the industry switching to 410A and it's operating pressures hitting 600psi, they carry thick walled silver solderable fittings.
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Re: Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by S. Weaver » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:44 pm

McMaster-Carr has Silbraze bronze fittings.
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Re: Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by Old Steamer » Tue Nov 13, 2018 8:28 am

Gentlemen,
Thank you for all your suggestions although the distance from Scotland to the locations of the companies suggested does complicate matters. I suspect that a compromise of threaded elbows and an adaptor is the most straightforward but the price of the Silbraze units tempts me to contact the manufacturers.
I have combed the websites of refrigeration companies but so far without result.
Thanks again,
OS
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Re: Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by fredrosse » Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:12 pm

Bronze-silver braze (or sil-brazed) fittings are made of ASTM B-61 or B-62 bronze and are constructed with a pipe-sized end socket with a precision groove for silver ring insert. This permits joining without additional silver solder. The absence of threads means that there is no reduction of strength at the joint making a strong connection.
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Old Steamer
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Re: Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by Old Steamer » Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:52 pm

Fred,
I googled all that but unless there is a UK stockist (the nearest I've found is in the Netherlands and they are not interested in small orders) I shall just have to modify what I can pick up here.
Regards,
OS
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Re: Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by steamboatjack » Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:28 am

These are made in the UK by Pegler Yorkshire and are called Yorkshire GHD (general high duty). they have silver solder in and are expensive. I am not sure of a stockist but Pegler should tell you, please let us know!
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Re: Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by Old Steamer » Wed Nov 14, 2018 10:20 am

Jack,
Thanks very much for the info. That is one source I hadn't found but your are right about the prices - £36 and upwards for an elbow!!!
Regards,
OS
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Re: Source of Pipe Elbows

Post by fredrosse » Sun Nov 18, 2018 7:30 am

Trolling on ebay can often serve as a source of low priced fittings of all sorts. The problem is that you may spend some lengthy time to find what you want. Often a class of items will go for very low prices, and then some valuable items get enough attention that they grow in prices.

A good example is Swagelok tube fittings, currently retailing at about $20 each for 3/8 inch OD tubing. For a couple of years I was able to buy them at about 1/10 retail price, with good selection. Then plumbing sales organizations began to catch on to these bargains, and now on ebay the new Swagelok fittings always go for about the wholesale price, about 50% of the retail price.

Once I bought a lot of new pressure gauges, compound, 30 inches Hg vacuum to 160 psig, a box of fourty gauges for $40. They have come in handy many times, and if I go out and buy one retail, they are more than $10 each.

I always bought ASME Steam Safety valves on ebay, they typically sold for about $10 years ago, but now are $100 to $200 each, new with bonded lock-wires assuring setpoints, still a bargain compared to retail.
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