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Step 2Solder the Body
The first step is to cut most of the 3/4" section off of the reducer fitting. In the BOM picture you can see that I started this cut before took the picture. In the picture below you can see the completed cut next to the 3/4" cap. The most important thing is to make sure that the surface is flat and square so that the cap can be soldered on with a watertight joint.
Once you have the cut flat (test fit the cap a few times until you have it right) use the emery cloth to sand the surfaces that will come in contact with solder. This includes the area on the reducer around the cut you made and the back portion of the cap. Sand them until they are bright, no need for too much effort.
With the pieces clean, place them together into a vice to hold them during soldering. Make sure there are no flamable materials around, and try not to do this job in sandals. Don't ask, just trust me. With the pieces in the vice, apply paste flux around the joint and the fire up your torch. You can see in the pic the parts in the vice, sanded and fluxed and ready to solder. Make sure everything is square and straight before soldering.
The trick to soldering copper pipe is to apply heat away from the joint and wait until the metal is hot enough at the solder joint for the solder to flow into the joint. Or so I have been told. I am no good at soldering pipe, and this piece is too short anyway, so go ahead and blast the part around the joint. Once the metal is hot enough, remove the torch and quickly apply the solder to the joint and let it flow. If you don't apply enough heat, or the joint is too dirty, or the flux is all burned off, or the gap in the joint too big, the solder will not flow and coat and fill everything. Keep trying.
Eventually you should get something like the pictured joint.
I find that often I add so much solder to get it to fill the joint that I end up with a thick drip of solid solder on the bottom of the joint. Go ahead and file this down if so desired.
Once you have the cut flat (test fit the cap a few times until you have it right) use the emery cloth to sand the surfaces that will come in contact with solder. This includes the area on the reducer around the cut you made and the back portion of the cap. Sand them until they are bright, no need for too much effort.
With the pieces clean, place them together into a vice to hold them during soldering. Make sure there are no flamable materials around, and try not to do this job in sandals. Don't ask, just trust me. With the pieces in the vice, apply paste flux around the joint and the fire up your torch. You can see in the pic the parts in the vice, sanded and fluxed and ready to solder. Make sure everything is square and straight before soldering.
The trick to soldering copper pipe is to apply heat away from the joint and wait until the metal is hot enough at the solder joint for the solder to flow into the joint. Or so I have been told. I am no good at soldering pipe, and this piece is too short anyway, so go ahead and blast the part around the joint. Once the metal is hot enough, remove the torch and quickly apply the solder to the joint and let it flow. If you don't apply enough heat, or the joint is too dirty, or the flux is all burned off, or the gap in the joint too big, the solder will not flow and coat and fill everything. Keep trying.
Eventually you should get something like the pictured joint.
I find that often I add so much solder to get it to fill the joint that I end up with a thick drip of solid solder on the bottom of the joint. Go ahead and file this down if so desired.
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Nov 16, 2008. 4:28 AMpraveencivil
says:
it is very use for those use bicycle..but the problem is i cant get the exact parts you mentioned.give some aliter for me..
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Nov 20, 2008. 7:39 PM
jmengel (author)
says:
jmengel (author)
says:
Alternative parts? You can pretty much use any LED star and driver for this project as long as the back plane of the LED star is not electrically "hot". Not sure what the limitation is for you ordering the parts. If ledsupply.com doesn't ship to your locale, then try dealextreme.com. As mentioned by "retiredlawman" they have similar LEDs and drivers.
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