Lead pipe joints?

[Seeker]

Had some lead pipe delivered to me at work today by a coworkers father who is a contractor. There are quite a few soldered joints on this pipe. Did I read on here some where that there is a big difference in the alloy of the joints ? By the way...the pipe was free!

[Pipefitter]

Nice score!!!!

Usually the "joints" in lead pipe have a fair bit of tin in them, this is due to alloys having a lower melting point than pure lead. The pipe was slipped over the fitting and molten "alloy" was "wiped" on with a gloved hand. I know more than a few old timer plumbers who did this for a living.

Only way to know for sure is to have it analyzed.

[pergoman]

When I buy lead pipe from my local scrap guy he lets me take only the joints that I want. I don't have to buy the plain pipe since I have a source for free lead pipe. The solder in old joints is 90-95% tin. A little tin goes a long way.

[tinsnips]

My father years ago wiped a lot of lead pipe joints. When I was young I was helping him get ready to wipe a joint he told me that it was 50/50 solder. That being said it would be 50 percent tin 50 percent pure lead. At any rate it is a good source of cheap tin.

[JRLesan]

Lead pipe was fitted INSIDE the brass fittings whether they be caulking ferrules or adapters. Only exception I can immediately think of was the threaded ring on top of (or bottom of) a drum trap that the cover threaded into (drum traps were always factory made). Wiping solder around these parts was always 60/40 or at least that's we we used in the plumbing business...

[swamp]

I melt them off before I melt down the pipe. Good for the tin. Easy to do with a propane torch.
swamp

[imashooter2]

Wiping solder is low tin to promote a longer slush stage which makes the wiping easier. 38-62 and 40-60 were popular. Lots of plumbers had 50-50 on hand to sweat copper and so they used that since it was available. Never heard of lead pipe being put together with pure tin or lead free solder.

[RogerDat]

Just for ease of future use I would cut the joints off or melt them off, keep that separate and once collected melt into ingot form. Have an ingot tested at the scrap yard with the XRF gun. That way you will know how much tin is in those ingots and can plug the tin alloy into any recipes you cast with it. Also do same with rest of pipe, then you will know what that is but I would guess plain lead or close to it.