I take responsibility of enlightening you to the mysteries of life very seriously. Those questions you have always wondered about. The questions that keep you awake at night. How can you possibly live through another day without finally getting the answer to……”How is a square nut attached to a round pipe?”.
Oh….you have never wondered about that. Okay.
Then I’m going to blame this post all on Joe. It’s his fault you are being subjected to this and not mine. I will further blame Joe because he said “Bring your camera. I’m going to do some silver soldering.”
A length of copper pipe will have a hex nut attached to the side of it. Later, the pipe will be drilled out and some screw threads will be “tapped” into the pipe. Or maybe they will be “die”d into the pipe. I have no idea what “Tap and Die” is but it is only a man person that would give this particular bit of business that name.
Copper tubing and a hex nut
Hemostats are excellent tools to have on hand. We get ours from a place in Wichita, Kansas called The Yard Store. The Yard Store is a mish mash of stuff. Military surplus, airplane manufacturing scrap, tools of all kinds are at this store. They have, over the past several years, gone into acquiring the detritus of businesses that have closed or are getting rid of their overstock items. I think they even have someone that attends auctions to buy tools and equipment from estate sales. Some of the tools they have are really old, rusted, and well used.
In short, this is a good place to go when you need to find a bargain. So back to hemostats.
Hemostat to hold the nut
Hemostat
While Joe positioned the hex nut where he wanted it placed on the pipe I held the hemostat and he worked the clamp positioning and grip.
Claming the hex nut to the copper pipe
The next bit of business is important. Do any welding or silver soldering on a barbeque grill. In particular a barbeque grill the wife is threatening to haul out to the street for the trash people to come and get.
Ready for soldering
Add some flux. Goop that gets applied to the surface of whatever is being welded or soldered. Something to aid in the adhesion of different metals….or something like that.
Brush on flux
Fire is the next component. I have not been made privy to the gasses used in this blow torch thing. I take that back. Joe has told me what the bottles are filled with but I don’t use the thing…ergo….not something I paid attention to.
Torch
With the “focused” fire and the silver solder he is starting the “Tack” process. Tacking the hex nut to the copper pipe.
Tacking the hex nut
This photo is pretty cool…if I do say so myself 
I got the drip of silver solder as it melted off the wire.
Silver solder
Now the hex nut is tacked to the pipe.
Hex nut tacked to the pipe
Tacked on
Another slathering dose of flux on the nut and the pipe to finish the attachment.
Slather on the flux
Add more silver solder for good adhesion.
Adding more silver solder
Get it all melted in there
Next is to drill a hole in the pipe through the center of the hex nut.
Drill out the center
Hole drilled
This bit is a “Tap” or a “Die”. I’m not sure what it is. When it is placed in the hole it will drill screw threads in the pipe that match the threads of the hex nut.
Tap or Die
Making the threads
A little too hot to handle
And…..TA DA! A screw will go through the pipe. This one will be used on the top of a tripod to stabilize the mounted object.
Screw in the pipe
Joe will be leaving town after the first of the year. The weather is supposed to turn pretty bad before he leaves so I am taking advantage of him and his tools. I need more cardboard cut up to make more Post-It-Note holders.
Cutting cardboard
And to keep myself from feeling left out I did a bit of heating things up as well. I made cookies. Joe has been requesting “Date Pinwheel Cookies” for the past few years. Now my pinwheel cookies never look like the ones pictured in the cookbooks. Mine are more elongated and swirly than pinwheel-y. Joe says they take him back to his childhood and his Grandmother making them for Christmas.
Date Pinwheel Cookies
While I was in the baking mood I decided to make some Chocolate Chip cookies as well, and some Oatmeal Raisin cookies.
Just what Joe needs to take with him on the road. Sugar filled snacks.
Chocolate Chip cookies
Oatmeal Raisin cookies
I hope you have all enjoyed your Christmas this year. Family, friends, feasts, and Santa. Before I’m late once again and miss the next opportunity I will wish you all a Happy New Year.
December 29th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
You always have such interesting posts I really mean that. I havent given much thought to the mechanics of well much of anything really I just take for granted that stuff is just made the way I see it. Pretty lame huh? Joe is really a wonder to see. We were so impressed with your truck set ups when you were here. My Brian is not a bit Mr. fix it. I had my garbage diaposal for over a year before my Dad installed it for me.Although Brian did change out the dishwasher and installed a new range hood but that was all at different times only because I was nagging him so much:) He is more of a brainy type of guy but I love him anyway
lol How does your crafting go? I still have only the one card but have been on a cleaning streak ..Kinda feels like the nesting thing women do right before your baby is born well I was like that anyway. And there is no way we can have another baby so maybe its just early spring cleaning or late fall cleaning ???? either way the house is looking good!!! I cant seem to get too motivated for anything else I guess I have tunnel vision lately. Hope you are doing well and enjoying some time with Joe home. Take care and say Hi to Joe from us.
much love and hugs,
Shelly
December 29th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
I’m glad that Joe appeciates your reporting and photography skills. He truly is one of your greatest fans; you are one lucky girl. Am I the only one who was shouting “Don’t hold the copper pipe in your hand while using that drill bit, you idiot!” I was so afraid that the next picture was of his palm sporting a nice set of stitches!
I’ll have to keep you in mind the next time Charlie has some extra medical tools to get rid of. Do you need any more hemostats?
On second thought, perhaps I should send a suture kit for emergencies!
BTW, that is THE COOLEST drill bit I’ve ever seen IN MY LIFE! But again, that’s not really saying much, is it?
P.S. I’m heading to a fancy camera store in Austin tomorrow about getting a horizontal arm extender thingy for my tripod to I can try to film crafty videos from overhead. (I hear it will take 10 pounds off my hands!) I don’t seem to have a man who’s handy with tools around here, or at least not the kind of tools that DON’T need to be sterilized!
Yes, that means, I’ll finally do another video. I haven’t done one since June!
December 30th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Now all that Joe was doing looks very intriguing, is this for something you have in your crafty mind or for something pretty mundane like holding the video camera onto the tripod????
Rod is pretty nifty with a soldering iron, for small jobs he has a dinky little soldering pen and it came in handy when he had to solder lots of wires together for the bird mobiles I made.
Those cookies look scrumptious! I haven’t baked much in the way of cakes or biscuits (cookies) for some time – trouble is I eat them!
Oh doing the macho thing is what Darren does too – earlier in the summer he broke his wrist but refused to go to hospital to have it set, instead he created his own splint and fixed his broken wrist that way and it looks as if it has set well with no deformity to the bone
Perhaps he should have set Liam’s arm, we reckon he would have done a far better job of than the hospital staff did as Liam now has a bump on the side of his arm which we are hoping will not impair his wrist movement later on.
Have a great New Year. See you soon.
Love and hugs
Lynn xx
December 31st, 2011 at 11:58 am
Oh my goodness.I am not good with blood and ick either Leslie. Its awesome that there are Men and women who can do that sort of thing I mean we would all be in a heap of trouble if not
Also the men and women Like Joe who make all the mechanical and techniqual things would leave us all in a different world too. Makes me grateful to live inthis time and age don’t think I’d like to live when I had to beat clothes on a rock down by the river I have alot of clothes to wash. We would be fine with the kids all staying in their own place but they all want to come here I think it has to do with the food 
I remember when my boys were little we would be guilted to make several visits and the poor kids didnt get to do more than look at the gifts then head somewhere else after eating the special fare made for us. It got so crazy that I finally told everyone that we were going to stay home and cook our own meal so the kids could enjoy the day and if they wanted to come to dinner they were more than welcome. One of the best choices we have made. I am also blessed that all the kids are still pretty close to us Jereme is about 30 minutes away. Hope you are all Having a great day and I Wish You all a Very Happy New Year. \HUgs,
Shelly