What did you do to your home/shop today?

[2004LB7]

Anybody solder gutters anymore?

Putting up some new deep galvanized gutters to replace the vinyl ones since I had to remove them for the eaves repair. Decided that I didn't want to pay extra for the connectors and corner pieces. So I tried my hand at soldering them. Not my greatest work as zinc doesn't take solder as well as copper and brass

This is my homemade corner.



End cap


And I had an uncomfortably large gap between the valley flashing and roof/gutter so I had to put some screws into hold it down. Normally it's not recommended to install screws in this location as this is were the water will be running down and you don't want leaks here. So I made them waterproof with solder. Some guy down the road doing a repair and needing to take these screws out is probably going to be cursing at me



Still have a few more pieces to put up and solder. But coming inside to eat dinner now

 

[malibu795]

Over last few months been working on little insulated office/shop in my shop. Basically will have a wrap around work bench. though will end up being 2 different heights.. need a place to store my engines. The main shelf is 32 deep by 41 tall which allows me to clear a dressed BBC under neath.
Top shelf is 16" deep and roughly 21" above the main bench/shelf.
There's enough room I can assemble something on an engine stand and easily walk completely around it.
Adding some organization to my normal chaos

 

[Pure Diesel]

Anybody solder gutters anymore?

Putting up some new deep galvanized gutters to replace the vinyl ones since I had to remove them for the eaves repair. Decided that I didn't want to pay extra for the connectors and corner pieces. So I tried my hand at soldering them. Not my greatest work as zinc doesn't take solder as well as copper and brass

This is my homemade corner.
View attachment 125641
View attachment 125643

End cap
View attachment 125642

And I had an uncomfortably large gap between the valley flashing and roof/gutter so I had to put some screws into hold it down. Normally it's not recommended to install screws in this location as this is were the water will be running down and you don't want leaks here. So I made them waterproof with solder. Some guy down the road doing a repair and needing to take these screws out is probably going to be cursing at me
View attachment 125639
View attachment 125640

Still have a few more pieces to put up and solder. But coming inside to eat dinner now
View attachment 125644

What was your heat source? Were you using an iron or a small torch? Rosin core solder? I know sometimes the oil on galvanized will inhibit the solder adhesion, so a clean surface is important. The screw solder joints look good. The corners looks like you heated the solder and didn't get the sheet metal up to more temp. This is only coming from my 40 years of plumbing experience on copper pipes soldering and brazing(so take it for it is). The heat flow and transfer of the solder to the metal through capillary action is what's important. If its water tight then your good.

 

[Dozerboy]

I can't think of the last time I saw someone even install anything but aluminum gutters. Lol

 

[2004LB7]

What was your heat source? Were you using an iron or a small torch? Rosin core solder? I know sometimes the oil on galvanized will inhibit the solder adhesion, so a clean surface is important. The screw solder joints look good. The corners looks like you heated the solder and didn't get the sheet metal up to more temp. This is only coming from my 40 years of plumbing experience on copper pipes soldering and brazing(so take it for it is). The heat flow and transfer of the solder to the metal through capillary action is what's important. If its water tight then your good.

Oh, I know all about the capillary action and creating a good bond. I've been soldering and sweating pipes for about 30 years. Galvanizing just doesn't wick up the solder like copper does. Doesn't matter how much or little heat you use it is very touchy. Too much heat and the zinc burns. Too little and the solder doesn't stick. Copper is 100 times easier. I used zinc chloride flux. It works but leaves a greasy mess that turns black. So while it may look like I may have overheated some areas, that is just the flux doing its thing.

I used a combination of propane torch and a 130 watt soldering iron. Preheat the metal and apply with the iron was how I did most of it. Some was all torch like the bottoms and end caps. I believe that one of the reasons copper is so much easier to solder is that it conducts heat better so it's more even and the solder flows around with the heat. With galvanized steel the heat is only where you put it with little conducting further away. This means the solder doesn't really flow. It will definitely stick and bond properly but only right where the torch or iron is held. So that's why it may look like a cold joint

But as they say, your last joint is always better then your first. So, I went back to some of the first ones and redid them.

And... Just filled it up with water as much as it will hold before spilling over to do a leak test. All good so far. I don't have a downspout installed yet so nowhere for the water to go until I drill a hole in it

Soldered the valley to the gutter


Lap joints



Inside the gutter. Notice the amount of black residue around the edges of the solder and floating around in the flux, I'm pretty sure that is zinc oxide that has been removed by the flux. Takes a wire brush, water and a rag to clean it up



Here are a few images I pulled from the Internet showing what the pros do for solder joints. Doesn't look that far off from mine and they have the proper tools


And even when done on a copper gutter

 

[Pure Diesel]

Jason,
I hope you didn't take anything I said as a criticism. Anything I've seen you produce or do has always been great.
When I did custom homes in the late 80s & 90s, I loved watching the gutter guys do the copper gutters and down spouts. It's like the stainglass guys. It's an art.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[2004LB7]

Jason,
I hope you didn't take anything I said as a criticism. Anything I've seen you produce or do has always been great.
When I did custom homes in the late 80s & 90s, I loved watching the gutter guys do the copper gutters and down spouts. It's like the stainglass guys. It's an art.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

No, I think maybe I just misunderstood you a little. All's good .

 

[036.6turbo]

Been a while since I did any activity here (on the forum). But we have been pushing hard to get our house / shop build finished up. 95% of the ceiling / walls are sheathed in OSB, Walls are insulated. Hoping to install the (2) lifts and jib crane before thanksgiving. Progress is slow at times, usually just my wife and me. But we're getting there.

 

[gassux]

Oh, I know all about the capillary action and creating a good bond. I've been soldering and sweating pipes for about 30 years. Galvanizing just doesn't wick up the solder like copper does. Doesn't matter how much or little heat you use it is very touchy. Too much heat and the zinc burns. Too little and the solder doesn't stick. Copper is 100 times easier. I used zinc chloride flux. It works but leaves a greasy mess that turns black. So while it may look like I may have overheated some areas, that is just the flux doing its thing.

I used a combination of propane torch and a 130 watt soldering iron. Preheat the metal and apply with the iron was how I did most of it. Some was all torch like the bottoms and end caps. I believe that one of the reasons copper is so much easier to solder is that it conducts heat better so it's more even and the solder flows around with the heat. With galvanized steel the heat is only where you put it with little conducting further away. This means the solder doesn't really flow. It will definitely stick and bond properly but only right where the torch or iron is held. So that's why it may look like a cold joint

But as they say, your last joint is always better then your first. So, I went back to some of the first ones and redid them.

And... Just filled it up with water as much as it will hold before spilling over to do a leak test. All good so far. I don't have a downspout installed yet so nowhere for the water to go until I drill a hole in it

Soldered the valley to the gutter
View attachment 125660

Lap joints
View attachment 125661
View attachment 125662

Inside the gutter. Notice the amount of black residue around the edges of the solder and floating around in the flux, I'm pretty sure that is zinc oxide that has been removed by the flux. Takes a wire brush, water and a rag to clean it up
View attachment 125663


Here are a few images I pulled from the Internet showing what the pros do for solder joints. Doesn't look that far off from mine and they have the proper tools
View attachment 125665

And even when done on a copper gutter
View attachment 125666

i live next to the hamptons and nearly every mansion has copper ornamental gutters, dormers etc. Looks pretty good to me for a beginner. I don't think they would put you on copper right away lol. Ian Roussel from the motortrend channel used to do copper work in NYC. Very talented guy

 

[036.6turbo]

More pics of the OSB. I am debating on wheter or not to paint it. Wife says no, she likes the wood look. At first I disagreed, but it's begining to grow on me.

 

[malibu795]

Is clear it with some deck coating to protect it

Also agree with the wife lol

 

[036.6turbo]

Is clear it with some deck coating to protect it

Also agree with the wife lol

Yeah, I'm thinking a clear.

 

[PureHybrid]

If it was plywood I'd agree, but I hate the look of osb. Paint it

 

[shakenfake]

Painted OSB looks like shit, unpainted OSB looks like even more shit. Paint it

 

[NC-smokinlmm]

Spray it and seal it up.

 

[N2BRK]

If it moves, salute it.
If it doesn’t move, move it.
If you can’t move it, PAINT IT!

 

[jlawles2]

Anything on the OSB is better than raw wood. OSB will suck up the moisture from the room which leads to it sucking up the lighting. A nice gloss finish will help reflect the light. Lighter paint helps even more.

 

[TheBac]

^^^ Thats something I never knew.

IM-uninformed-O, thats way too much osb not to paint. Hard on the eyes in raw form.

 

[malibu795]

Anything on the OSB is better than raw wood. OSB will suck up the moisture from the room which leads to it sucking up the lighting. A nice gloss finish will help reflect the light. Lighter paint helps even more.

Definitely agree!

 

[NC-smokinlmm]

If you sprayed it a light color it would make the shop seem even bigger than it already is. That is a sweet setup you have there sir.