Thread: How do I fix this copper?

I was fortunate to be lent a copper to boil down this year's roar head.
It's been in the garden for a few months now, so should be ready to cook.

The problem is, it has a hole, dear Liza. 3 of them actually, all about the size of a pin head.
I have thought about soldering, I do have some heat resistant knead-it type bog. But I'm really not sure and would like to fix it so it doesn't leak all over the gas barby while making head soup.
Can anyone school me on the best and hopefully easiest remedy?

Since it's copper could you get a bit of copper electrical wire and kind of braze it in ? not sure how hot it would need to be to melt. Small propane torch might get hot enough at the tip ?
Oh course the copper might be different copper to the copper if you cop my drift, copper

Maybe drill the holes out and use some closed rivets? They are waterproof and might be easier than trying to solder.

Tig weld it


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Originally Posted by muzza

get some rubber washers , some flat washers and some gutter bolts. Flat washer and rubber washer either side , tighten up the gutter bolts and no more leak. simple

But won't the rubber melt/burn?

What gear do you have? If you have access to a blow torch it’s easy to seal with silfoss.

in order of goodness of repair

tig weld
copper rivet
braze
solder
Keed it
sticks cut to shape and stuffed in hole

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

in order of goodness of repair

tig weld
copper rivet
braze
solder
Keed it
sticks cut to shape and stuffed in hole

I think I’d put the sticks cut to shape above Kneed-it.

After posting, I went and tried soldering. Cleaned up the hole areas with a scotch Brite and a wipe with a meths rag. Even with pre warming the copper with a small blowtorch, and a touch of flux, the solder wouldn't stick.
So packed some JB weld stuff (like knead-it) and have left it to set off.
Will put some water in tomorrow and try it out.
Failing that, maybe a plumber mate may be able to braze the holes. Will ask him about silfoss too.
The metal is pretty thin on the bottom tho, I dunno how good any repair may be.
Cheers for the replies fellas

Originally Posted by kidmac42

After posting, I went and tried soldering. Cleaned up the hole areas with a scotch Brite and a wipe with a meths rag. Even with pre warming the copper with a small blowtorch, and a touch of flux, the solder wouldn't stick.
So packed some JB weld stuff (like knead-it) and have left it to set off.
Will put some water in tomorrow and try it out.
Failing that, maybe a plumber mate may be able to braze the holes. Will ask him about silfoss too.
The metal is pretty thin on the bottom tho, I dunno how good any repair may be.
Cheers for the replies fellas

Did you use some plumbers flux before you tried soldering?

An old bottle of duzzel in the shed.

That thought has crossed my mind. The thin-ness sort of put me off a little, but it could work yet.

Talk to any plumber and they ll do it in under 15min.
Cut a piece of copper tube open , flatten and cut to shape so it covers the hole . A bit of silos and a gas torch heat applied carefully and you will be sorted.ideally, go to the plumber workshop instead of them coming to you, you ll avoid a van charge then.

Silfos it, clean it first

Will do, cheers guys.