Good soldering matt /alternatives

[Stanios]

Hi all,

Are there any good matts or other alternatives to standard "monument" stuff?

On my third matt while they do last about a year the biggest issue is they produce more smoke than the pipe being soldered! The smell is quite nasty too.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I'm on the bes cheap ones around 1.50 but stapled two together so far it's working out ok

 

[SimonG]

I cut a square of metal off of an old boiler casing.

 

[townfanjon]

I cut a square of metal off of an old boiler casing.

Lol great minds , mines a 6” square of alli 5 bar.

 

[sammathias]

Turbo torch extreme. Ain't used a heat mat for 2 years.

 

[townfanjon]

Turbo torch extreme. Ain't used a heat mat for 2 years.

But set 15 houses on fire mind lol

 

[oz-plumber]

Just find an old sheet of asbestos and cut it to suitable size with angle grinder.
That won't cause any smoke and will last for years

 

[Best]

Just find an old sheet of asbestos and cut it to suitable size with angle grinder.
That won't cause any smoke and will last for years

Oz, you love a wind up!

But will you last for years after grinding asbestos dust?

 

[Best]

A piece of Ceraboard insulation sheet (similar looking to asbestos) will do as a flat sheet where suitable.

 

[Phil]

I use a metal dustpan if i can fit it in, like last week when I wanted to solder a 22mm fitting right under a new expensive bath I just fitted.

 

[Scott_D]

press it!

 

[townfanjon]

Just use pushsh,t , no fires then

 

[oz-plumber]

Oz, you love a wind up!

But will you last for years after grinding asbestos dust?

I would not have posted the comment on the Public Forum.
Personally, I know of 3 Plumbers that have died of asbestosis.
The last one only a week ago.
Poor buggers, cutting asbestos flues, sewers, roofs and flat sheets with angle grinders for years early on in their careers.

It's a real shame that so many people were exposed to the dangers without any warnings from the manufacturers.

Collateral Damage: I think not - totally avoidable

 

[Welder]

Glue it now! Totally proven and will last forever blah blah blah

 

[Jim Goodenough]

Lol great minds , mines a 6” square of alli 5 bar.

I use one of them too - good bit of kit.

 

[Ric2013]

I think some people use Hardieboard. But it is not terribly different to asbestos, so use suitable precautions.

 

[Stigster]

But set 15 houses on fire mind lol

You joke but I had a heat mat/fire related incident once. I was putting a tee in under a kitchen sink for a water dispenser and used my mat as normal to protect the wall at the back of the sink. Fired up my blowtorch and the heat mat burst into flames! I grabbed my pump pliers and ripped the flaming mat out, ran through the house and chucked it outside. I had been doing a lot of oil work leading up to that job and my mat had somehow got kerosene spilled on it the back of the work van. I hadn't detected the smell because everything at that point had a whiff of oil about it so didn't really notice - until my fire proof mat was on fire in a confined space.

 

[Stanios]

Thanks for replies I'm thinking now better stick to my smoky mat than die of asbestos or burn a house down