[john70t]

Thanks for the replies, and thanks for that especially good tip Bill.

Ended up with an out-of-round copper pipe end which will have to be cut back or more.
Didn't think I had wrenched on that section of pipe.
Perhaps maybe from the last guy suffering this.

At the store I also wasn't able to find any type of internal pipe-expander tool for 3/4" copper to make it round again (with heat of course).
Those tools are pretty common stock for car exhaust pipes...but not for plumbing?

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Went to the box store tonight and the nice gent recommended some extras I would have forgotten.
-At first he recommended a Shark-Bite flex hose which would have made the job easy, except only one was stocked which was too long.

-Then he recommended a common thin cast iron piece, but that wasn't the right part.
(Employees can be good but not great sometimes. We only understand what we experience.)

-Then he recommended stub fittings which looks about right, but the box store only stocked one length.
They will probably work. Will adjust as necessary of course.
Cold shower tonight.

-He recommended using MAPP gas instead of propane, which does nothing slowly.