Torches: What do you use?

[Elow]

Ive been using a little hand held butane torch for stuff on my own horns, but at work i use a big torch with a bunch of little nozzles that are super helpful. I can usually take apart stuff without burning lacquer because of how much i can control the flame, i cant really do that with my setup at home. Its also hooked up to some crazy expensive thing that does oxygen stuff or something, i dont know. Anyways, anyone have a cheap solution to get an acetylene torch? Or something that is easy to control?

[BGuttman]

A propane torch would be better than the typical tiny butane torch.

There is also a mixture of gases in a tank that looks like a small propane tank that burns a little hotter. Not sure exactly what it's called.

[Doug Elliott]

I think you're thinking of Mapp gas but it is not made any more.

[boneagain]

A setup that uses compressed air and propane should cover what you need to do. The repair tool companies have great info on those. Price goes up quick. The compressor needed is much larger than the typical home store version.

If you can't get a compressor and want to limit what you will do, you might check out the Victor "Turbo-Torch" setups. Still very pricey. I had very good luck silver-soldering a seam for a tapered tuning slide tube with one. But of course, there is no way to adjust that one down to regular soldering. By the time you bought the different temperature ranges you'd likely be up around the compressor + torch + hoses range. And you'd have quite a lot of hose shifting every time you switch soldering tasks.

There are good reasons why compressed air/propane is so popular

[Bonearzt]

For my every day soldering, I use an air-acetylene torch with a #2 tip, for larger heat needs I go to a #3 tip.

I also have a mini oxy-acetylene setup for doing small brazing where I want a pinpoint flame.

That covers everything I need to do.

[Crazy4Tbone86]

For a person learning to do solder work, I think a propane torch would be fine. Bernz-o-matic has great all-in-one torch tips that have flint starters built in. For fuel, the Coleman "Camping Gas" cylinders will actually produce enough heat for most of your solder work. If you want a little more heat, remove the torch tip and put in on a Bernz-o-matic propane cylinder. For annealing and brazing, you will need a stronger gas mixture......acetylene is probably the way to go.

I have seen many different set ups. One cool set up was a shop that had a natural gas line going to all of the benches. They had a specific soldering station that had that same natural gas line connected to it, but the line had a compressed air line to beef it up. For gluing pads at your personal bench, use a little natural gas. For soldering at the station, add a little compressed air. For brazing at the station, change the torch tip and add a lot of compressed air. It was really a great system!

[BGuttman]

Torch? I use a 5 D Cell

Oh, you mean an AMERICAN torch!

Note: Brits call an American "flashlight" a "torch".

[Crazy4Tbone86]

I think you're thinking of Mapp gas but it is not made any more.

It is probably a good thing for brass techs that MAPP gas is no longer available. I was advised about 20 years by two different techs on different occasions to avoid using MAPP gas for brazing. When I asked "why?" they both showed me instrument parts that had holes burned through them. I think the hydrogen in MAPP gas made it burn rather hot!

[Bonearzt]

Torch? I use a 5 D Cell
Oh, you mean an AMERICAN torch!
Note: Brits call an American "flashlight" a "torch".

NEXT!!!!!

[Doubler]

I use either a propane torch or a butane pen torch, depending upon the size of the work.

[Windmill]

Hi!
I use a Creme-brûlée torch for small stuff, you can refill it with regular lighter gas. Then a bigger torch with also the same gas, and a oxygen/butane for hotter stuff, such as silver or brass soldering, with different nozzles. No acetylene needed. Hope this helps

[elmsandr]

I think you're thinking of Mapp gas but it is not made any more.

It is probably a good thing for brass techs that MAPP gas is no longer available. I was advised about 20 years by two different techs on different occasions to avoid using MAPP gas for brazing. When I asked "why?" they both showed me instrument parts that had holes burned through them. I think the hydrogen in MAPP gas made it burn rather hot!

I now have a "Buzz aid" short leadpipe that I use in the car as a result of MAPP gas. Was annealing a leadpipe when I just watched it evaporate. Not recommended.

Cheers,
Andy

[brassmedic]

An air/acetylene torch isn't that expensive. You can "buy" an acetylene B tank and then you just exchange it for a filled tank when it runs out. If you're going to do silver soldering I would recommend it. Propane is fine for soft soldering, but you're going to have a hard time silver soldering with it.