Is my blowtorch man enough?

Edited By Steven Greenhough on 09/04/2015 20:32:25

click the little camera icon on the top row of the reply box and select the photo from the albums that come up.

If you can get it all glowing fairly quickly then it should be upto the job

I do quite a lot of work with copper and needed more heat than the Taymar-type torches give and bought a Turbotorch Stk-11 from e-bay.

**LINK**

I bought a double-headed one of these, mind you for only £50.00, and it is excellent running on propane, generating a vast amount of heat. To be honest, most of the time, I run it with just one of the barrels using a home-made adapter to replace the double version supplied.

Regards,

James.

This is the kiddie...

James, that looks a bit Sci-Fi! Hasn't the new baddie from the upcoming Star Wars got something like that?

Well it claims to be a brazing torch, so it should be able to braze something. In my experience even the smallest torch can braze/silver solder something, but it might be very small. I would guess that that isn't much bigger than a DIY blowtorch and will probably manage smaller jobs, but not a boiler!

Does it have a rating on it?

Neil

I think Coleman Taymar [as they became] is out of business now ... but here's a list from Farnell with some basic specs.

MichaelG.

I can't answer that right now Neil, as I've locked up the shed. And it's dark. If it means anything, I guess the burner diameter is in the 20-something-mm range.

It might be worth pointing out that the boiler in question is only 65mm long and made of 35X1mm tube, with a single 15mm tube for a flue. Cracker is a 'toy' loco at the small end of gauge O / 32mm.

I suppose I could try re-fluxing and re-heating my previous boiler, and see if the torch performs before having-at my new parts.

BTW, any updates on the Mega-Adept?

BT3000, 7th item down: "Extra High Performance..."

Thanks Michael. At least I can claim to own a top-of-the-range Taymar blowtorch

> BTW, any updates on the Mega-Adept?

Well having put the bookshelves back up in the (redecorated) living room I can now see the floor of my workshop again...

Neil

The clue is in the "clumps" of silver solder. Heat the metal to be joined and NOT the solder stick, if the metal is hot enough, the solder will run by simply applying the stick to the heated metal away from the flame, once the flux has melted and glazed.

KWIL is correct. But check on the grade of silver solder. Low silver content alloys (as favoured by most DIY stores because they are cheaper) have higher melting points and are more difficult to use.

Alternatively, when heating, place the components on lightweight refractory bricks or insulation blanket to improve your heating efficiency.

Keith

Seen the result under "what did you do today" Well done looks good, now for the next job!

Hi Steven...

I make copper and bronze jewellery brazed with a copper/silver alloy rod. I use a small cook's blowtorch something like this for small stuff: -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Butane-Creme-Brulee-Cooking-Cooks-Micro-Blow-Torch-also-Soldering-Lighter-/191487333413?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item2c9588d425

or you can get them from Aldi/Lidl sometimes. They refill from a standard aerosol type can.

For bigger stuff and annealing I use one of these: -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Auto-Ignition-Butane-Gas-Blow-Torch-Flamethrower-Burner-Camping-Welding-BBQ-/261851620361?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cf792a409

They use cheap gas cannisters like the ones you use with camping stoves.

The eBay items are OK if you're prepared to wait for delivery.

For really blasting big stuff for annealing I use a Bullfinch plumbers propane torch with the small refillable cylinders.

Sorry I haven't found how to do a proper link yet. Advancing years I guess!

Hope this helps

Malc