Silver soldering torches

Hi All,

I am based in Canada and finding it difficult to locate a hand torch that can be connected to a propane tank for silver soldering a boiler. I am looking for something similar to a Bullfinch torch....the only thing i can find is froma company called Sievert in the states which are very expensive....importing a Bullfinch would give me connection problems to a gas tank and i would likely have to change the regulator.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? WHat other makes are out there and where can i buy them from in Canada?

Thanks

Matt

Hi Matt, I've been looking for good but affordable propane-only torch assys for silver soldering here in Ontario Canada for over 30 years now. Your choices are a) Sievert from USA at huge cost, b) making tank fitting adapters for European or British equipment and paying duty tax etc to import it, or c) learn to silver solder with oxy acetylene equipment. Air / acetylene torches intended for plumbing are also available but may not have enough heat for a boiler job. They will do small fittings and parts though.

O-A tanks / torch equipment is also not cheap but you can do a huge variety of jobs with it as well as silver soldering. Bronze welding, steel welding, heating heavy sections for bending or forging, heating rusted fasteners and parts for vehicle and machine repairs, cutting heavy steel sections and many more jobs can be done with an O-A set. It is commonly available at several welding supply firms in Ontario and across Canada. Praxair in Elmira Ontario have been very supportive for my O-A welding supplies.

In my opinion O-A's your best value for money and very available. It does take practice to not overheat things when silver soldering though, the flame is generally hotter than optimal for silver soldering.

Hi Matt,

I am using Sivert torches, similar to this, for my silver soldering. I have had them for many years and they work well for what I do. Yes, Sivert torches are expensive, but in my opinion you get what you pay for.

Thor

These look very interesting !
**LINK**
BobH

Hi Matt,

Sievert torches are certainly amongst the best in the world.

Look over the water not just the hedge for supplies

The cost of sending a box 25 x 25 x 25cm weighing 10 kg can from the uk to Ontario is about £50.

10 kg covers the weight of a torch, hose, regulator neck tube and a burner. It will cover the weight of several more burners.

Work out what you need and ask for a price.The ex-works prices are available here **LINK**

I will leave it to youto establish any import duty

Email Shaun or Glen. I've retired!

Regards

Keith

Look on ebay for " Jewelers Torch "

One thing to watch out for Matt is that the Prest-O-Lite (POL) connectors used on Propane cylinders in the UK may not be suitable in Canada (according to Wikipedia the POL connection is illegal in the US **LINK** - I assume as you are thinking of buying from the US that the same is true in Canada). As a result you may be better to import the torch, nozzles and hose but buy a regulator (or a hose failure valve) locally to suit the available cylinders.

Brian

If you want to import Sievert torches from the UK try these guys, they are very much cheaper than anywhere else I've seen.

**LINK**

Have you tried Mapp gas with torch?

Available from Home Depot supposedly..about 68$

 

**LINK**

I've got a new Sievert torch for sale in classified ads right now!

Regards,

Vernon

Matt

The torch I use is a Rexo-Therm Pro-Torch which I bought from the Liquid Air welding dealer in Winnipeg in the mid 80"s. I believe it cost about $80 at the time. It is a modular unit consisting of different types of handle, different lengths of neck tubes and different burners. The one I got has a trigger handle which allows for a pilot flame, a 8" long neck tube and 3 burners, 1 1/4", 1 5/8" and 2" dia. It has easily handled making 3 copper boilers (a 3 1/2' and 5" loco and a small stationary one). The company appears to still be in business but a Google search doesn't show a web site but only multiple business site listings for it in Etobicoke referencing various heating products including the Pro-Torch. An inquiry to local welding supply outlet might produce something. I hope this may be of some help.

John

Matt ... one of the replies above was from Brian Sweeting ... he mentions MAP gas ... these are cylinders made by ROTHENBERGER and they are absolutely FANTASTIC ... the torches are in several sizes and there are propane cylinders available as well as MAPP gas ... incidentally, Rothenberger sold MAPP gas 10 years ago and what I could purchase locally then became MAP gas over the years ( MAP gas, not MAPP gas ) ... it was not quite as hot as MAPP gas ... anyway, Rothenberger seem to have changed back to the original MAPP gas.

I have been using a small and a large Rothenberger torch for a long time ... my boilers and gas tanks are certainly not the size of 3.5" or 5" locos but for smaller jobs they are FANTASTIC ... the flame will cheerfuly melt brass and copper ... at full blast, be careful where you point it !

The address given on one of the cylinders is ... Worthington Cylinder Corporation, Columbus, Ohio ... I assume it is not too difficult to get things into Canada from there ???

martin

That is an incorrect assumption. Many things can come easily across the US border but certainly not all. There are all manner of Canadian restrictions on incoming goods and shipping. Many carriers will not carry gas cylinders. Costs of shipping, brokerage, duty and sales tax can easily exceed value of goods. A careful check of the totals, and the category of the goods for shipment are critical before ordering from the USA unless unlimited funds are available.

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies and information. I already have one of the burners Brian mentioned (https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.mapp-kit-with-ts4000-gas-cylinder.1000538341.html) but my concern with that is that its not going to be enough to get the 6" pipe hot enough to silver solder. What i was thinking to do was use a 'general' burner to get the assembly hot and then use my MAPP gas burner to actually do the soldering.

The other thing is that i will have alot of annealing to do so theres no way i will have enough gas (guessing).

Bullfinch have a cheap standard handle and cheap burner attachments, i am wondering if i could use a Canadian BBQ regulator and one of those handles??

And to the comment about POL gas fittings, they are not used here. Hence i would have to source a regulator locally

Matt,

May I suggest that to contact Bullfinch ?

When I enquired recently about their TinyReg, I received a prompt and hielpful personal response from the Technical Manager [Christopher Andrews].

MichaelG.

I have used LPG and oxygen with a standard O A torch for brazing, the connector needs to be changed to fit the standard LH thread on the LPG cylinder. With a cutting torch it makes quite a good job of cutting steel plate, maybe not as neat as with O A, but the cut edge is not as hard.

Just a hint, use a size larger tip than you would with O A, and no you can't weld with it.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 07/10/2017 12:29:01

Matt - (Also in Canada...)

I've got a Sievert, purchased a few decades ago now. I've also got an air/acetelyne torch, "prestolite" sounds like the makers' name. It's used in refrigeration, etc. Yes, both were expensive, but, they "just work" without hassle, so (to me) were worth the price.

The Prestolite torch is pinpoint focused heat, has burners where the air goes down the tube from the handle, and screams like a banshee. Got it from the local welding place.

The Sievert torch, the burners I have are NOT the "air goes down tube" type, so if I stick the burner anywhere inside a compartment (firebox stay soldering...) it tends to go out. Something to watch out for.

If you are looking for straight "oomph", look at what people do for burning weeds out - Princess Auto used to sell big torches, with long handles, for burning weeds. Maybe Lee Valley, too.

As others have mentioned, the connectors to tanks may be difficult. The Sievert regulator I have does have the left hand thread that screws into the inside threads of our propane (Bbq) tanks.

Maybe also look on kijiji.ca - and ask local model engineers, and see what's available in your area.

Matt ... if my suggestion above is not much use, then why not try the local plumbers and the local builders merchants ... surely some of them must use similar styles of large torches.

Especially the ones who mend lead roofs or felt roofs ... I do assume that these type of roofs do exist ???

I know I could be wrong about the roofs ... but there must be some types of engineers locally who use large torches as part of their profession ??