The problem occurs because when you tip the tank upside down the
contents, which are liquid, get into the valve and come boiling out
into the torch stem. When the tank is in its “normal” upright
position that doesn’t happen and the torch works well because only
the vapourous form of the propane is passing through the valve, but
not the liquid.
Well here’s something you might do quite easily. The torch that you
screw onto the little bernz-o-matic propane tank has three basic
parts; the valve (at the tank end), the torch tip (at the “business
end”) and the length of the stem, that connects the two, usually
about 6" inches long. You could cut the stem about an inch or so
above the valve. Clean up the two cut ends of the tube and connect
them with a suitable length of flexible hose that will carry the
propane from the valve to the torch. There are probably some
sophisticated considerations about what type of hose to use - but
for what it’s worth I have one such arrangement I made about twenty
years ago using some transparent plastic tubing I bought at a hobby
shop - I think it is neoprene, meant to be used for fuel in model
airplane engines or something like that. You can also get this
tubing at pet stores where it might be used for bubblers in fish
tanks. Anyway, it is cheap and easy to cut. If you can find a couple
of really small hose clamps (Plumbing section at hardware store)
they will do to fix the tubing onto the stem. Or you can use some
soft iron wire to wrap a couple of turns tightly around the tubing
and twist good and tight onto the torch stem. Your only difficulty
might be finding a tubing of a suitable diameter, but it comes in a
variety of sizes and that shouldn’t be hard to do. If you live in a
place where there are shops specializing in plastics they should
have a wide selection. If you find a tube that is close but just a
tiny bit too small, you can stretch the opening by heating the end,
not too hot, boiling water might be hot enough, and then while it is
hot you can expand the end of the tube a bit by inserting a tapered
object - maybe the pointy end of a pencil if nothing more glamourous
can be found.
Do this and you can leave the tank standing in its upright position
on your bench and have the torch free to point up down or sideways
as needed. You could wrap some tape or other suitable material
around the stem at the business end, the part you’ll be holding in
your hand, so as to make it a comfortably gripped hand piece. If you
are using a large flame for extended periods the stem can get hot so
be sure any such additions you make to the “hand piece” are safe to
cope with the heat.
Some cautions.
1 - Remove the torch from the tank while you are doing the
modifications. 2) Fix the tank in place on or near your bench so you
don’t accidentally tip the tank over by pulling on the tube while
you are working with it. If nothing worse, it can knock things
around on the bench if it tips over.
Years ago somebody mentioned to me that this type of transparent
tubing is “not right” for propane or butane (whatever is in those
tanks) but my tubing shows no sign of wear or deterioration. It is
not under high pressure so It seems safe to me. Being transparent,
it would be easy to see if there were any visible changes occurring
inside the tube and I have seen none.
Good luck
Marty in Victoria
