Hi, I’m just getting my tools together to learn metal smithing.
Will a Bernz-o- matic propane torch with a small tip suffice
instead of buying the “Little torch” which is obviously much more
expensive? I really appreciate your response. Sally from snow
bound KY
I’ve used the “pencil tip” bernz-o-matic for silver and lower temp
14k solders, never tried to cast with it, but for soldering and
annealing it works OK. I put a little tape around some of the air
holes at the base of the tip to slightly oxygen deprive the flame,
and always use boric acid firescale preventer. Ben
Sally- Go to Sears and look by the propane torches, for a Craftsman
pencil torch kit, it will cost around $29.00 and hooks up to a
regular disposable propane bottle. It will come with a "free air"
tip, and a soldering iron tip. I have one of these that I use when
I’m being stingy with my oxygen, and I must say it has served me
well for all types of things, melting, soldering, or lighting my
BBQ. Tim from snow “challenged” NYC.
As someone who is also teaching herself the glories and mysteries
of silver soldering, I can only tell you what I have learned the
hard way: bite the bullet and buy the proper equipment where you
need it. The proper torch can make all the difference. You can get
a propane-oxygen setup for a little torch for far less than the
set-up for oxy-acetyline, and it will suffice for silversmithing,
which is all I do. My epxerience is that you can spend a lot of
money trying to save a little money.
Fantasy Beads
11254 Triangle Lane
Wheaton, MD 20902
(301) 933-8411
Gary Roman
My advise is to save yourself time and money by buying the wrong
thing and then end up buying the little torch in the end. The
little torch is far superior, and my motto is: you get what you pay
for. Forget the price and go for it!
Steve Dickey
chifsfan@mci2000.com
Hi, I'm just getting my tools together to learn metal smithing. Will a Bernz-o- matic propane torch with a small tip suffice instead of buying the "Little torch" which is obviously much more expensive?
I used a plumbers propane torch for the first 2 years of jewelry
making. I truly believe in reinvesting INCOME not prespending
money. When I had earned enough money I finally broke down and got
an Acy & Air Goss system and 5 tips and Love it! It is what I have
used for the past 7 years for everything INCLUDING casting. Joy
Hi, I'm just getting my tools together to learn metal smithing. Will a Bernz-o- matic propane torch with a small tip suffice instead of buying the "Little torch" which is obviously much more expensive? I really appreciate your response. Sally from snow bound KY >>
The only time you’ll need the SMALL tip is if you are soldering
very small items. If you are doing pieces larger than 1 inch, use
the medium tip. Your metal will have to get HOT before the solder
will flow. If you aren’t soldering gold, you don’t really need a
Little Torch!
Hi, I'm just getting my tools together to learn metal smithing. Will a Bernz-o- matic propane torch with a small tip suffice instead of buying the "Little torch" which is obviously much more expensive? I really appreciate your response. Sally from snow bound KY
Sorry, Sally, but if you get a BernzOMatic or simular torch you
will end up buying a slightly more expensive torch within a week.
Each month thereafter you will buy a slightly more expensive torch
than the previous until you discover that you realy can’t work well
without a Little Torch or its equivalent.
And then someday you will want a fusion welder and then …
Rich Balding aka Jerry Mings and/or Justin Witzig
mailto:@Jerry_Mings
http://www.net-quest.com/~wizard/ - Wizard Home Page
http://www.net-quest.com/~wizard/daphne.html - alt.fan.daphnes-corner
FAQ
Hi, I’m just getting my tools together to learn metal smithing.
Will a Bernz-o- matic propane torch with a small tip suffice
instead of buying the “Little torch” which is obviously much more
expensive? I really appreciate your response. Sally from snow
bound KY
I’ve been using a Bernz-O-matic for silver and gold soldering for
years. The flame is broader than the Little Torch, therefore
heating the whole piece instead of small sections. If you adjust
your technique for this you should be able to do about anything you
need to. When you get a Little Torch you’ll need to re-teach
yourself a few things, but the B-O-M will serve you well. You will
melt pieces from time to time (and just when you can’t afford the
time or materials) a little slower with the B-O-M than the Little
Torch. Get what your budget will allow,but get it and get going.
If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
Bobert
Carmel,CA
I've used the "pencil tip" bernz-o-matic for silver and lower temp 14k solders, never tried to cast with it, but for soldering and annealing it works OK. I put a little tape around some of the air holes at the base of the tip to slightly oxygen deprive the flame, and always use boric acid firescale preventer.
Hi Ben, Hmmmm, the very first torch I purchased was the pencil tip
Bernz-o- Matic . . . I still have it, but never use it. It
wouldn’t solder worth spit! My pieces are at least 1" x 1/4" and
this torch couldn’t heat the silver to the point of flow. I wish
it had . . .
My next purchase was the propane “silversmiths torch” which is
found in many catalogs. That one worked OK, but I still
encountered problems soldering larger pieces. It worked fine when
making silver chain. I, sometimes, still use it for that. But,
why waste money if one doesn’t have to!?!? Sterling silver MUST be
heated thoroughly before solder will flow. Gold, on the other hand
does not so “spot” heat will work when working with it.
BTW, what sort of metal are you working with???
Have a nice weekend!!!
..Hi, I'm just getting my tools together to learn metal smithing. Will a Bernz-o- matic propane torch with a small tip suffice instead of buying the "Little torch" which is obviously much more expensive? I really appreciate your response. Sally from snow bound KY
Sally,
I have been making silver jewellery in a home studio for about 4
years now, and I have made hundreds of pieces using a Blazer butane
torch and a BernzOmatic mini torch. The mini torch is basically a
hand held torch that connects to a disposible propane or MAP gas
bottle via a 3 foot hose and a primitive regulator. Both of these
torches cost less than $50 US (a bit more here in Canada). They are
simple to use and do not require you to have large gas bottles in
your home. They work really well for soldering SMALL pieces. If you
want to work on larger pieces ie bigger than about 1.5" x 1.5" you
will have to get something that supplies more heat.
Do not get the bernzomatic propane torch that has the tip attached
directly to the propane bottle. This torch is meant for doing
plumbing work, has a large poorly controlled flame and is not
really good for jewellery soldering. I have however used this type
of torch for anealing larger pieces.
Thanks for you good input! You are probably right. I’ll just
take a few more B & B customers till I can save up for my equipment
lust. Beads are also my forte as well as stained glass. I
figured, wouldn’t it be great to tie it all together into one
glorious creation! thanks for writing, I appreciate it. Sally
BTW, what sort of metal are you working with??? >>
I work mostly in sterling, and a bit with 14k gold (rings,
earrings, small stuff). I have found it difficult to solder larger
sterling objects (just worked on one of my largest to date
yesterday (about 2"x1 1/2" )and it took a lot of time to get up to
temp for med. solder). I have a recently acquired oxy-propane
toarch (Wal-mart, about $40) that uses the same disposable propane
or mapp bottles, and disposable O2 bottles as well, but I have yet
to fire it up. My experiance with the little toy butane and
oxy-butane toarches (like radio shack has) has been dissapointing.
Anybody want a couple of toy toarches? For small stuff (rings,
small pendants, sizing) I have been happy with the Bernz-O-Matic
even though it is a bit difficult to hold.
Ben
Western New York