Blowpipe on torch

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi Guys,

I’ve seen blowpipes on torches before, and I think I’d like to own
one, or at least try one out before I get sick of it and melt it down
for scrap.

Here’s the rub, I don’t know the professional term/name for these
devices, and cannot seem to find them on the net.

Now I can make one, but it would be nice to see the price of a
commercial product before I make a DIY version.

Regards Charles

2

Hi Charles, Here in the UK, some of our tool shops stock mouth blown
blow pipes and torches. I spent the first ten years of my working
life in this trade, using mouth blown pipes and natural gas for
soldering. I was trained to use a soldering system that used a bench
mounted Birmingham Sidelight for the gas supply and the flame was
controlled and directed by using a ten inch hooked brass blowpipe. I
have also used mouth blown, hand held gas torches and a gas torch
with the air powered by a small foot bellows. It was only in the
early 1970s that our workshop was modernised with the addition of
electric blowers and Oxy/gas torches.

This is the basic blowpipe for use on any suitable flame or with a
Birmingham Sidelight available from H.S.Walsh tools in the UK, here
is a weblink;

http://www.hswalsh.com/Blowpipe_Brass_.aspx?i=TB4110&t=120

They also sell mouth blown hand held gas torches, here is a weblink;

http://www.hswalsh.com/items.aspx’t=120&f=71&l=80

The attachment shows an old photo of my old master, taken in 1967,
he is shown soldering, at the bench, using a flame from a Birmingham
sidelight and his brass blowpipe.

If you need any more details please feel free to ask me.

http://www.ganoksin.com/ftp/001a2- P&B Workshop-1967.jpg

Peace and good health to all
James Miller FIPG

3 
Now I can make one, but it would be nice to see the price of a
commercial product before I make a DIY version.

Otto Frei carries commercial blowpipes. For blowpipe imitation with
propane, check article on my website “are you missing a blowpipe”

Leonid Surpin

4 
Otto Frei carries commercial blowpipes. For blowpipe imitation
with propane, check article on my website "are you missing a
blowpipe"

Leonid, your article is a very cool idea (pun intended). Thanks.
Gonna go make one. Hopefully, you don’t want royalties on the idea if
I’m just making it for my own use? :slight_smile:

I also use a Meco Midget torch for larger jobs, and it occurs to me
that with the larger tip sizes on this, or Hoke style torches, one
could modify your idea with the addition of a small sliding (or
threaded, if you use thick enough walled tube to thread the ouside)
sleeve over the tube with which one could adjust the volume of air
entering the side holes. That thought comes from the little butane
“blazer” style torches, where air mix is adjusted by a threaded
sleeve that one can use to open or close the side air vents.

Cheers
Peter Rowe

5

:slight_smile: I still have my blow-pipe soldering torch from way back when I
learned my trade. The design had a pilot light tube along the side
and 3/4 inch hollow ball at the torch tip. The gas was natural gas
and the air was supplied by mouth through a hose with a pipe mouth
piece. The gas /air mixed in the ball and made a very nice and
controllable flame. I did the most intricate soldering’s using this
torch. I only got to use “THE” gas/oxygen torch when I was working on
Platinum… all other metals were soldered the old fashion way. For
melting gold and silver we had a foot pedal bellow and a somewhat
larger torch.

Ah yes… the old times
Jurgen J. Maerz
http://www.theplatinumexpert.com

6

I did my first year of jewellery studies at Hornsey College of Art
in London England in the early 70’s, where we used blow pipes. After
one year I returned to Canada to continue my studies in Toronto. I
remember my initial disappointment that they didn’t use blow pipes,
but was quickly won over my the “modern” technology.