How do I melt the side of a copper cuff a Home Depot mappings torch

When I look on Pinterest I want to know how the copper cuffs have been melted on the exterior. I have a map gas torch from home depot

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Can you post a picture of an example?

Use a really hot propane and O2 torch. Preheat the entire piece and then concentrate a small pinpoint flame on the area that you want to fuse. Be careful as it goes fast once it gets started. You can damage some tips doing this as they may not be built for this kind of heat. Good luck…Rob

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Thank you
So I’m guessing my Home Depot torch will not do it

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That would be my guess…Rob

So what torch

A gas/air torch will not get hot enough to melt copper. You’ll need to invest in a gas/oxygen setup. The Smith Little Torch kit that works with 1lb. propane and oxygen bottles is a good introductory setup.

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I use a Meco propane and O2 torch. I don’t know if a Little Torch will produce enough heat to fuse heavy copper. I use Paige tips in my Meco and managed to damage one fusing copper. I talked to Paige and they said that the #2 tip that I was using, at least at the time, was not designed for the amount of reflected heat that you get using them this way. They were also nice enough to replace the tip at no charge. While I have never tried it, I suspect that an acetylene and O2 will also work. I hope that this helps. Good luck…Rob

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Well I’m thinking of getting the regular smith torch do I need it I do flame painting copper now

Flame painting is different from the fusing that we have been discussing and I have done very little of it. I usually use my Little Torch to flame paint, but I still have a lot to learn.

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I’ve melted the edge of many 16 gauge sterling cuffs with an air/acetylene plumbers torch. Takes a smallish tip with a sharp hissing flame and serious attention to the heat because you can easily melt the whole shebang.
Judy H

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I have these torches,

  • MAPP (which I use for annealing and double sided sweating),
  • A standard welder’s oxy/acetylene torch which can be outfitted with various tips of sizes and configurations which I use for large brazing projects, (good for steel welding too which I am terrible at)
  • A regular acetylene torch outfitted with various tips which is great for most all soldering, and a
  • a Smith Little Torch, an oxy/acetylene setup, which also can be modified with various tips. It can be very powerful and concentrated so that it is focused to very small areas without cooking the entire piece. This what I would use to melt those edges on copper.

If you do purchase the oxy/acetylene tanks and regulators you can use them interchangeably with last three setups. Oxygen and acetylene and equipment
are readily available from local welders/gas suppliers.

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Is it possible to do this with a #7 tip or the Rosebud tip on the Propane/Oxy Smith Little Torch?..thanks for the picture…interesting effect…all I have is a Little Torch.

I don’t know. I work with 18 gauge copper sheet. It is fairly easy to find and not very expensive. Try it with your torch tips and let us know. Remember to preheat the entire piece. You might also build a small heat reflective area out of firebrick if you have trouble generating enough heat. Depending on how you want the edge to look, you need to account for gravity and how the flame velocity will push the temporarily melted copper around. Good luck…Rob

I have some 18g
so I’ll give it a try…need to get some firebricks…they have been on my wish list for some time now…thanks!

Good luck, let us know how it goes…Rob

I got my firebricks from a fireplace construction company in the area. Had to drive to stay in the area. Sold by the box only, but sold what I did not need to local jewelers. Cost was about $1.00 each.

Will it work better than the Meca

The Mapp torch doesn’t have the variety of tips and thus the ability to focus the flame that you can get with a Meco Midget. The answer is you can melt big chunks with the Mapp torch, you can make pretty scallops with the Meco.

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Since you don’t have a torch hot enough, you can get a nice look on the edge by hammering.

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