Hi,
I am looking to buy a Little Torch (propane, oxygen), however I live
in UK and not sure where to obtain the oxygen gas. Also, would the
nozzle fittings fit the UK gas canisters? Does anyone in UK have a
Little Torch?
Many thanks and best wishes,
Lilia
I think it is a waste to think about the little torch for Europe.
see the Swiss and German jewelers torches at:
http://www.ottofrei.com/store/home.php?cat=293
They are not cheap in the US like the Little Torch but MUCH more
quality.
All the European fittings are different from those in the US and
Canada.
You should be able to find better regulators too. The small ones
here give poor performance if you know what you should expect in
performance.
You can’t use European containers here and you shouldn’t try to
import US ones.
Someone in Europe should be able to help you buy something over
there.
jesse
I’m not certain that its the same thing, but it sure looks similar.
I too am in UK and many years ago I purchased a miniature gas
welding/soldering outfit that was made by a company called:
Microflame Ltd
Vinces Rd
Diss. Norfolk. IP22 3HQ
Tel: +44 (0) 1379 644813
I can’t find a website for them, but Sutton tools of Birmingham sell
them - here’s a url…
http://suttontools.co.uk/acatalog/Sutton_Tools_Microflame_344.html
The oxygen cylinder is refillable and the propane bottle is
disposable, or you can get a special adaptor to connect to a
refillable bottle. There are a number of different sized nozzles
available for the torch, including a twin-nozzle that is used for
brazing small pipes. I’ve had mine for almost 30 years and its still
going strong.
I hope this helps.
Regards, Gary Wooding
Lilia,
If you buy your Little Torch in the UK it will have fittings on it
that comply with UK gas fittings and gauges. If you have not yet
purchased your Little Torch, HS Walsh offers them for sale, see
http://www.hswalsh.com/Little_Torch_Kit_.aspx?i=TB40&t=120
You will need some extra fittings, a regulator for the propane
cylinder and a pressure gauge for the oxygen cylinder, along with
flasback arresters for both gas feed lines. The oxygen cylinder that
I use is supplied by a local BOC agent, you will have to pay a rental
for whatever cylinder size you choose either annually or longer, then
on you just pay refill fees depending on what cylinder size you
choose, I use a size F cylinder which is 86cm tall and lasts me at
least six months with regular use. The oxygen pressure gauges are
also available from BOC, I use a two dial gauge version. One gauge
tells me the amount of oxygen in the cylinder and the other gauge is
adjustable for me to me to adjust the pressure that I wish on the
torch, whether I wish a fierce flame or a gentle one. Here is the BOC
website
http://www.bocindustrialbook.co.uk/Published/Home/ref_0_2.htm
If you are not going to need a professional set up perhaps one of
the smaller Oxy propane kits will suit you, take a look at the Turbo
torch 90 which is a torch kit with both propane and oxygen cylinders
and it costs around UKP 16 see their website page
http://www.cupalloys.co.uk/turbotorch-90-i44.html
the company is in Chesterfield and they exhibit at some of the Model
Engineers Exhibitions held around the UK, I will be attending one at
Ascot racecourse in September.
Regards
James Miller FIPG
https://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/jmdesign.htm
Hi,
I bought my littel torch from Walsh in Hatton Garden, and am sure
they will supply the fittings you need. Also Oxygen is available from
BOC. You just open an account and they will supply you.
Barbara
www.silverunicorndesigns.co.uk
Hi Gary,
Thanks for the recommendation. How long do the gas cylinders last
and where do you buy them, after the gas run out? They look rather
small. I do a lot of soldering, so would probably need something with
larger cylinders. The torch, however, does look good (a bit on the
expensive side), but to buy all the bits necessary for the little
torch would probably bring the figure to that amount anyway. Also,
what is the length and approx diameter of the flame of the smallest
tip? Sorry, for asking all this questions, but the torch does look
good and as you said you used it for 30 years. So, it must be
reliable.
At the moment I have a sievert, which I absolutely hate, as it is
the (probably) most unflexible torch and the flame of the smallest
needle flame is actually very big and not suitable for detailed work.
This is my first gas cylinder torch, and the worst thing would be is
to buy another one like that.
Many thanks,
Lilia
Hi there
I use a Hoke rather than a little torch (I am cheap, though I also
need an upgrade), but after spending ages looking for a cost
effective way to get O2 into my workshop in England I opted for an
oxygen concentrator rather than pressurised bottles. If you are only
running one small torch, a 5 litre per minute O2 supply is more than
adequate, and mine works with all of the hoke tips I have (though it
might not quite be up to a rose burner for melting larger volumes of
metal). I have a gas / air sievert off of a propane bottle for all
of my larger work, so this does not cause me problems.
The O2 concentrator is also much less expensive than bottled O2 when
you take into account delivery, sundry equipment, the fire regs
around keeping high pressure cylinders, BOC’s charges etc. Mine cost
about A3200 two years ago and the power to run it does not come to
much. You can find refurbed ones on e-bay and glass bead making
sites like Tuffnell Glass. They tend to be one owner beauties as they
have a lot of life left in them when when their original users don’t
(they are almost exclusively ex medical).
No need for a regulator, just push some O2 rated hose onto the
machine output and stick the other end on you r torch, secure with
jubilee clips and you are off. The machines tend to have an output
dial so that you can control the rate of flow, use this as you would
your regulator. Low flow rates give very pure O2 - about 95%, the max
flow rates drop this to 70 or 80%. They also take a little while (10
to 15 minutes) to reach maximum purity, so if you are using a very
fine needle tip, you will need to turn on your O2 and let it run for
a while at the low flow rate or you may have trouble lighting the
flame.
Hi Lilia,
The refillable oxy cylinder was part of the kit - it is complete
with gauge and regulator, and can be refilled at any British Oxygen
depot, but better still, you can purchase a special "umbilical cord"
from Microflame that allows you to decant from any standard oxygen
bottle. A full bottle lasts me a couple of months.
I found the disposable propane bottle not too economical and
replaced the connector with an adaptor that fits the standard Calor
Gas bottle that I still use from time to time for driving my Sievert
torch for annealing.
The smallest tip is not too useful because its extremely difficult
(read just about impossible) to light - its intended for acetylene
rather than propane. The next one up is still hard to light, but
doable. The blue part of the flame is less than 1.5mm long and 0.3mm
wide - the orange part is about 7 x 1mm. I also bought the “swan
neck” and associated nozzles, which is extremely useful for melting
silver, gold and platinum. At one time, several years ago, I had a
really hard time getting my oxy bottle refilled (I have a long drive
to my nearest BO depot), so decided to supplement the Microflame gear
with a water torch. In case you don’t know about water torches, they
are devices that generate oxygen and hydrogen from water. It is
basically a box that contains some water and a lead that connects to
an electrical socket. There is a single tube to a small torch that
accepts little hypodermic-type tips. You just switch the power on,
choose a tip, and light the flame - the correct mixture (2 parts
hydrogen to 1 part oxygen) is supplied automatically and cannot be
altered. The valve on the torch is really used as an on-off switch
because the flame size is determined by the tip. The smallest flame
is even smaller than the Microflame (about 1/3 the size) and is very
easy to light. Also, there are no gas bottles to store.
I confess that I now use the water torch for almost all my soldering
work.
I hope this helps, but please contact me if you would like more
Regards, Gary Wooding