Meca Torch?

Hello, I am most appreciative of the on what torches
this group is using. I have the hoke, which I mentioned, and
the old acetylene from years ago. Where can I get information
on the Meca torch? I’m not familiar with that one.

Many thanks,
Gail Selig

Gail,

I use the Meco Midget Torch and am very happy with it. You say
Meca I say Meco. I purchased mine from:

Frei & Borel 
1-800-772-3456.  
P.O. Box 796
126 Second Street
Oakland, Ca 94604

They have a catalog and should be able to answer any of your
questions.

Linda Crawford
Linda Crawford Designs, Willits, CA, USA
http://www.jps.net/lcrawford

The Meco “Little Torch” can be purchased from Frei and Borel:
http://www.ofrei.com . I have been using one for 25 years and
like it better than the others I have tried. It is light weight
yet versatile. Melts an ounce and retips bead settings. Hook it
up to natural gas for general jewelry work. Propane works well
too and gives a bit more heat. To granulate use a huge reducing
flame. Use a hypodermic needle as a super fine tip: Square off
the end with a cutoff disk and just screw the plastic onto the
torch threads. For the largest work, try it naked. I mean, use
the torch with no tip at all! For greater ease of motion, use
fishtank clear tubing instead of the bulky rubber hoses normally
attached. Try it, you’ll like it. Alan Revere

 Hello, I am most appreciative of the on what
torches this group is using.  I have the hoke, which I
mentioned, and the old acetylene from years ago.  Where can I
get on the Meca torch?  I'm not familiar with that
one. 

It’s Meco (O, not A). Thats the company name, and Meco makes a
whole line of welding equipment. What you want is their midget
torch, and sometimes the torch is just called the midget. Most
larger jewelry suppliers carry it. Swest, Gesswein, etc. Oddly,
there was at least one year’s catalog from Rio that didn’t carry
it. don’t know if that was a mistake or not. But certainly,
the torch shouldn’t be hard to find. Contact C.R. Hill and Co.
in Berkley Michigan (suburb of Detroit) if you can’t find one
from a more well known mail order place. Hills the the main
detroit area jewelry tools supplier, and a surprisingly large
company for one with no web site, no catalog, etc. The price I
got on my Meco torches last year when I replaced a couple was
the best I’d found anywhere. But then, they’d known me for quite
a while. Talk to John, ask him what the best price he can get ya
is… I’ve moved from Detroit since, so dropping my name
probably won’t help you much any more. But what the heck.

Don’t have the number right here, but that’s what directory
assistance is for. They’re on 11 mile road in Berkley Michigan…

Peter Rowe

Hi Gail:

I happen to use the Meca torch and run oxygen & natural gas. It
works very well for all but the most difficult jobe which require
very high heat. These might be heavy sterling or platinum. It’s
a small brass bodied tourch which, when rigged properly, fits in
the hand & manouvers easily. Don’t use heavy clamps at the torch
of heavy hose. Don’t worry about needing several tips eather as
I find the largest one supplied with the torch does everything
well.

Good luck;
Steve Klepinger