Oxygen/gas Torch lighting

G’day - I too am a bit fed up with this one! But if you have your
torch fitted with an anti-blowback device, the problem doesn’t
arise. One device is the result of the invention of the miners
lamp which inevitably had a naked flame and thus cause the methane
(fire damp) in mines to explode. So it was found that if you
enclosed the flame in a ‘container’ of metal gauze there would be no
explosion. We used to do this at school: We would turn on a bunsen
burner and hold a piece of gauze over it, and you could light the
gas/air mixture coming through the gauze without a flame appearing
at the bunsen itself… So even a bit of metal gauze in the pipe
would help avoid blow-back. (can’t remember if it was Haldane or
Kelvin who thought of the miner’s lamp) They also use a one way
valve in today’s devices. Your friendly welder’s supply store
would sell you the device which aren’t very expensive, and would
fit on the pipeline close to the torch.

Cheers for now,
John Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua, Nelson NZ

Hello John,

    can't remember if it was Haldane or Kelvin who thought of the
miner's lamp 

Southerners claim Sir Humphry Davy, the chemist from Cornwall but
Northerners claim George Stephenson, being a steam fan I support
George but I was taught Humphry.

Tony.