What are your opinions on the Paige soldering tips? Do you see better performance in your soldering from using the regular tips that came with the Smith Little Torch?
I am not about the Smith Torch, but they have made a big difference in my Meco Midget on propane. Paige is also great to work with…Rob
I bought them for my Little Torch and the Meco midget. They don’t work for me as well as the regular tips that came with the torches. When I would try to solder with them, the joints were not as strong and I had some joints actually break and I had to solder them again using the tips that came with the torch. They may work well if you are soldering gold but I work with silver and I had to quit using them. I also use propane and oxygen. I usually use a #5 tip on the Little torch and didn’t know which Paige tip would be comparable to that so that may be part of the problem.
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Got the full set for my little torch. Use propane/oxygen and love them.
Thanks for your reply. I also use propane oxygen and I work mostly with silver.
Used the smaller Paige multi orifice for a belt buckle today. Worked great, far better than the manufacturer version.
Iona I’m having trouble with your statement. As long as you heat the piece long enough to see your solder flow and you are using the proper size tip for the task, the tip your using would not make a join “weaker”. A weak join is usually caused by poor contacts of the two element you are soldering to each other such as gaps or spaces (creating an uneven join with gaps so the solder can not fill or connect the pieces together) Tips you are using would not be the cause. How experienced are you with soldering?
I have been using the m3 and m4 paige tool tips with an smith little and oxy/propane tanks for a while and find them to give me a much fuller hotter and robust flame, there for making my soldering much better.
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Well, I have been soldering for 23 years and don’t usually have any trouble. I also am a stickler for the fit of the two pieces that I am soldering. But it almost seems like the metal gets just hot enough for the solder to flow but maybe not penetrate the metal well enough. I do not understand unless I have been using the wrong Paige tip. Like I said in my post, I am not sure which one will be comparable to the #5 tip on the Little Torch
Which tip is working so well for you?
Lona
Sorry Leslie. I reread your post and saw the size tip you are using.
Lona
The M4 is my fav because i get enough heat for nearly any task. But if i need a tighter flame I use the M3. Perhaps you might try heating up the whole pieces if your solder isn’t flowing well, and make sure you using enough flux. I love Prips liquid spray flux with the tips. 
Also building a Heat cave helps immensely if you are doing a larger piece like a cuff
Thanks for the tip and I will look and see which of the tips I was using. I do use Cupronil a lot of the time but have never tried the Prips. I don’t usually have any trouble with my solder flowing. Check out my website. It is www.lonanorthener.com http://www.lonanorthener.com/.
Thanks again,
Lona
Hello Leslie,
“Heat cave” is a great term. I like it better than “oven”. And, yes, a “heat cave” makes all the difference when soldering a large piece of standard Sterling. Argentium Sterling (AS) is a bit more forgiving on large or long pieces, so I’ve been using that alloy for those pieces.
Am trying to compare AS with Continuum and Sterlium so far as ease of soldering large pieces. Any input from others who use these alloys??
Judy in Kansas, who really over did the Thanksgiving feast…diet looming I fear.
saw your site… 
nice work. you can check out mine if you like -CLASSES & SCHEDULES — Leslie Kail Villarreal
I’m curious as to how you like the Meco i’ve heard good things about it.
@lesliervillarreal
I prefer the Meco Midget compared to The Little Torch and the acetylene/air torch. Although I still use the others if necessary.
I did check it out. Very nice too. I think we are at opposite ends of the spectrum as far as our work is concerned. Yours is very fancy and mine is quite simple but I always try to make sure that it is very well constructed. I also teach classes in my home and have since 1994. I looked at the Paige tip that I had been using and it was the M-3. I will try the M-4 to see how things go with that one.
Lona
Iona - I didn’t ever have much luck using Cupernil as a flux - you might try the white Handy Flux and use Stop Ox as a firescale retardant.
Judy Hoch
Hi Judy. I use Cupronil to cut down on fire scale and I already use Handy Flux. They both work well for me. I used Stop Ox several years ago and Cupronil works better for me. Strange isn’t it that what works for one doesn’t necessarily work as well for another person. I do appreciate your input though Judy.
Lona
Update: I did check and had been using the M-3 on the Meco torch. I tried the M-4 and it worked really well. You are never too old to learn new things, I guess.
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