Swiss torch assembly issues

Hi fellow makers, I am trying to assemble a swiss torch system and having difficulty fitting the hose to the barbed fitting on the handle. I followed advice from supplier and used heat gun as well as hot water to soften the supplied 3/16 hose to barbed fitting, no joy… to my uninformed perception the hose seems to small, but apparently it is the hose proper to the fitting ( unless it is a USA size, and european size is different…but I suspect I am not the lone ranger in this difficulty. I talked to their tech guy, and he talked of applying a lubricant to the barb, which seemed wrong as nothing remotely flammable should be applied to oxygen fitting…Hoping someone here has some insight! My next step is to find a knowledgable torch repair person…Help! thanks!

Hi There! I have the same setup and went through the same frustrating process. Eventually I used insulated gloves and heated the hose with a heat gun, not so much as to damage the hose but enough to soften it up. While it was hot, I grabbed the hose and wriggled it on [quote=“artjeweler, post:1, topic:65951, full:true”]
Hi fellow makers, I am trying to assemble a swiss torch system and having difficulty fitting the hose to the barbed fitting on the handle. I followed advice from supplier and used heat gun as well as hot water to soften the supplied 3/16 hose to barbed fitting, no joy… to my uninformed perception the hose seems to small, but apparently it is the hose proper to the fitting ( unless it is a USA size, and european size is different…but I suspect I am not the lone ranger in this difficulty. I talked to their tech guy, and he talked of applying a lubricant to the barb, which seemed wrong as nothing remotely flammable should be applied to oxygen fitting…Hoping someone here has some insight! My next step is to find a knowledgable torch repair person…Help! thanks!
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Hi There! I have the same setup and went through the same drill trying to get the hoses on. After I got the same response from their tech person, I grabbed a pair of insulated gloves and a heat gun and went after it. I heated the hose well below the end to relax the hose. When it was hot enough to feel soft I grabbed the hose below the barb and started writing it on as fast as I could. I am not very strong but eventually got it 3/4 of the way onto the barb. Same thing on the other side. Once it cooled down there was no budging it one way or the other. I realized there is no room for the oversized compression clamps they provided and called them again. The person on the phone told me if I got the hoses on that far they were just fine and I didn’t need the compression clamps either. Apparently, the clamps are for people who can’t get the hoses on that far! That was 18 months ago and I have had zero problems since. I hope this helps because the information they provide certainly wasn’t useful!
Regards, Alaska Silver

I apologize for accidentally posting a partial reply. My new computer is so fast it thinks I’m done typing when I’m really just thinking. Half the time I can’t even find my cursor on the page. I need to slow the trackpad down again.

To all you persons struggling with getting hoses onto brass nipples, YES
of course you mustnt use any petroleum lube such as grease, BUT your not
thinking asking the right question.
Question? What is slippery? a traditionasl bar soap not gel, works
wonderfully.
Hot water first to soften the hose or even hot cooking oil if you can
check the temp no more than 200deg. C.
Good luck from a professional production factory where we manage all
our own tooling.
Ted.