Hi, I am an intermediate jeweler who has studied under a master
jeweler for about three years. I am in the process of seting up a
home studio and I am having trouble finding instruction on how to
properly set up and use a torch system. Most acetylene supply places
are not hands-on and will be passive about offering advice on what i
should do. The safety hanbook says I should be properly trained in
safety procedures before operating a torch system although I have
been using an acetylene and air setup at the school where I was
trained for three years now. I am fingind out new facts about
acetylene every day that I wouldn’t have known to avoid that frighten
me into thinking I am going to cause an explosion (such as the do not
set on its side rule). With my last torch system I had large flames
jutting out the side off the handle every time I extinguished the
flame (not the little adorable ones that are usual but huge
mushrooms). Of course the people who work at acetylene supply houses
will not take a look at this as they mostly deal with large propane
orders or heavy duty undersea welders rather than
acetylene/atmospheric air jewelry crafters. What extra equipment do
i need to buy; all I have now is a torch, no. 1, 2 tips, b tank,
flashback arrestor, hose, single dial regulator…
I had large flames jutting out the side off the handle every time I extinguished the flame (not the little adorable ones that are usual but huge mushrooms).
You had a torch that flares like that and you want to duplicate it?
While its true that one can hard solder with acetylene /air, it is
not a jeweler’s torch setup. There’s a host of reasons why, you’ll
find info pro and con in the archives, although I could never be
convinced of the pros of acet. Every professional jeweler I know uses
propane or natural gas or hydrogen with oxy but not acetylene/air.
Take this opportunity and get yourself a production torch instead of
a hobby torch. I don’t mean to sound condescending but make your
life easier and not harder. Sometimes you can be better than your
tools but its unusual.
Neil,
I consider myself proffesional. And have used a presto light,
Acetylene/air set up for almost 30 years, I even retip with it. I
also use hokes and the silly mini’s at the 2 stores I work at. I like
my prestolight best (it’s what I’m used too), next the hoke and last
the mini. But my presto light dosen’t spit flams out the side…if it
did I’d have someone professional (in the gas business) look at it.
Candy
Sounds like a scary set up to me… Propane and oxygen it will make
your life easier.
Sean
I teach a class in silver jewelry to seniors (up to 90 yrs) using
smith acetlyene and air#0 and #1 torch tips the first thing I do is :
get 4 peices of 24 ga silver.and flux them.On each of three put a
snippet of easy,medium and hard solder respectively. On the fourth
put a snippet of all three types of solder. Starting with the first
melt the solder(E), then(M), then (H) then on the last peice melt the
three snippets one at a time. Repeat with 26 ga and 30ga silver
It really works
Tom