Torch

[Sandra]

I have one of the small handheld Silverline torches. I just went back to the workshop to anneal a hammered bracelet I'm in process of making and when I fired up the torch the flame didnt seem quite high enough but yet i was feeling a lot of heat. Well fire started coming out the bottom of the torch!! I kicked it outside in the rain and then dumped my bowl of quenching water on it. What could I have done wrong?

[LydiaNiz]

something stuck in the bit where you put the gas in maybe? I'm guessing you hadn't just filled it though?
I had one I returned once as it used to heat up when using so badly it got too hot to hold!

[Sandra]

I don't know. I had just filled it because the flame wouldn't stay lit. Even after I filled it and flames coming out the bottom it wouldn't stay lit actually. The thing is still laying on the pavement in the rain where I kicked it.

[Dennis]

Which torch were you using Sandra, was it this one?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-868656195mm-Butane-Pencil-Torch/dp/B000LFRRAA


Torches re-filled with lighter gas can easily be overfilled, particularly the cheaper ones. When that happens they flare up until the surplus is burnt off, but it can get quite dangerous. You did the right thing and had a lucky escape. Dennis.

[Sandra]

It was like this one: http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Hand-Torch-Please-Note-Jewellers-Torch-Is-Supplied-Without-Gas-prcode-999-955#

[Dennis]

Yes Sandra, torches like that are only hot enough to work with chains, jump rings and slender rings. Their normal flame is only about 5.0cm long. As stated above, some of the cheaper ones can be over filled and will flare from their burners like flame throwers until the surplus gas has burned off.

If they also flare from their base, they are dangerous and could possibly explode, so should be returned to the supplier.

Tools which are essential to the jewellery making process should be the best you can afford and should be bought from a reputable supplier. If you are looking for a small hand-held torch which will give out a fair amount of heat, some members have recommended the Nimrod PT500.

The available heat from a torch depends on the type of gas(es) and the size of the burner (the tube the flame comes out of) Many catalogues give the temperature of the flame, but if the flame is tiny, it will not give out enough heat.

The size of the canister (gas container) affects the burning time, but not the heat, although that declines when the container is nearly empty. Dennis.

[mizgeorge]

I'm starting to feel a bit like a cracked record on this one - I actually think Cooksons need to bite the bullet and put a decent torch into their soldering kits - the one you have is RUBBISH!! They break, flare, and scare the life out of unsuspecting users - often beginners, who are nervous about working with flame to start with. They don't get hot enough to do much, and leave people frustrated and thinking it's their fault when solder won't flow for them.

The proxxon version they sell http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Proxxon-Microflame-Burner--Hand-Torch-prcode-999-7703 is an excellent little torch, as are the nimrods - the PT200 or PT75 for fine work and the PT500 for annealing and larger pieces. All of these are much easier to work with than the larger 'plumbers' type of torch which are often better for bigger work, but are more cumbersome to hold, especially if you're new to soldering.

[Rob Taylor]

Hi

We sell a full range of hand torches across all price points and whilst we agree the Proxxon version is excellent, to describe the budget version as rubbish is harsh; we literally sell thousands and our returns are minimal, lots of customers seem to like them.
We are currently looking at the Nimrod torches we'll let you all know if we move forward on them. We don't supply Silverline torches and I've emailed Sandra separately about this product.

rgds
Rob

[Lucie]

Hi Sandra,
I had this happen to me a while back. Not sure if its the same thing, but with mine, it turned out that the gas valve was bypassing. It wouldn't stay alight (as the gas was leaking out) & the last time I lit it, it went up :-O
I hadn't been rough with it (unusually for me), it was just getting on a bit & had been refilled a lot.
Don't know if that helps at all xx

[Kate]

I have had two of the cheaper cookson torches and have a slightly different problem where they won't shut off and if I don't blow it out, a small flame still burns which is a wee bit dangerous. They will also leak gas until it runs out. I have a larger Nimrod PT500 for bangles etc and it is fab so think I had better get a smaller proxxon or nimrod for general smaller soldering.
xx

[FloWolF]

I've used the kitchen torches for a lot of my experimenting over the years, and none of them really cut it for anything, for any length of time, let alone decent sized silver soldering jobs except for the one I use now - being broke I couldn't yet afford a specialist torch, 'but The Range' had some quite beefy looking kitchen torches and they work great for me - decently large and hot flame, no problem soldering silver rings in the shed during winter, delicate enough for finer work if turned down, and only quite cheap at ~ 10 quid (if they still do them!).

Mine's work flawlessly for almost a year, and for really large stuff it won't quite cope with or to speed up heating, or to do a silver melt, I supplement with some extra heat from a plumbers torch.

Only problem for me is because this works well for me, it'll no doubt take me longer to save-up for what I really want LOL!

Cheers,

Shaun/FloWolF