Smiths Little Torch

[Nick martin]

Good afternoon everyone,

I currently have two blowtorches for jewellery making.

One is a large sievert that I use for melting and casting, and the other is a small torch for soldering and annealing.

However, the small torch sometimes struggles when annealing or soldering larger items so I'm looking to purchase a Smiths torch asap.

The confusing part for me isn't the torch or the tips, but the setup. I'm looking to use a propane / oxygen setup ( can't be bothered with the oxygen recycling gizmo ) but I believe I need flashback arresters and regulators and I haven't a clue what I'm looking at.

It's brilliant that Cooksons are selling the torch and the tips, but I need somewhere that can say 'Propane and oxygen setup? Okay.. Here's everything you need Barr the fuel'.

Anyone got any ideas which firm does this please?

Cheers,

Nick


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[mizgeorge]

Do reconsider on the oxycon Nick - it's cheaper (in the long run), much, much safer, and a doddle to set up.

[Goldsmith]

Nick, this is the type of oxygen regulator I use; https://www.weldequip.com/oxygen-regulator.htm it has two dials, one tells you how much pressure you have in the cylinder and the other is the adjustable oxygen output pressure.
and these are the flashback arrestors; https://www.weldequip.com/flashback-arrestors.htm

You just need a standard regulator on the propane cylinder, like these; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Propane-Regulator-Camping-Carvaning-Plumber/dp/B004TG4G1U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414074608&sr=8-1&keywords=gas+regulator+propane

I have a double outlet regulator and have my Seivert piped into the same propane cylinder.

James

[Wallace]

I have an oxy flashback arrestor, never used.

[caroleallen]

I'd agree with George. The Oxycon is much safer and very easy to use.

[Tabby66]

I switched from oxygen cylinder to the Oxycon.....I'd highly recommend it too Nick.....firstly it doesn't get your insurance twitchy!!!!.....it is easy to use and always there at hand....it doesn't run out.....by the time you've paid your bottle charge and oxygen fill/refill.....you'll soon recoup your money!!!

When I first set-up I used BOC....very helpful and did exactly as you suggested.....you need this and this....now just the fuel.....(but I'd still use an oxycon...I do still get my propane through them) ;)

[Nick martin]

Thanks everyone, and also for the links James.

To clarify, on each hose line coming from the Smiths torch ( one to oxygen, one to propane ) do I need BOTH an arrestor and a regulator per hose?

Does this also apply if I'm using an Oxycon device, and apologies if this has been covered a multitude of times before, but where do you folks buy your Oxycon device from?

Cheers,

Nick


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[mizgeorge]

Yes,
If you're using tanks, you need everything you can get on both lines!

For a propane/oxycon setup, you need only an arrestor and regulator on your propane bottle, and nothing on the oxygen line.

The best value for oxycons is from Tuffnell Glass, who sell very well reconditioned ex-medical machines - http://www.tuffnellglass.com/contents/en-uk/d103.html which are more than enough to run a smith's torch - in fact, you need to run them at less than 50% of full capacity. I've used one for some years now - though to be fair, I already had it for lampworking - and have never had a problem with it. It's safer, requires no contracts, and can be kept indoors too. Second hand ones pop up from time to time both on Frit Happens (the glassy forum) and on ebay.

[Nick martin]

Right.. I'm getting somewhere in my head now thanks!

It's visualising how it all links together that's the difficult bit for me.

Guessing that with the Oxycon setup I'm looking at about £400+ minus the propane but it's not a fortune I suppose.

Can I be really cheeky and ask one of you guys if you'd mind posting a photo of how the arrestor / regulators fit onto your gas tank please?

Thanks,

Nick


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[Patstone]

I use just a propane bottle with a torch like the Sievert, what is the advantage of using oxygen and propane.

[ps_bond]

Hotter flame and finer control over the flame characteristics - as Dennis has described before, changing a Sievert between an oxidising flame and a reducing flame requires a bit of work, whereas an oxy-propane mix you have simple direct control.

[Patstone]

Oh I see, but I solder very small things with mine and it works ok. I also have a handheld, in fact I have three different ones, one is like a blowtorch which I use for heating up bigger things, the other two are more like cooks torches, one has a very small flame and too hot for most things. I am quite happy with mine, it does what i want it to.

[susieq]

Right.. I'm getting somewhere in my head now thanks!

It's visualising how it all links together that's the difficult bit for me.

Guessing that with the Oxycon setup I'm looking at about £400+ minus the propane but it's not a fortune I suppose.

Can I be really cheeky and ask one of you guys if you'd mind posting a photo of how the arrestor / regulators fit onto your gas tank please?

Thanks,

Nick


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Nick - came across this cookson product review of the smiths little torch by Dave Wilson only yesterday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vf1nRf1YcY

Hopefully should answer a few questions.

[Nick martin]

That's brilliant.. Job sorted. Thank you Suzie!

Nick

[mizgeorge]

Slightly worried at this one. He appears to be using ptfe tape with oxygen. HUGELY dangerous. Regular PTFE contains oil, which can react violently with oxygen and should never, ever be used in oxy lines.

If you need tape, regular electrical tape is fine, or use special oxygen safe ptfe.

http://www.boconline.co.uk/en/products-and-supply/industrial-gases/oxidant-gases/oxygen/oxygen.html

[Dennis]

That could be nasty George. If this is sponsored by Cookson, they should be alerted.

A lesser niggle: He says that changing from propane to butane will give a hotter flame. I am sure in my own mind that it is actually the reverse. Dennis.

[ps_bond]

He's sort of right, yet wrong at the same time.
Rather than typing it all out, I'll be lazy and link to Peter Rowe's article about this -
http://juxtamorph.com/butane-versus-propane-which-is-hotter/

[Goldsmith]

Was I mistaken or did Dave Wilson on that video have the pressure regulator fitted to the Propane cylinder as it is the oxygen cylinder that needs the adjustable twin dial regulator fitted, the propane just need a standard BBQ regulator to reduce the gas pressure.
Also I am not sure if my old torch is a Smiths as it has a black and red pipe and the nozzles fit differently, unless they changed the design over the years.

67996800

James

[Dennis]

He's sort of right, yet wrong at the same time.
Rather than typing it all out, I'll be lazy and link to Peter Rowe's article about this -
http://juxtamorph.com/butane-versus-propane-which-is-hotter/

Well thank you Peter, maybe I'll understand it better in the morning. British Summer Time ends by the way folks.

[trialuser]

Slightly worried at this one. He appears to be using ptfe tape with oxygen. HUGELY dangerous. Regular PTFE contains oil, which can react violently with oxygen and should never, ever be used in oxy lines.

If you need tape, regular electrical tape is fine, or use special oxygen safe ptfe.

http://www.boconline.co.uk/en/products-and-supply/industrial-gases/oxidant-gases/oxygen/oxygen.html

It's coming from a yellow case which makes me think it may be gas ptfe tape (mine gas stuff is yellow packaged and my water stuff is white)
All the gas stuff (https://the-gas-safety.co/HIGH-DENSITY-PTFE-TAPE-to-EN751-3GRp-OXYGEN-SAFE-WHITE-12MM-WIDE-x-10M.aspx) I have ever used claims it's oxygen safe.
I didn't need to use any on my little torch setup though.
As far a regulators go, there is no harm in having an adjustable one with a contents gauge, I use an old acetylene one. I did find that one of the cheapo fixed ones did not allow sufficient pressure through to open the fba.

[mizgeorge]

I'm sure it is gas safe tape - nobody who has any idea what they're doing would dream of using anything else. My issue is that he doesn't say this - just refers to PTFE, and no novice would know any different, so would have no idea how unsafe it is to use the regular plumber's variety.

[enigma]

So can I ask a dumb question ?
What could you do with this torch that you can't do with the Sievert on propane?
I gather that you get a hotter flame so presumably its better for larger items but does it also allow you to work with stones in an item the way a PUK can for example?

[Nick martin]

The PUK system is a welder, so zero similarities there.

The big advantage for me, and why I'm looking to buy a Smiths torch is because of its versatility. it produces a hotter flame done my Sievert, so it's better for the occassional casting job as well as soldering and annealing larger pieces.

Nick

[Goldsmith]

So can I ask a dumb question ?
What could you do with this torch that you can't do with the Sievert on propane?
I gather that you get a hotter flame so presumably its better for larger items but does it also allow you to work with stones in an item the way a PUK can for example?

Sarah, you can control the flame while using it from soft and gentle bushy to a hot pointed flame, and it is a lot smaller in the hand than a Sievert and yes you can do some jobs without unsetting stones. I have both Sievert and Oxy/Propane torches and the Sievert only gets used when I need a large flame for annealing or soldering very large jobs and for melting up my lead blocks.

James

[enigma]

Thanks so much for the info James :)
Thanks Nick, its just that its called a welder on Cookies so although obviously I wouldn't expect it to be as clever as the PUK one for that price I wondered what sort of welding could be done.
I love my little kiln for casting, far less stressful than a torch on full =:-O LOL

[Nick martin]

That's odd Sarah and I wasn't aware they'd called it a welder. Pretty misleading actually.

A kiln is something on my wishlist along with hundreds more items.. It's never ending isn't it!

Nick

[Nick martin]

First of all, hope that all the very lovely members on this forum have had a fabulous Christmas Day. I've had a wonderful, generous and relaxing one.

Apologies for regurgitating this thread, but as I'm about to order the Smiths torch + Oxycon setup I've one more valid question. And as the whole setup is getting on for near £500 then I need to know I've got everything I need!

Everything's clear in my mind now. Only question remaining is how does the hose from the Oxycon machine connect to the oxygen line of the Smiths torch?

Both lines have brass hex nuts on which is fine for connecting to the arrestor > regulator > propane tank. But how does it connect to the Oxycon machine via a plastic hose?

Thanks all,

Nick


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[WitchfordSilver]

Hi Nick, my oxycon came with a plastic pipe with a green fitting to fit the outlet of the oxycon. I had to find an adapter that was fitted to the open end of the plastic tube. You might get one from a welding gas supplier, I got mine from a member on another forum.

You need to run the oxycon for a while to get the oxygen flowing, mine don't like having the oxygen shut for to long while it's running, so once the flame is out I just open the oxygen and let it hiss away. this can't enrich the oxygen in the room as the oxycon is only putting back what it took out in the first place.

A lot of money up front but I love my setup.

Merry Christmas and a happy time with your little torch.
Neil

[Nick martin]

Hi Nick, my oxycon came with a plastic pipe with a green fitting to fit the outlet of the oxycon. I had to find an adapter that was fitted to the open end of the plastic tube. You might get one from a welding gas supplier, I got mine from a member on another forum.

You need to run the oxycon for a while to get the oxygen flowing, mine don't like having the oxygen shut for to long while it's running, so once the flame is out I just open the oxygen and let it hiss away. this can't enrich the oxygen in the room as the oxycon is only putting back what it took out in the first place.

A lot of money up front but I love my setup.

Merry Christmas and a happy time with your little torch.
Neil

Thanks for that info Neil, much appreciated.

Good news to hear about the connector for the Oxycon end ( Christmas tree type I think? ) but its the tube > torch end thats bothering me.

I appreciate that it is of course do-able, but the last thing I want to do is faff around driving to numerous welding suppliers, explaining what I need etc. What I want to do is to buy the equipment and then setup ready to use once its arrived.

I know Im being a pain, but can someone who has this setup possibly post a picture of the type of connection / adapter that I need, or even better also tell me where I can buy one from?

Thanks all,

Nick

[trialuser]

Well, I expect this is wrong, but in the absence of any other replies, here's my setup.
As Neil said, the oxycon does not like operating against a closed valve, so I have put a Y piece in and have one branch permanently open, venting about 1 L/pm out through the partially clamped end. This still leaves plenty of output to drive the knock off torch, even with the big multi hole melting nozzle on :-)
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[Wallace]

I let the air run through the system without the gas, to relax the pressure for every first use of the day. It is a method that works well, is now a routine and means I have no running problems with it at all.

[Nick martin]

Thanks for the photo trial user.. Interesting.

So.. Am I right in saying that you've used the flashback arrestor purely because of its connectors instead of butchering the original hose on the torch?

As far as I'm aware you don't need an arrestor on the Oxycon line so it's my best guess!

If I'm right then that would solve my query. Presume you can buy the male connector on the rhs of the arrestor easily enough right?

Cheers,

Nick


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[trialuser]

Yes, you don't really need a flash back arrestor with an oxycon, I think they may have a small tank in them but I think it's more of a receiver than a full blown pressurised tank.
I used the fba because I originally worked from oxygen cylinders and had it anyway, and yes I just bought the fitting from a welding supplies place, I don't know what it's called, I just took the arrestor in and asked. I expect you could go from torch hose fitting to pushfit via an adapter but I don't know what it's called.
You will probably find when you start up the oxycon, it will take a few minutes before you are able to light the torch. This is because it takes a while to concentrate the oxygen to a high enough percentage to enable it to support the combustion of the propane. I think a brand new super dooper one will probably only get to 98% ish Oxygen, I reckon a recon one will be more like 90% - 94%, as you know, fresh air is 21% ish.
They are mean to be used by patients with respiratory disease and are used with either a nasal cannula or mask. These are open circuit and present little or no restriction to the flow produced by the oxycon. When you connect your torch and close the oxygen control knob, you effectively block the output of the oxycon. The machine then thinks the hose has a blockage or the patient is being inflated and gets upset and shows a warning light (although it continues to work). The way around this is to do something similar to what I have done, or just loosen the xmas tree connector at the oxycon so it can leak out.
If you get yours from Tuffnel glass you may end up with one like mine, the manual is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ehwjirssru381yh/515A-Patient_Guide.pdf?dl=0

[Nick martin]

Thanks once again for all the info as its proved very useful. Im certain Im not the only person buying this torch / oxycon setup whos baffled at the connection side of things, so perhaps the mods could make this a sticky thread so that others could reference it? Just an idea.

Im intending to buy the £235 model from Tuffnels although for some reason I do begrudge spending the money on the oxycon to begin with. Perhaps Im just being tight because I've not used an oxygen setup before and therefore havent been stung by the rental fees, or maybe its because I'd rather spend it on another tool!

Once the suppliers are back to normal business after the New Year period, then I'll place my order for both items, followed by a tour of local welding suppliers.. wherever they may be!

Cheers,

Nick

[Aurarius]

Please keep us updated on progress, Nick. There are other people in the same position as you looking in, even more in the dark about what you're in the dark about, if you catch my drift.

[Nick martin]

Absolutely. I'm going to post a pic by pic tutorial of the setup process and what bits are needed etc.

Nick

[Wallace]

The oxycon will be one of your most used and appreciated tools in no time.

[art925]

My system cost me 200 euros 3 years ago. The year prior to that I spent 235 euros in oxygen alone, not including the 7 years prior to that. It will be your best investment ever! Les.

[enigma]

Absolutely. I'm going to post a pic by pic tutorial of the setup process and what bits are needed etc.

Nick

I for one would really appreciate that Nick! :)

[susieq]

Absolutely. I'm going to post a pic by pic tutorial of the setup process and what bits are needed etc.

Nick

Thanks Nick. Will be useful for me too. Upgrading from a hand-held to a grow-up torch is quite a big step into the unknown as there's nowhere to road test what's available.

Susie.

[Nick martin]

Hello all.

Well the little torch arrived today and I'm now just waiting to order the Oxycon once business resumes after New Year.

In the meantime though I think I've had a bit of a success in discovering a way of linking up the Oxycon to the torch WITHOUT butchering the hose and faffing on with glue etc.

Photos and explanation to follow very soon!

Nick

[caroleallen]

I got my latest oxycon and little torch from Tuffnells and it came ready to connect. For some reason it doesn't work as well as my original one as the oxygen keeps blowing out the flame. Tuffnells haven't been very helpful and I've lost count of the times I've left a message for a call back.

[mizgeorge]

Try turning it down even more than you think Carole - some of the reconditioned units can be a bit more powerful at the lower levels than they appear, and that's usually what makes the flame blow out.

[Nick martin]

That's interesting Carole.. but do you mean ready to connect AND use immediately?

That's great if it's the case, but it's my understanding that they only come supplied partially ready to go?

As in.. Oxycon connected to length of tubing, but not supplied with the connector at the other end which attaches to the hex screw fitting on the end of the green oxygen torch line.

If I'm wrong then job done!

Cheers,

Nick


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[trialuser]

I got my latest oxycon and little torch from Tuffnells and it came ready to connect. For some reason it doesn't work as well as my original one as the oxygen keeps blowing out the flame. Tuffnells haven't been very helpful and I've lost count of the times I've left a message for a call back.

I had that problem also Carole.
Try letting the oxycon run and vent through the open oxygen side of the torch for 15 minutes, then it should light ok. (switch off O2 knob, light Propane, open O2 slowly)
Even with the biggest nozzle on, mine is happy with a flow rate of only 1 lpm from the oxycon, and this is restricted further by the oxy valve on the torch..
Because of the way the oxygen and fuel is mixed inside the torch (rather than just outside the nozzle), you are effectively trying to burn a 'rich' air / propane mix rather than an oxy / propane mix, if the oxycon has not concentrated the oxygen to a sufficiently high concentration. This 'rich air' will blow the flame out.
Nick, I think when you have all the bits in your hands you will find it's not nearly as complicated as you think it's going to be.

Edit:Tuffnel sell this stuff (http://www.tuffnellglass.com/contents/en-uk/d100_01.html) if you need it. I'm not with the torch at the moment but from memory, a coupler and a nut & tail might be what you'd need if you don't have them.

[Wallace]

I mentioned earlier about releasing the pressure. Open just the air valve and let the pressure drop. That takes no more than a few seconds. Light up the gas, open the air valve, and reduce the flame. as G mentions, it really doesn't need much.

Going back to invisibility mode ;)

[Nick martin]

Good evening all.

As promised, I'm going to post a complete step-by-step guide on how to setup the Smiths Little Torch using an Oxycon and a Propane cylinder.

I appreciate that lots of the more experienced members on here know all this stuff already, and whilst there was no difficulty in the actual setup of it all, it was mind boggling to begin with.

Part of the problem ( to my mind anyway ) was that in order to get everything up and running you're looking at around £450 - £500 if sourcing the torch from the UK like I happily did. And if you're spending a chunk of money on a bit of kit, then you really do need to understand what you're buying otherwise its hard to justify the expenditure.

Anyway onto the actual setup which was in reality very easy indeed, and as one or two members had already mentioned. When I googled the Oxycon / Smiths setup ages ago, info came back about cutting the hoses on the torch, gluing suff together, heat shrinking the plastic hoses etc, all of which were not necessary as I have since found out.

1. Heres my Smiths Little Torch. It comes as standard with six various sized tips, but I also bought this melting 'multijet' tip for £35.00. As you can see, theres a green hose for oxygen, and a red hose for the fuel. Both connectors are UK fittings as I bought from Cooksons.
7202

2. Heres the clear hose that connects to the Oxycon and the green 'oxygen' hose on the torch. This is the end that connects to the torch, and I asked Tuffnells to attach this for me so zero DIY needed!
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3. This is the other end of the clear hose, the part that attaches to the Oxycon itself. The green 'Christmas Tree' connector was pre-attached by Tuffnells too, and it simply screws onto the Oxycon. Dead simple.
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4. This is a picture of the clear hose connected to the Oxycon, and the other end awaiting connection to the green Oxygen line on the torch. Tuffnells supply the clear hose by the way.
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5. Heres a picture of the clear hose running from the Oxycon, connected to the green Oxygen line on the torch. I tightened by hand then nipped gently with an adjustable spanner.
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Part two follows...

[Nick martin]

6. This is a picture of the Propane fuel tank. The regulator that you see attached to the tank, is the one that I used for my large Sievert torch. As indicated on the photo, you also need a 'fuel-type flashback arrestor' for safety reasons, and this attaches to the regulator where the arrow is indicating. So the setup would be Propane tank > regulator > flashback arrestor > Smiths Torch.

My flashback arrestor hasn't yet arrived, hence why its not pictured.

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7. This is how the red Propane line would look when attached to the cylinder. BUT bear in mind the flashback arrestor would also be attached as per what I said in point 6.
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Then all thats left to do is to fire up the Oxycon and the gas. I must admit that I tried to do this minus the flashback arrestor in order to test the Oxycon machine. I only ran it all for about ten minutes, and it worked perfectly.

My machine was slightly damaged in transit ( filter cover broken ) but I suspect it was entirely the fault of Parcelfarce and not Tuffnells. However Martin was very prompt and helpful throughout everything, and he has kindly posted me a replacement cover which is great.

So... to then fire up the torch heres what I did.

1. Once everythings connected up properly, turn on the Oxycon but make sure the valves on the torch are both closed.

2. Let the Oxycon run for a while ( I let it run for 15 mins ) then open the Oxygen valve on the torch to bleed it, then close again.

3. Turn on the propane, light the torch until you've a six inch flame or thereabouts.

4. Slowly open up the oxygen valve on the torch, watching the pressure on the Oxycon, and adjust the propane valve until you get the flame you're after. For my initial test, it was a sharp blue flame for melting down silver. Worked flawlessly.

I'm sure I've missed some info in all of this, but hopefully I've also demystified some of the process too for the uninitiated like I was a short while ago.

Now I'm looking forward to using it properly once the flashback arrestor arrives, and I'll relegate the sievert for large annealing jobs I think.

Cheers,

Nick

[WitchfordSilver]

I tend to open the oxygen tap on the torch before I turn on the oxycon and then let it run for about 10-15mins then shut it and light the gass etc. once i turn the flame off- oxy first gass second I then open the oxygen tap again to let the oxycon breath.

Going to put a bypass hose on the oxycon line at some point to bled off a 1lt/pm or so to maintain a flow when the torch is off.

Whats you oxycon called? tufnells seem to give them all names

[Nick martin]

Mines called Doris, and she's a pretty girl :)

[Aurarius]

Nick, many thanks indeed for sharing this with us!

I've just got a couple of questions initially:
1. Do you know whether the propane regulator you've got there can be used with the small disposable propane cylinders such as are used by plumbers (http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Hand+Tools/d10/Soldering+Torches+Accessories/sd3158/Propane+Gas+Cylinder/p13125) or can it only be used with the refillable tanks like the one shown in your workshop? If the answer is only the second type, do you know whether a different propane regulator is available to make the Little Torch compatible with the small disposable tanks?
2. Can I assume from the fact that it's not arrived yet that you bought your flashback arrestor from someone other than Tuffnell's? If so, is there a particular reason why?
Many thanks!
Mark.

[Nick martin]

Hi Mark,

I'm not familiar with the small plumbers tanks but if they've got the same sized thread, then I'm presuming they'd work with such a regulator? If not, then just get a refillable one like mine. It's 19ltr I think, cost me £30, and it's still going strong over 2yrs later!

As for the arrestor, I didn't realise that Tuffnells sold them prior to ordering the Oxycon otherwise I'd have ordered it from them.
I ordered it from Weldequip about a week ago and should be here tomorrow.

Cheers,

Nick

[ps_bond]

The small plumbers tanks are what I know as Bernzomatic cylinders (although made by far more people than just them); they do not use a POL connector, it's an external thread. There are attachments that go on them (CF Orca), but AFAIK there are no "proper" single stage regulators.

[trialuser]

Mine's midge. I'd rather have a Fiona or Penelope or something
Something horsey

[enigma]

Thanks so much for sharing Nick! very helpful!

[philongold]

Wallace - if you still have the Oxyge Arrestor for sale - I would like it please.

Can you send me an email to philongold@gmail.com

Many thanks
Phil



I have an oxy flashback arrestor, never used.

[philongold]

Hi, it's philongold here again.

Just to get things clear in my head - Does the Oxycon replace the standard oxygen bottle?

I ask because I need some type of fine torch with Oxygen - I was thinking of buying the Smiths Little Torch myself. I understand I need two bottles - one bottle with gas like propane for example and one Oxygen, two hoses and two Arrestors (one for each hose). I will also need a Regulator - do I need one regulator for each of the bottles?

Does anyone have a second hand setup I could buy? If so please email me at philongold@gmail.com

Thanks guys and ladies

Phil

[Nick martin]

You're welcome Sarah. The other members will now be relieved I've stopped asking questions about the Smiths torch I'm sure :)

Phil: Yes the Oxycon replaces the oxygen cylinder. It's also a lot safer using the Oxycon. I used to be in Fire Service and know only too well the danger of such things and others have pointed this fact out too. Also much cheaper in the long term.

You also don't need an arrestor / regulator if using the Oxycon. Just for the propane.

Tuffnell Glass sell everything you need with the Oxycon, and just let them know you're attaching to a Smiths.

Cheers,

Nick

[Aurarius]

The small plumbers tanks are what I know as Bernzomatic cylinders (although made by far more people than just them); they do not use a POL connector, it's an external thread. There are attachments that go on them (CF Orca), but AFAIK there are no "proper" single stage regulators.
Thanks for the info.

[linda]

Hi Nick, thanks for all your info on the torch set-up - i've been going through the same thing!! Could I add one more point (again for someone starting out on this confusing journey!) - if you buy an american torch with american hoses then the process is the same except:
1) the (US) hose connects directly with the Oxy Con (the US fittings are the same as the Tuffnell oxy con fitting)
2) to fit your UK flashback & regulator you simply remove the supplied fitting from the (american) gas hose, and replace with a *for mecco midget, little torch etc* 4.8mm hose nozzle with ⅜" LH thread. 4.8mm is the internal dia of the hose i have for the Mecco, obviously others might be different... it's a couple of pounds for the new fitting.

I have gone down this path as I wanted a torch which i've found hard to buy in the UK (mecco midget) as it is most similar to the one I apprenticed with. After maybe hours working out what to buy where and how to fit it all together, this is the easy solution I found after trying a few different options (adapters etc).

Sorry if it's old news to everyone but me! ... I wasted £20 on a couple of dead ends before i worked this out - happy if I can save someone else the expense!

[Unhindered]

This thread has been a lifesaver! I had never heard of OxyCon before, do they come in different sizes? I also have a smiths torch but haven't set it up yet, I have propane ready but no oxygen yet!

[Dennis]

Hi Unhin, By putting Oxycon into our search box, top right, you have all the relevant threads at your disposal

I understand that Tuffnell glass are a good source. There are many users on the forum, who will no doubt be more informative.
http://www.tuffnellglass.com/contents/en-uk/d103.html#p66

Welcome, Dennis.

[Unhindered]

Thanks Dennis (delayed reply!) I have had my oxycon Trevor for a while now and hes great :) I got him from Tuffnells

[Nick martin]

Pleased you're up and running Charlotte, and its appears that most people buy theirs from Tuffnells.

Nick

[WitchfordSilver]

You can always spot a Tuffnels one as they all have been given names.:)