Micro torch

Hi, I'm a newbie and this is my first thread! I'm looking to set up my own little work bench at home to practice some of my recently learned skills. I'm just getting so confused when it comes to purchasing a micro torch. I will be using it for both soldering small pieces such as jump rings but would also like to solder larger pieces like bangles. Do I need two torches or is there one that would cover all of this? Is it worth spending the extra money to buy a proxxon (for the small pieces) and max flame or iroda pt500 (for larger pieces) or will a cheap cooks torch do the exact same job. Which torches do you recommend? Thank you :D

I would recommend the Smiths little torch, which will cover all that however they are expensive and require gas cylinders, many people seem get along ok with a simple LPG torch, although from my experience when it come to melting
metal and heating large pieces they struggle.

Another recommendation for the Smiths torch from me although if it is out of budget then the Sievert would be my second choice.

I started a couple of months ago with a soldering torch from b&q that cost about £13 and was powered by an aerosol sized gas can. I used it successfully for annealing, soldering ring joints and balling ends of wire but even though it claimed to have a 'fine flame' in reality it was far too fierce for anything requiring real precision. Also though it wasn't heavy it was a little bulky in the hand.

This week I've bought the basic jewellers hand torch from Cooksons and have tested it out on a few projects - it is infinitely better, definitely worth the extra money and at £28 it is still very affordable. It runs on butane lighter fuel that I can buy in my local corner shop, which is also very handy.
http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery...prcode-999-955
Using this torch I can now make pieces with more than one solder joint and as an added bonus I no longer feel the need to clear my entire work bench for fear of accidentally setting fire to the stuff around me! From my test pieces so far, I think i'll be able to do a lot of different projects with this torch and it doesn't feel like I'm going to outgrow it any time soon.
I don't think it would be up to the job of melting things for casting, but that might actually be something the b&q one turns out to be good for. I also haven't used metal clay yet so I don't know how it would cope with torch firing those sorts of pieces, though I suspect it might not be great for that.

Longer term I think torches powered by the big gas cylinders may well be more cost effective for the fuel and they will perform a greater range of tasks, but its a much bigger investment at the outset. As a beginner there are likely to be are lots of other shiny things you'll want to buy too so my best advice is to have a good think about what else you want/need besides the torch before you splash out on one really expensive tool.

A hand held micro torch wouldn't be able to solder bangles unless perhaps very thin ones, hence why I didn't consider that as an option for Leanne albeit a far cheaper alternative.

I did wonder whether the hand torches would do the thicker metal of bangles, they're not something i've tried to make so far. Actually as long as its not anything super delicate on a bangle the b&q one might do the job for me as I've already got it, though its not one I'd recommend for anyone choosing new tools for themselves.

Thank you so much to all of you! Eekoh you are right in the fact that as I'm only just starting out there is a lot I want to buy so trying to budget the best for the equipment I actually need to start practicing. However I definitely want to eventually solder bangles so thinking longer term it may be best just to get the torch I'll end up getting anyway!

China/enigma is the smiths little torch far better than the Sievert as I notice there is a huge difference in price? With the Sievert is the beginners torch ok or is it best to go for the professional one? On one hand I don't want to spend too much as I have a lot to buy but on the other hand I'm hoping it's a cost I'll only have to pay out once for at least a few years so want to get something that I won't outgrow. Also do you need extra fixings/nozzles to adapt to the type of flame you want i.e one for soldering jump rings and one for bangles or is it the case of just turning the gas up and down? Finally (sorry for all the questions) are these torches ok to be using in spare bedroom?! (The huge gas cylinders look scary!!)

Thanks xx

So much has been said on this subject over the years, that it's best really to browse the threads. Unfortunately the link gets corrupted if I try to post it, so do this:
On the top right, click on advanced search. Then enter the key word torch, followed by search now. All your questions will be answered. Dennis.

Its worth shopping around for the bigger torches. For example Cookson's sell the Sievert Pro 86 for £150 but you can get it for about £80 at Hamiltons Gas Products. The main difference I can see in the specs is that Cooksons is supplied with with a fixed regulator and Hamiltons provide an adjustable one.
https://gasproducts.co.uk/gas-blow-t...torch-kit.html
http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery...rch&channel=uk
Unfortunately they don't sell the Smiths Little Torch though.

Im not sure that house insurance covers you to have gas cylinders inside? Especially not with oxygen?
I bought the Sievert set with 3 nozzles to begin with and tbh I wish I had just bought the Smiths torch first as I find it a million times better but I know others are perfectly happy with their Sievert.
The beauty of the Smiths is that it is such a concentrated heat that you can solder the tiniest trickiest jobs like baskets for small stones with hard solder all over without risk of melting your early joints.
At the same time you can solder huge bangles, and actually if you are as lazy as me thats with the same nozzle despite them coming with about 4 /5 separate nozzles.
The Sievert is reasonably scopey but it has quite a sizeable flame compared to the Smiths so much trickier for small jobs and the nozzle you need for large pieces scares the heck out of me as the flame is huge.
Plus people often seem to get flare ups with them.

In any case all this info may be redundant if you can't have either in your bedroom....

I've had a sievert forever and have rarely used anything but the middle burner. I need the big one for cuffs but the noise scares the bejesus out of me and it took a bit of getting used to!

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Originally Posted by LeanneMary92

Hi, I'm a newbie and this is my first thread! I'm looking to set up my own little work bench at home to practice some of my recently learned skills. I'm just getting so confused when it comes to purchasing a micro torch. I will be using it for both soldering small pieces such as jump rings but would also like to solder larger pieces like bangles. Do I need two torches or is there one that would cover all of this? Is it worth spending the extra money to buy a proxxon (for the small pieces) and max flame or iroda pt500 (for larger pieces) or will a cheap cooks torch do the exact same job. Which torches do you recommend? Thank you :D

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Before you make any decision, read this:using-propane-gas-250913.pdf

The smallest propane tank that I know you can use with any torch is 3.9Kg and even this tank is not recommended to be used indoors.

See this guide: which-gas-bottle?

I personally think your choice is limited by the fact that you are working inside your home.

IMHO: You should stick with a small handheld butane torch because as you say, these are even sold as a Kitchen Blow Torch. I wouldn't consider anything bigger until you have a dedicated workshop outside of your home.

I thought that might be the case.
The other option would be to have the bottle outside with a piped supply and switch off valve inside but probably a bit awkward if its an upstairs bedroom.
Realistically I think if you are just starting out then get a handheld torch for now and accept its limitations.

I was worried these would be too much for a bedroom. In that case can anyone recommend the best micro torch that both gets the hottest (for thinner bangles as I think that's all id be limited to) but also a fine enough flame for smaller pieces?

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There is actually a good alternative that might work, and that's an orca (EZ Torch) with an adapter to allow you to use MAPP gas (which comes in much smaller bottles. I much prefer the orca to the sievert in terms of balance and air flow adjustability. It's more than enough for bangles and even small casting jobs and you can get a very nice small flame too. I have a little torch, but still tend to default to handheld or the EZ a lot of the time because of the sheer convenience and ease of use.

https://www.bettsmetalsales.com/p-Ez-Torch-Kit/
https://www.bettsmetalsales.com/p-Ez...ode=TOOLSSAGR8 - ask them to make it up with a suitable length of hose for your workspace

this works with the 400g disposable MAPP cylinders, which are available at most plumbing and DIY stores (the yellow cannisters)

The good thing is that if you move to a dedicated workspace, you can easily switch over to a large propane bottle using the original fittings for the torch.

You will need a re-fillable micro torch for thin rings, jump rings and chains, so you might as well shop for the cheapest on line.

Soldering a bangle however thin, is quite a different matter, because its size aids the loss of heat so fast that it won't get hot enough to solder with a small torch.

There are larger hand held torches, but you will probably need two (or one of each) used together, for bangles.

Thank you both, very helpful. I might therefore get a cheap handheld and also the orca on the provision that MAP gas can be used in a bedroom.
George - do you know whether this is ok to use inside the house?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by LeanneMary92

Thank you both, very helpful. I might therefore get a cheap handheld and also the orca on the provision that MAP gas can be used in a bedroom.
George - do you know whether this is ok to use inside the house?

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Do you have a space outside in your backyard? You could make a small work area outside just to do larger soldering jobs where you could use a larger propane torch.

Look here for some ideas. http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/garden-sheds

http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co....rden-workshops

I'd love to have something like that outside but unfortunately it wouldn't be an option at this stage

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I can't believe after about 2 weeks of research I've finally made my decision- yay! I now need to quickly make the purchase before I change my mind haha! For any newbies having the same issue I've decided on getting a cheap handheld microtorch I found on ebay with good reviews and will also get the EZ torch kit with the adapter for MAPP gas as suggested by mizgeorge.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to my first thread, what a fantastic community :-)

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Out of interest, does anyone know if an EZ torch and MAPP cylinder is hot enough to melt silver and gold? For example for recycling scrap and delft clay casting...?