I was having trouble with my soldering torch so decided to buy one like the one I use in jewellery class but the same problem has arisen and it's time to ask the experts!
I use a mixture of propane and oxygen. I have regulators etc. in place. However, leaving the oxygen aside, I cannot get a stable flame from the propane. When I go to light the flame it either has too much power and can't light or it lights but the tip of the flame moves. I have tired adjusting the regulator to allow less gas through but then it doesn't seem to have enough power. Please see picture attached as I'm probably not describing it well. Any help you can give me would be great.
This seems to be a idiosyncrasy of the Smith's Little Torch. I have the same sort of setup and usually when I start the propane flame is a bit unstable until the torch warms up a bit particularly with a #3 OR #4 tip. It soon settles down and works just fine. It could be a problem with the regulators. Mine are the normal ones used larger oxy propane torches that operate on higher pressures so maybe it's an issue of them not working with the same stability at the low pressueres used by the little torch.
Ahhh, the beauty do the flame dance. I tend to use tip six. The key I have found is a warmed up nozzle.. I often chuckle on a Saturday morning knowing that the torch like to play hunt the flame! But also, more gas less oxygen means less jumping about. The flame looks like that of a candle and after gently letting the oxy start... Turning the gas down, rather than the oxy up, always give the best results.... But you probably knew that already.
I found my little torch behaved better when I changed my regulator from a 0-4 bar to a 0-2 version. But that may be because I think the original regulator had seen better days.
Thanks for the responses. Everything is brand new and the torch before I bought the little torch was experiencing the same problem. The flame is either way too strong to light(and bright blue despite oxygen being off) or the flame is leaving the torch as in the picture. I was starting to think it wasn't propane in the canister despite it saying so?
My workshop is cold, I'll try to heat up the nozzle tomorrow. Would the gas being outside but covered by a wooden box be causing a problem? I didn't realise a cold nozzle mattered. I'm using tip 3 and my equipment is exactly the same as the setup in my jewellery class (except gas outside). Will try again tomorrow before buying new propane
I get the same thing with my little torch. I just turn on the gas a tiny bit, light the torch and then turn on the oxygen a little before turning up the gas.
I use a little torch with propane and an oxy cylinder. I have a regulator on the propane bottle which has 3 pressure settings ( I use the mid setting ) and the usual twin dial oxy regulator. After use I always turn the oxy regulator pressure control knob down to zero, then when I start the next day I first turn on both gas bottles, then I turn on the propane nozzle wheel on the torch and light it, turning the torch nozzle wheel down until the flame is clean from the nozzle, then I open the oxy nozzle wheel on the torch and then gently turn up the pressure on the oxy cylinder regulator until I get the required flame for the torch .
I finally got to the bottom of my issue and wanted to share it with other forum users. The torch tip I was using was too small! I was using the smallest tip (number 3) when the biggest one (number 7) was more appropriate. I've been told that the Little Torch's small tips don't work well with propane.
So all is well in the world again and I can get back to creating!
The smallest tip I use is a #4 on oxy propane for jump rings and similar. I more regularly use a #4 or #5 except for heavy work when I may go up to the #7 or even the rosebud tip. Alternatively on the big stuff I go back to my old Primus torch where I can go up to a 25mm diameter nozzle.
Soldering Torch flame problem
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