Recommendation for soldering / smelting torch?

[Chris Moody]

Hello all

Apologies if this has been asked before. I've been silversmithing with a basic handheld soldering blowtorch that cooksons sells. When i did my silversmithing courses I used an oxy-gas torch which was great and did anything and everything you'd need. My torch on the other hand is enough to solder small pieces, but not enough to melt anything, or solder larger pieces.

On occasion I've looked into getting something a bit more robust, but always get a bit daunted by the array of heads, fittings, gases etc.

As such, I was wondering if there are any basic recommendations for someone just starting out, wanting a bit more versatility than is offered from a handheld torch, without spending lots?

Many thanks!

[caroleallen]

A lot of us use a Smiths Little Torch with an oxycon converter which we buy from Tuffnells.

[Chris Moody]

A lot of us use a Smiths Little Torch with an oxycon converter which we buy from Tuffnells.

Thanks, I'm not sure I have the budget to buy a torch and an oxycon unit though. Would I be able to get much more heat out of a plain gas (no oxygen) torch, compared to my basic handheld torch?

[Tabby66]

A sievert torch is good for general use and larger pieces, (uses propane only and can use head size to vary from melting to various 'ferocities' of flame), smiths little torch offers a hotter and more intense flame, (most of us have swapped from an oxygen cylinder to the oxycon unit from Tuffnels (best price) as Carole has said) and if you really want to push the boat out...a microflame/microweld, (reaches high temperatures, intense focussed heat, good for platinum, flame intensity controlled by tip size rather than flow rate).

I'm sure there are other makes / brands, but hopefully these will give you a feel for the types of torches available!

If it helps.....I use my sievert 80% of the time and smiths little torch the rest....most of the latter could be substituted by the microweld, but not all....but then it would offer additional functionality, with platinum, for example!!

Tabby xx

[kymbi]

For annealing large pieces or melting down silver, I tend to use a handheld torch that was recommended years ago by George and it's been a good buy - it's a cooks torch that doesn't look much, but it has a hot and fierce flame. No problems melting down silver scrap in a cruciible.

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/16416/Lake...ooks-Blowtorch

This might help you until you can afford or want to buy something more industrial.

I'm sure there's a thread on here somewhere about this...

[kymbi]

Here's an earlier thread discussing various torches....

https://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1920

[Petal]

For annealing large pieces or melting down silver, I tend to use a handheld torch that was recommended years ago by George and it's been a good buy - it's a cooks torch that doesn't look much, but it has a hot and fierce flame. No problems melting down silver scrap in a cruciible.

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/16416/Lake...ooks-Blowtorch

This might help you until you can afford or want to buy something more industrial.

I'm sure there's a thread on here somewhere about this...

I've got the same one as Kym and it works for me.

[WitchfordSilver]

This end

Smiths Little Torch with an oxycon converter from Tuffnells. (great for most things)
Microweld Hydrogen water torch (very good for little things.)
Cheep cooks torch(great for learning with and still used if I want something fast)