Quote Originally Posted by jclay View Post
I also think its worth noting that a lot of successful, long time builders use larger and heavier torches; most I'd guess.
John, let me elaborate a bit on why I encourage light equipment (particularly hoses) for those learning how to braze. There is very little difference between brazing successfully and making a mess. Just small subtle movements and maybe just a couple of mms of variation of where the flame is aimed is all there is between doing it right and poor technique. Of particular importance is being able to flick the flame off and on at just the right instant. Small interferences to this accuracy leads to big problems and that is why a beginner needs all the help they can get. It is easy to get discouraged (and possibly quit) when things keep going south.

Pros can braze successfully with almost any equipment. It makes much less difference to them what they use. In Ukraine we had this awful Russian made torch that was huge and odd shaped. Herbie Helm and I could braze just fine with it. Later I took over the Harris 19-5 (because it was an extra in my shop) which certainly was more pleasant to use even if was for acetylene. Eventually I was able to take over propane specific Victor stuff. Again it was a step up in ease of use. Could I braze just fine with any of this equipment? Yes. Did I enjoy it a lot more with a light hose on a J-28 with UN-J mixer and TEN-3 tip? Absolutely.

The majority of my framebuilding class students struggle in the beginning with their brazing motions. Some are not naturally gifted with coordination. They need every advantage (good instruction and the right equipment) to become successful in a reasonable amount of time. Stiff hoses and a heavier torch give them trouble. It would be unfortunate if a cheaper or more convenient equipment purchase makes reaching their framebuilding goals more difficult.

I always encourage my students to bring their own torch handle if they have one already. Most often this is something like the Victor 100 series. Nobody ever wants to use their own after trying out one of my aircraft style torch handles (the Smith AW1A, Victor J-28 or Uniweld 71).