Recomend Oxy Propane Torch Available in UK Anyone?

[William Chitham]

I've followed the various oxy propane threads with interest and I'm ready to buy but the various recommended torches, Smith, Victor, Uniweld etc seem hard to find in the UK. Can anyone suggest a supplier of these or an alternative make?

Spotted this Lightweight Oxy Propane Multi Jet Gas Welding Torch | eBay which looks interesting but no info on manufacturer. Anyone any experience of this type of propane specific tip?

Thanks,
William.

[bencooper]

The Bicycle Academy were messing about with propane - might be worth asking them.

[NBC]

hi william

i dont know where abouts in the UK you are, but i'm in suffolk :)

i'm using oxy-propane too because i can't really justify the costs of acetylene cylinder rent, let alone refills !

my set up is the following

BOC oxygen cylinder size W (the biggest one)
CALOR propane cylinder 47kg (also the biggest one)
murex oxygen regulator 0-4 bar pressure
murex propane regulator 0-4 bar pressure
murex flashback arrestors (resettable)
BOC 6mm hoses (you can get them individually, dont use acetylene hose)
murex saffire 4 torch (is the same as the large BOC welding shank)
standard acetylene tips size 2 - 25 (english sizes, not the american sizes)

yeah sure it can be a pain to light a propane torch, but they're fine once lit,
i wouldn't worry so much about if it says acetylene on the mixer and tips, i've had mine a couple of years, and it's been great :)

good luck

NBC

[William Chitham]

...standard acetylene tips size 2 - 25 (english sizes, not the american sizes)..NBC

Hi, thanks for the reply, knew I couldn't be the only Brit reading this forum. I'm up north in Manchester. Don't think I can run to a full set of tips straight off the bat, but I'm guessing there will be one or two that you use most of the time, maybe #3 or #5?

[NBC]

i've got a crap load of spares of the 10mm thread ones, send me a private message

i tend to use pretty big tips, usually the 7, 10 and 13, propane isn't quite as warm as acetylene, so just use the necessary size

somewhere i've got a little credit card sized thing from murex that tells you what the hole size is in the tip

good luck

NBC

[William Chitham]

Found this video demonstration of the multi jet propane tip. Not the greatest film I know, but can anyone with oxy propane experience deduce anything from it about suitability for lug brazing?
Thanks,
William.

[NBC]

i haven't found the need for anything other than a single jet tip,

dazza from llewellyn bicycles is another user of propane, to my knowledge he only uses rosebud tips for fork crowns

i think your maybe overthinking this,
there aren't any differences with the torch body itself, just the mixer part that goes between the torch and tip,
with regulators set properly, there is no issue in using acetylene mixers / tips

NBC

[afwalker]

The Uniweld 71 handle from amazon in the US is $39 and ships for $6.99 to the UK
Ameriflame MD71TH 6-Inch Light Duty Welding Handle for General Purpose Heating, Brazing, Welding and Other Flame Processes - Amazon.com
Get a couple tips, maybe #1 and #2 and you should be set.
cheers
andy walker
Walker Bicycle Company | | Walker Bicycle Company

[Simon Taylor]

The Uniweld 71 handle from amazon in the US is $39 and ships for $6.99 to the UK
Ameriflame MD71TH 6-Inch Light Duty Welding Handle for General Purpose Heating, Brazing, Welding and Other Flame Processes - Amazon.com

Unfortunately, you can't purchase tools and hardware (amongst other things) from US Amazon here in the UK.
I've just tried to buy the Uniweld 71 torch handle from the link you posted and got this message when I tried to checkout:

'Buyers outside the U.S. cannot purchase the following types of items from sellers: video games, toy and baby items, electronics, cameras and photo items, tools and hardware, kitchenware and housewares, sporting goods and outdoor equipment, software, and computers.'

Bummer :(

[afwalker]

Rats, I did look at the international shipping rates before I posted that and it looked like it would work:(
What if it's a "gift" from a friend in the US that gets a gift from paypal?
cheers
andy walker

[Simon Taylor]

Rats, I did look at the international shipping rates before I posted that and it looked like it would work:(
What if it's a "gift" from a friend in the US that gets a gift from paypal?
cheers
andy walker

I'd be more than willing to give a friend in the US a gift through PayPal if they could make it happen. ;)

[Stevevw]

William
While dropping my car off for repair today I happened to walk past a local welding supplies company and noticed a sign outside for Hobby gas. which it says is a rent free, one off deposit contract. They have acetylene cylinders too. Looks like the deposit is £60 to £160 depending on the gas.

On having a quick look on the site I saw a couple of interesting complete torch sets with a frame building heading.
https://weldspeed.com/perfectwelding...g=PKGCASETBAOP

[NBC]

hobby gas costs way more even over a short amount of time !

i think my boc oxygen cylinder rent is about £11 or so a month, and i refill maybe twice a year, so it's not that bad at all,
calor gas is probably the most logical for propane, 30 quid deposit, no rent, and just pay for refills when you need, just pop along to a stockist and exchange a cylinder
unless your going to do a huge amount of work, dont get a 47kg cylinder like i did, 3 oxygen bottles later and its still probably half full !

NBC

[MrkiMedo]

I've followed the various oxy propane threads with interest and I'm ready to buy but the various recommended torches, Smith, Victor, Uniweld etc seem hard to find in the UK. Can anyone suggest a supplier of these or an alternative make?

Spotted this Lightweight Oxy Propane Multi Jet Gas Welding Torch | eBay which looks interesting but no info on manufacturer. Anyone any experience of this type of propane specific tip?

Thanks,
William.

One European company that makes torches with propane tips is Swiss Gloor. Though as you may expect Gloor stuff is quite pricey. I have bought Turkish copy of the torch, and propane tips from Gloor.

[berg]

Hi, I am also looking for a suitable oxy/propane setup, and have my eye on this complete (except bottles) Wescol 65 kit from the UK:
Oxy/Propane Brazing Equipment Set - Weldequip

They also sell seperate nozzles in all sizes. Looks good to me, but I am a beginner in this field..

Cheers from DK :-)

Edit: The price is right at £163, and it is even UK made they say. What more can u want really

[NBC]

only thing is that the hoses are a little on the large side for the torch, but they're really the smallest common hoses you'll get here

i've got hoses from boc, but they're all the same thing really

NBC

[mayan42]

I have that kit, bought it about a year ago, and I've just finished my first frame with it.
I've recently bought a couple of new tips - the no. 13 and the "lightweight heating nozzle" I think these might be a bit better for a quicker heat up of a big shell / lug situation. Overall, no complaints, although I have absolutely nothing else to compare them to, as this is the first torch I've used. Hoses arent exactly light weight and do annoy me a bit when I have to dance around to un-twist them, but thats not a big deal to be honest.

Weldequip themselves were good to deal with, quick and no hassle.

[Mike Mcdermid]

hobby gas costs way more even over a short amount of time !

i think my boc oxygen cylinder rent is about £11 or so a month, and i refill maybe twice a year, so it's not that bad at all,
calor gas is probably the most logical for propane, 30 quid deposit, no rent, and just pay for refills when you need, just pop along to a stockist and exchange a cylinder
unless your going to do a huge amount of work, dont get a 47kg cylinder like i did, 3 oxygen bottles later and its still probably half full !

NBC

try talking to energas? anything with BOC on it costs twice as much seriously they just found out about our company and tried to tell us 90 quid for a refill and 45 quid delivery and 45 quid pick up was normal.............what a clown their rep was we dont pay 90 quid rental a year or any delivery charges...im not sure he confused the terms " born yesterday " with we started a new company