Brazing torches need recommendations for Act and atmospheric air supply. No Oxygen.

[Rich]

At ASHRAE in Chicago this year there were of course the welding/torch people. There was two that I saw that impressed me, but one especially.

There was a torch that used only acetylene, not oxygen tanks. The dude was able to braze with remarkable speed 1-3/8 tubing. BUT, the torch had a neat ignition button on it to self ignight the torch. Anybody know what brand that is?

Now, what do you suggest about these torches. I have been using mapp and Oxygen and I'm now ready to go back to Acet OR acet and Oxygen, but if Acet works just as good with the newer technology than 20 years ago I'm willing too spend more for better and easier brazing.

Thanks
RIch

[t527ed]

don't know who makes the tricky lighting torch, we have been using turbo torches for at least 25 yrs. good for everything except sensitive pieces.

[ascj]

That would be TurboTorch. They claim to have close flame temps to oxy/act. I have three of their self igniting tips. They are pretty great. But when you need the hot and controled flame in a tight area....nothing beats oxy/act.

[Rich]

Originally posted by ascj
That would be TurboTorch. They claim to have close flame temps to oxy/act. I have three of their self igniting tips. They are pretty great. But when you need the hot and controled flame in a tight area....nothing beats oxy/act.

Hmm, The tips that you have, they aren't like the ones that are hand held and screw on a mapp tank like the old hand held benzomatics are they?
I'm also looking at getting cirular tips so I can heat the entire pipe up at once instead of moving the torch all over the place, something like a hook that that is on manifolds. Is this offered in Turbo Torch or another company? Is it offered in acet only or acet/oxy?

Ok, which OXY Acet set would you recommend?
Like I said, I'm using mapp & acet, the tail is long and the heat is lower, so for bigger stuff it sucks. I have a job coming up with 1- 5/8 copper, I don't want to play with this job, I want to braze it fast and make sure its right and then leave, thats why I want to get that hook type tips.

all responses are appreciated.

Ps, Just found the turbo torch site, that IS the one I was interested in, I also like the way it POPS when you start it, pretty cool attention getter :-)

Here are the type of tips that I'm thinking about, but they only do up to 1- 1/8"
http://www.thermadyne.com/turbotorch...dfs/Page22.pdf

Rich




[Edited by Rich on 07-21-2006 at 09:45 PM]

[ascj]

I havent seen a real good captain hook tip for air/act. The Turbo Tourch tips should be fine as long as your not in a confined space. If you are, then go with the oxy/act captain hook tips. I have one that goes up to 2-1/2" pipe.

PS Leave mapp gas to the plumbers....its not hot enough for brazing.

[jacob perkins]

what would happen if you made an air/acy rig with compressed air tank? work better or worse than turbo,or not at all?

[Rich]

I hate to sound ignorant, but is it the Turbo Torch hook to 2" that you have? I only see a 1-1/8" in the catalog. Page 22.

http://www.thermadyne.com/pdf/56_1252.pdf

[t527ed]

http://www.thermadyne.com/pdf/56_1252.pdf


this looks like what you want

[ascj]

My oxy/act setup is Uniweld with Uniweld tips. My air/act setup is TurboTourch. I have not used Turbotourch's oxy/act tips before.

http://uniweld.com/catalog/tips/spec...phook_tips.htm

[R12rules]

Originally posted by ascj
That would be TurboTorch. They claim to have close flame temps to oxy/act. I have three of their self igniting tips. They are pretty great. But when you need the hot and controled flame in a tight area....nothing beats oxy/act.

in my opinion... my first torch in this trade was a turbo. But the first time I encountered a cap tube repair, I bought myself an oxy-act rig and have carried BOTH ever since.

For straight plumbing work, I prefer the insta-lighting feature of the turbo torch and "get in/ get out" style of their flame.
Of the many people of this industry would testify to, oxy-act is still the King of the hill!


There is a new style of oxy-act handle torch where as is doesnt require as much fuel as the regular rig handles do. I do not recall the brand name.

Inquire at a good welding supply to find out. But I am not positive it has the accuracy of flame placement/ concentration as what we presently use.


There must be good reason we use what we do. And these torches have been in production since Edison made the light bulb.

[Rich]

The reason I left Acet 20 years ago is because we got tired of our local supplier blaming everything under the sun as to why we were getting flame throwers instead of brazing torches. The stabilizer would for no apparent reason shoot out a stream of jelly like crap and burn all the way until it hit something, just like a WW2 flame thrower!!! When I was almost hit by such a stream it was the next day we switched over to Mapp. We now have several suppliers in our area and I was assured that those problems have been eliminated. COST was also another factor, in the 80's there was no competition in our area and an MC tank was over $10 then and $15 now, this means the in todays value of the dollar it was like $25.

I like the smaller feather tail on the Acet system and I’m sure you can get more out of a tank than what we could with the old Airco torches of 1982.

Well, I have to make a decision here soon, Uniweld, Turbotorch, Goss, and others. Tips have REALLY changed since my last purchase, we use to sweet bullets when a reversing valve would fail, thankfully they seldom do now.

Rich

[MechAcc]

Also check Lenox, the tool manufacturer not the Atta Boy Dave company. They have a B cylinder tote system with storage spaces for tips and the hose. Saw it at the Chicago AHR Expo in January.

[ascj]

This tip is awesome for changing reversing valves out.

http://uniweld.com/catalog/tips/spec...g_fork_tip.htm