Flame polishing torch

[John Riepma]

I've been using an old oxy-acetylene torch for flame polishing with all the associated problems, i.e. soot, flame too hot and scorches glass etc. Now the gas bottle is out of date and can't be refilled, and I don't want to buy another to duplicate the existing problems, so what would you all suggest for flame polishing punties, selective heating of pieces, etc? I've looked at pre-mix vs. surface mix, propane/air vs propane/oxy and I'm too ignorant of the characteristics of each and advantages/disadvantages to make an informed decision. What would you all recommend? I don't want to find the right one by trial and error and would appreciate the benefit of others' experiences and hearing what you presently use and why.

[Glenn Randle]

I don't have much experience with fire polishing, but I'm sure the oxy & propane would be the fuel to use. You can just get a tank of propane and try that with the torch you have as a place to start. If you have a gas grill tank around it won't really cost you anything to give it a try.

[Brian Gingras]

oxy propane on a surface mix is ideal. Next would be a premix but keep it oxidizing.

[Cecil McKenzie]

I have used a Nortel Ranger hand torch for years. It is surface mix burner and has worked very well for fire polishing punties. It also works well for popping bubbles or heating surface so you can part the glass a little to get deeper bubbles. If you get a speck of something on the surface you can heat up the speck then roll it on to the heated end of a glass or metal rod.

Use it with a gas saver . They used to be made by National but they may have been bought out.


I break my pieces off onto an old burnt out paddle then fire polish. Sometimes I get some carbon but it goes away in the annealler. This may or may not work for you depending on how heavy your pieces are or how cold they are when you take them off.

I have not used any other torches so they might work well also.

[TC Robertson]

Ranger! I have been using somthing like them since 1990. Treat them nice and they last, too. Don't hang the torch by it's head, the silver soilder will break after many uses. Fuel saver is the only way to go also. Later, TC

[Rick Sherbert]

Some good info here: http://talk.craftweb.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5957&highlight=nortel

[Ben Rosenfield]

I run my Nortel Ranger on an oxygen concentrator and natural gas. That flame gets hot enough to melt 1-inch heavy-wall boro tubing.

[Glenn Randle]

Placing a "rosebud" tip on a welding torch would produce basically the same type of flame as a Ranger, right?

I'm asking because I have a Nortel Minor (a bench mounted Ranger) and also a cheap Harbor Frt welding torch with a rosebud tip. I don't use eith of them much, but assumed the flame they produce is about the same. Am I correct?



Glenn

[Ben Rosenfield]

I can't say much about the welder tip, but the Nortel Ranger is the handheld version of the benchtop Minor.

[John Riepma]

Thanks all. I had not remembered the previous thread. I'd still like to know the advantages of surface mix vs. pre-mix - is it reduction, or flame temp, or what? And has anyone had experience with the National Torch products? They have one that can be rigged for either pre-mix or surface mix with a tip change, but I don't know if that's desirable or necessary.

[Marcel Braun]

Glenn, The short answer is no.

The premix will be more reducing in general, as well as difficult to run cool enough to transfer good heat without boiling the glass.

Surface mix flames can be much more oxidizing while still having "soft" characteristics...IE smoothly contacting the work rather than bouncing off. You'll get a much greater range of flames with a surface mix as well.


Hope this helps,

Marcel

Just reread your post...lots of people replace the base plate with a piece of wood (or some crap) for a handle on the minor. I wouldn't waste much time with the premix torch.