[Jewelry making - Article 00056] - Re: [Orchid] Torch and other technical problems

[Alden & Glenda Blood]

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    Hello Sojourner:  Your problem with the Little Torch changing flame
    characteristics may be due to a hose going bad.  My Little Torch,
    which is 13 years old, was doing the same thing.  About the time the
    piece was up to temperature and I was zeroing in on the join the
    fire would change on me.  I thought it was the propane regulator
    going bad.  One day last month I was moving the torch around a lot
    with the fire straight down and then straight up when the fire
    started to change drastically from very oxidizing to very reducing
    as I moved the torch.  Just as I looked down to see if the low
    pressure gauge on the propane was acting up, a large fire erupted
    below my hand.  I was able to turn my hand down away from the fire
    and blow the fire out.  My hand was only slightly singed with some
    minor first degree burns.  Checking the hose with leak tech showed
    gas bubbling thru a one inch length of the hose itself where it
    connects to the torch body. There was no gas coming from the
    connection. The only logical explanation is that the the gas tight
    liner inside the hose had gone bad and had cracked from age (13
    years) and the constant bending of the hose at the point where it
    connects to the torch body.  This allowed the gas to bubble out thru
    the pressure wrapping on the outside of the hose.  The hose was
    apparently leaking enough a couple of weeks prior to the fire to
    cause problems keeping the fire adjusted. 

    It would appear that pressure should not be kept on old hoses
    routinely during the day and that the hoses themselves should be
    checked for leakage.  Perhaps it would be best to change the hoses
    out after five years, or maybe ten years? 

Captain Blood
"Marlinespike Seamanship in Precious Metals"
mariner AT tgtel.com

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