[Jewelry making - Article 00202] - Re: [Orchid] Ozone friendly torches?

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>        Thanks for the enlightening info. I guess it's going to be
>     propane. I  only hope that all those candles I didn't burn make up
>     for this! 


    Make up for what?  All in all, while it's fun to discuss, in theory,
    the various levels of pollution one might get from different types
    of torches, in truth the amount of pollution you're going to generate
    from any torch in your studtio is small enough as not to matter
    much. A good meal of baked beans will likely cause you (or at least,
    it would do it to Me) to release more methane into the air than your
    torch will if the hoses are good.  The torch is simply not that big
    an issue to worry about. 

>            Peter, I am, however, surprised that there's no difference
>     between grades of butane. 

    find me ANY can of butane fuel, any brand, that lists anything that
    could be called a grade, that would differ from brand to brand.
    There simply isn't any such rating on the fuel containersl.    Now,
    as with any chemical, there may be different levels of purity, so
    buying it in industrial quantities perhaps for other uses, like
    pressurizing cans of hair spray, might lead you to need a different
    grade of purity.  but generally this won't be significant when used
    as a fuel, since contaminants will simply be other hydrocarbons,
    which will also burn just fine  The little cans of butane are simply
    pretty generic.  only difference from one brand to another might be
    the price, offered adapter tips, colors on the label, etc.  Butane
    is pretty much butane. . 

>             When I took a class in stone-setting at the Richmond Art
>     Center (actually, I started the class, but dropped out when I
>     realized that channel-setting--when all I'd ever done was
>     bezels--was a little over my head), the teacher, who had 30 years
>     as a bench jeweler and stone dealer, made us buy "special" butane.
>     He said it was superior to other "grades." 

    Okaaayyy.....   Not the first long time pro I've heard of or known
    with strange habits.  I've got a few myself.   But I'm guessing this
    one can be chalked up to some long held practice that would not
    actually hold up to impartial examination. Or perhaps there is indeed
    some version of gas lighter fuel that is not just butane, but some
    sort of mix.  Then he might recommend one brand over another. But if
    that's the case, I'm unaware of it. 

>        He also had people using butane torches, because he said they
>     were better for creating settings for 3mm stones. 

    butane burns cooler than other fuels, so having you use it to make
    tiny settings is perhaps useful in terms of the fact that with that
    gentle heat, you won't melt much by accident.  And the little butane
    torches DO have their uses in that way. just don't expect them to do
    things much heavier and larger. 

>        And what I thought was cool about that torch was the design: I
>     saw it  as a sexy Wolfgang Puck torch, and thought somebody might
>     like to use  it for demos in a sleek, modernist booth. 

    Well, if you like it, get one.  Fashionable indeed.  But they aren't
    the originators.   Blazer beat them to it in my book for the small
    ones with a piezo lighter.  And Ronson has been making a slightly
    larger (and actually useful) butane fired torch for at least 35
    years.  My first jewelry torch was one of the Ronson ones.   Plenty
    of copycats of the Blazer type are out there now, often very cheap.
    Your's is a bit cooler than most, I'll admit. 

Peter

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