[Jewelry making - Article 00030] - [Orchid] Little Torch vs. Meco Midget

[AlanRevere]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    New Thread - Little Torch vs. Meco Midget 

    (In response to the thread: How good is the Little Torch?) 

    I understand that many people use The Little Torch and are happy
    with it. But the torch has severe limitations, which people either do
    not understand or are able to get around as described below. The very
    small size of the tips along with the use of Oxygen/acetylene limits
    this torch to very small work; chain repair, retipping and small gold
    fabrication. It is fine for that size of soldering operation. But the
    torch is not a good heat source for larger objects and silver
    jewelry. The Little Torch's flame works best in oxidizing mode,
    which makes it impossible to heat things slowly with a reducing
    flame, as often desired. The only way to heat a large object is from
    a distance with a flame that is really too hot. 

    I prefer the Meco Midget torch or another similar size torch. The
    Meco Midget is the brass model seen in all my books and videos. We
    have a Meco Midget at every bench here at the Revere Academy and run
    them on natural gas and O2. (The torch also runs just fine on bottled
    propane at 400 degrees F. hotter.) The Meco Midget torch is very
    versatile, both in the range of heat and in the convenient knobs,
    which make it easy to control in one hand. The Meco Midget can heat
    very small jewelry pieces as well as large objects and even melt a
    couple of ounces of gold. 

    Using the torch without any tips works well and produces a whole
    range of large flames, from oxidizing to reducing. This is how I
    introduce the torch to students. You can also add a rose bud that
    spreads the flame wider. You can make the flame smaller with a set of
    tips, which are graduated in size. And you can also use hypodermic
    needles (available from some Jewelry suppliers) that fit right onto
    the Meco and can make the flame minuscule, as small as you would ever
    want. 

    I feel the Little Torch, with a cute name and slick packaging, has
    been oversold to jewelers for decades, while the more useful and
    versatile Meco Midget gets no attention at all. Some catalogs don't
    even offer it or a comparable torch anymore, just mini or melting
    torches. I wonder how people are going to learn to make jewelry if
    they are limited to the Little Torch's small oxidizing flame. It is
    certainly less than ideal for silver jewelry. 

    After almost 40 years at the bench, having tried every torch I could
    lay my hands on, I stand by the Meco Midget for most jewelry work. To
    find a resource, Google: Meco Midget Torch. And, just for the record,
    I have no financial interest in the Meco torch. 

Alan

Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, Inc.
760 Market Street Suite 900
San Francisco, California 94102
tel: 415-391-4179
www.revereacademy.com
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________