[Jewelry making - Article 01040] - [Orchid] Acetylene & Oxygen Torch for Argentium Silver

[John]

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Good Day!

    I would like to purchase a Smith Little Torch and am having
    difficulty determining which would be the best system. 

    I have been working exclusively with Argentium Sterling Silver
    (which has been excellent) for almost two years with a small
    Bernzomatic butane torch. I work with wire and sheet as well as chain
    maille. I would also like to experiment with granulation. I have only
    ever fused things together (which my butane torch has been able to
    handle) even though it runs at a low temperature of only 2500F. 

    I want to purchase a Little Torch so that I have more control and
    pinpoint accuracy when I am fusing, especially small areas. Although
    the flame on my butane torch can be turned down quite small, it has
    a much wider orifice hole than the Little Torch set-up. As a result,
    I feel I am melting a larger area than necessary to achieve the fuse
    and perhaps loosing some detail. 

    My wife called the makers of the Little Torch and they recommended
    the Acetylene/Oxygen set-up although the person she spoke with did
    not have a working knowledge of Argentium. She also called Rio Grande
    technical support who suggested that the Propane/Oxygen set-up would
    be the best for Argentium. 

    The Acetylene/Oxygen System is the hottest of the gasses running at
    6000F. It works with all the tips from the smallest #2 and up. 

    The Propane/Oxygen System runs cooler at 4780F but only works with
    tips #3 and up. When speaking with Rio Grande technical support, they
    warned that the #3 tip is hard to light. I read yesterday in the
    Orchid archives that others have had this same problem. 

    My preference is to purchase the Acetelyne/Oxygen System so I have
    the widest range of tips to choose from but I am worried that this
    high temperature flame will not be as conducive to working with
    Argentium as Propane. I wonder if working with the smallest possible
    flame for the area to be fused is beneficial even though the flame
    temperature is hotter? Perhaps the flame temperature can be lowered
    somehow? 

    I would greatly appreciate the advise of those of you using
    Argentium and comments from anyone currently using an
    Acetylene/Oxygen set-up. 

    Thank you for your time and Happy New Year. 

John
Western Canada
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