Repair to little torch hose

Hi,

I recently purchased a replacement tip and fuel hoses for my Smith
Little Torch and rearranged my setup in the studio. Unfortunately,
today a hot (dental) pick touched the fuel and the oxy hoses and made
a hole in them, smaller than the head of a pin. Although I suppose I
should replace them I am wondering if any of you have had this happen
and could suggest a fix, even if temporary. Would duct tape be ok?

Thanks,
Sue

Been there done that. Tried a brass collar with crazy glue as a
temporary fix, turned out very temporary indeed and had to be
re-fixed about every day or so. Fortunately my pinhole was close to
the torch, so I shortened both hoses by the same amount, made a
ferrule tool, and slipped them back on. The whole process is
illustrated and recounted here:

http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7zri

Cheers
Hans Durstling
Moncton, Canada

crazy glue wil do the trick for a little wile (apply it without
pressure let dry and then pressurize)

I would replace them, but in a pinch selfvulcanizing tape will hold.
I wouldn’t trust duct tape. Good luck, be careful. Sheri

Sue, Forget about duct tape. If you can cut the damaged part away
and still have enough to work with, fine. Otherwise get new hoses.,

Jerry in Kodiak

I did the same thing. I cut the hose at the hole, inserted an
appropriately sized piece of metal tubing about 3/4-inch long, and
secured with binding wire. I have had this patch in place for at
least six or even years, and it’s still going strong. you could then
use almost any kind of tape if the patch is in a place that catches
on things. I used a piece of brass tubing bought at a hobby shop.

This happened to me a second time while I was at a Repair Days
fundraiser for the National Ornamental Metal Museum. I grabbed a
small square of silver, made a quick tube, soldered the tube with
someone else’s torch, and made the patch. It took about fifteen
minutes at the most. I think I currently have three patches in
place!

If you have to replace your hoses, you might consider using vinyl
aquarium hose. You can make them any length you want. The outer red
and green fiber glass sheathing from the damaged Little Torch hose
set can be used to protect the vinyl hose near the torch.

Good luck!

I had this happen to me and I purchased a length of shrink fit hose
to go over the top which worked perfectly.

I have the same torch set-up. I got a hole in my oxygen hose. I tried
duct tape but it didn’t work. I unconnected the hose from the torch
and cut it below the hole. I then reattached it to the torch. My
oxygen hose is now much shorter than the gas hose but it works great.

Karen Tagg
Art Teacher, BFA, M.Ed.

Would duct tape be ok? 

Well, Sue, I missed this until I saw the answers this morning. New
hoses are the best, but many of us have done what you did, and the
fix is easy. Cut the hoses, get about an inch of copper tubing that
fits the ID - if you mean what I think you mean, those clear plastic
hoses with the red and green fabric outside, that I believe is 1/4".
Put a bit of epoxy on the outside of the copper as a sealer, put the
tubing on it and twist some wire around each end to clamp it. Easy
and permanent. Bigger hoses, bigger tubing.