Jewelry torch for apartment?
January 13, 2007 7:18 AM   Subscribe

Recommendations on a jewelry torch for an apartment?

I'd like to avoid oxy-acetelyne. This is just for light hobby work, just soldering silver...
Guidelines: Easy to refill, clean burning, yet no sacrifices in performance.
posted by machaus to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I use something similar to this (i think the brand of mine is BenzOMatic) - it just fills up on regular lighter butane and has always worked for me. I live in an apartment as well, and find it quite convienent.
posted by ukdanae at 8:22 AM on January 13, 2007


i'm very happy with my presto-lite torch. it's a propane/oxygen torch with only one tank (oxygen is mixed in the torch tip). it's very easy to refill. it works great for silver and other metals. i use it everyday!
posted by crapples at 8:22 AM on January 13, 2007


I use a BenzOMatic adjustable propane/air torch for soldering silver. It's important that it be adjustable at the base where air comes in; you need to be able to balance the tip of the flame between reducing and oxidizing, or your stuff will turn black and nasty.

You can use this indoors - it doesn't produce large quantities of nasty combustion by products - but you do need to have some ventilation. Some silver solder has lead in it and you don't want to be inhaling those vapors any more than you have to.
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:20 PM on January 13, 2007


I was going to recommend something like this when I realized that it is almost identical to the one ukdanae posted above.

If that is a little too expensive, you may want to look for a pen torch. I found them at the hardware store for between $10 and $20. I've found mine to be remarkably useful, and it's worked great for years now.

And if you want to stick with the small inexpensive style, I would actually suggest you avoid ones like this, they are super common, but are really just glorified cigarette lighters.
posted by quin at 5:48 PM on January 13, 2007


Don't know if a regular propane torch like you get at the hardward store would work for you, but I used to use on of the nicer hardward store ones to work glass.

Make sure you have ventilation, whatever sort of torch you end up with. At the very least, set up a fan to pull the fumes out of a window, and open another window somewhere behind you for replacement air. This is far from the best solution, but better than nothing -- if you are doing much soldering read about the hazards and set something else up.
posted by yohko at 6:10 PM on January 13, 2007


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