From: REMOVE_THISdwilkins@means.net (Don Wilkins)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Plumber's blowtorch..gas or kerosene
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2000 14:02:07 GMT

On Wed, 01 Mar 2000 02:12:23 GMT, "Dan Bollinger"
<danbollinger@home.com> wrote:

>,;My Dad owned two.  He used them to melt lead for sealing cast iron drain
>,;pipe with oakum!  And for soldering copper pipe.   They use "white gas",
>,;just like a Coleman Lantern.  Go OUTSIDE, half fill the tank, pump the tank
>,;up (just like a Coleman)  Open the valve so a little bit of fuel dribbles
>,;out into the cast iron pan just below the nozzle until it is full.  Turn off
>,;the valve and light the fuel in the pan.   It will heat the nozzle.  When
>,;the fuel is almost burned, slowly open the nozzle.  The heated nozzle will
>,;make the fuel vaporize into a gas and ignite it into a flame.  When the fuel
>,;in the pan is consumed, open the valve up and listen to it roar!   Normally,
>,;a 6-8" flame is used, but it'll shoot a flame out 20'!   A commonly used
>,;tool for plumbers before propane torches, these are not toys!  Dan
>,;

I agree with Dan on this one. We always used unleaded gas which in
those days meant what we called "high test". Coleman fuel should work
in those designed for gasoline. Gasoline can have metal additives
which would make the torch unsuitable to warm up your pieza.

Dan's procedure for starting is exactly as I remember it.

These were also used to heat those massive soldering irons. There
should be a little "hook" above the manifold which is not there to
hang the thing from the ceiling. Up front there was a notch. You
placed the soldering iron so the business end was out in the hottest
part of the flame. It rested there in the notch and the hook prevented
it from tipping.

Normally you had two irons. One heating and one soldering. That way
when the iron cooled you didn't need to wait while it was reheated.

From: Ted Edwards <Ted_E@bc.sympatico.ca>
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Plumber's blowtorch..gas or kerosene
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2000 09:03:16 -0500

Dan Bollinger wrote:

> pipe with oakum!  And for soldering copper pipe.   They use "white gas",

Some do but some where designed to use kerosene (coal oil).  IIRC, the
kerosene type had a larger primer pan and had the fuel carried to the
orrifice by a tube through or near the flame since kerosene is
considerably harder to vaporize than gasoline.  Coleman fuel is just
what you want for the gasoline types.  Kerosene is frequently available
as "lamp oil" in small quantities.

Ted