Thread: Hard bronze brazing with LPG

Thank you for that . Seeing how effective that torch is .

The bronze filler will flow more effectively between the two parts if a piece if mig wire is used to make a gap between the parts being joined . The capillary action will be enhanced and the bond will be stronger . Mike

Originally Posted by morrisman

Thank you for that . Seeing how effective that torch is .
Mike

Glad you enjoyed it Mike.

It's a top little gun, and although not cheap, it's worth the money,great if you don't have oxy and want to braze cutters and small/thin stuff.

Cheers

Rob

I like that thank you icon, it's a beauty.

Thanks Rob great video!

I've never really had much success with hard brazing, ( I don't have oxy ), Now, I'm going to keep an eye out for one of those guns.

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by RayG

I'm going to keep an eye out for one of those guns.

Regards
Ray

There's only one agent in Australia for Bullfinch.

EH Cambridge

They post Oz wide and ship these torches all over the place.

You can also get them from web shops in the UK, but make sure the gas cylinder adapter is the correct thread pitch, as someone in this forum got one in and had problems.

The guns are incredibly cheap to run, and very well made (industrial grade).

I used to have oxy, but the annual bottle rental was as much as this gun cost. So it was a no brainer selling the oxy and getting this for the type of jobs I usually do.

I first saw it demonstrated at the Kapunda Ag fair.

Cheers

Rob

Thanks Rob for the info.
I have an LPG Primus brand burner & its always been limited in its heating capabilities. Its OK for Silver soldering & soft bronze work.
Got hold of a Mapp Gas "Rothenberger" gun a while back & it does a good job, however the Bullfinch LPG Torch looks to be a very handy tool.
I like the availability & low cost of the LPG.
regards
Bruce

Originally Posted by Abratool

I like the availability & low cost of the LPG.
regards

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

The LPG cost is the BIG factor with this gun compared to MAPP gas. For about $21 you MAPP gas cylinder will last about 15 minutes (max) on continuous use.

For the same price to refill a 9 KG LPG gas cylinder it will last at least 4 - 5 hours continuous running. And it has a stronger flame.

I had a new outside hot water system put in and the plumber was using the standard MAPP gas type burner they use (it's very light and portable) and the wind was making his job of soft brazing the copper pipes very difficult.

So I got out the Bullfinch and said try this. Did it in a snap - no problem whatsoever and made the MAPP look very mediocre.

While oxy would run rings around both LPG and MAPP on bigger stuff, it can also burn up smaller items if not used correctly. No problem with the lower power systems.

Worth considering. I recon it's one of the most useful things in the shed.

I also have an old Primus LPG system and use it with the biggest burner in the kit to give the Bullfinch a boost for big stuff at times - stretches it's capabilities quite a bit.

Cheers

Rob

Here's a follow up video showing the type of work the Bullfinch 4100 can be used for.

How to make your own lathe tooling - and weld small metal components - YouTube

Cheers

Rob

Hi Rob,

The Bullfinch Torch turned up a few days ago, and I discovered it comes with a 5/8 BSP LH fitting which doesn't fit the POL fittings on Australian gas bottles, so I had to chuck the 4 bar regulator and get a new regulator from BOC, the one I got is adjustable and comes with a pressure gauge, which is handy..

When you look at the POL fitting versus the 5/8 BSP fitting, they look pretty much identical, same 14 tpi pitch, both left handed. The UK gas bottles are 5/8 BSP LH, and Australia it's POL ( Prest-O-Lite )..

Anyway, here is the Bullfinch 4100 gas torch plumbed up with a BOC 6000 regulator running ar 4 bar and a 9kg BBQ Swap-And-Go LPG bottle.

DSCN2999.jpgDSCN3000.jpgDSCN3001.jpg

The torch is a ripper, no trouble to remove a chipped carbide tip from a cheap boring bar. Don't need Oxy to do hard brazing.

Thanks again, for the great tip.

Regards
Ray

Hi Ray,

Glad you found out just how good these guns really are.

As you say, kiss Oxy goodbye for these sort of jobs. It's also pretty gutsy for heating bending duties. Worth the money IMHO.

I take it you got yours from the UK and are the second to do so and find the connector thread is different - that I know of.

Can I ask the price landed ? Also did you get three or one burner tips.

The current model from the Oz supplier has three. My unit is over ten years old and only has the brazing tip - but that's all I bought if for.

Cheers

Rob

Hi Rob,

It was £89.15 plus Shipping was £35.00 Total: £124.15 from Bullfinch 404 Autotorch Brazing Gas Blow Torch Kit | Buy Now at gasproducts.co.uk shipped from Northern Ireland according to the invoice..

That converts to $AUD 188, but, then I had to go and buy the BOC regulator for $60 so I could use the Swap-And-Go BBQ bottles, on top of that, still, it's a better price than the $A350 from http://ehcambridge.com.au/index.php?id=3

I looked all over trying to get an adaptor for UK gas bottle 5/8 LH BSP to Australian Gas Bottle standard POL fitting, but no such luck, I'm sure they exist and I'm looking in the wrong places, in the end I just dropped the adaptor idea and got a new regulator, which I think it might be handy to adjust the pressure sometimes.

But I'm very impressed with the way it works, I've got 3x MAP torches, and this LPG torch beats them hands down.

Any ideas on a source for the adaptor? Might be handy information for others wanting to go down the same track.

Regards
Ray

PS.. Only one burner tip.

Originally Posted by RayG

Hi Rob,

That converts to $AUD 188, but, then I had to go and buy the BOC regulator for $60 so I could use the Swap-And-Go BBQ bottles, on top of that, still, it's a better price than the $A350 from http://ehcambridge.com.au/index.php?id=3

But I'm very impressed with the way it works, I've got 3x MAP torches, and this LPG torch beats them hands down.

Any ideas on a source for the adaptor? Might be handy information for others wanting to go down the same track.

Regards
Ray

PS.. Only one burner tip.

Hi Ray,

Gee they've gone up a lot since I bought mine. I think I paid about $270 AU, but that was over 10 years ago.

Yes, they kill MAPP gas for temperature and also are much better in windy conditions.

Of course they totally decimate MAPP when it comes to running cost - absolutely peanuts, and a 9 KG LPG cylinder will last a very very long time.

I don't know where you can get an adapter, but as you say, they must be around.

I got rid of the oxy and bought one of these after borrowing the Bro in laws. It's big enough for the type of jobs I do, and for make your own carbide tooling it's an absolute blast

Cheers

Rob

Has anyone bought a bullfinch 404 kit recently ? The vendor of these kits based in Ireland ( gasproducts uk ) with the website is not replying to emails .

Mike