Thread: LPG heating torches - latest info??

Hi Bollie,

Seeing as no "new owners" have replied I will do my best.

The Bullfinch remains the state of art with LPG brazing - without going to O2 (eg. CIG colt).

I recommend it for brazing tips on cutters and small jobs up to 1" depending on metal mass.

It is great for those sort of jobs with hard bronze.

I haven't seen anything to rival or better it in plain LPG.

It is HUGELY cheaper to run than Mapp gas equivalents.

Cheers

Rob

I have never used a Bullfinch, so cannot tell. But I have a Sievert Promatic, and think it would be hard to beat. Chris

Hi Bollie,

The Bullfinch is a ripper, brazing small parts is mostly what I needed it for, and while oxy is good for bigger stuff, I can't really justify the cylinder hire, which seems to go up every time I get a bill, so I just have argon for the TIG and argoshield for the MIG, no oxy...

As Rob says, the swap and go BBQ bottles seem to last forever. Cheaper than MAPP

Regards
Ray

How much does the Bullfinch cost and who are the Australian agents?

The only Australian agents are E H Cambridge and Co in South Australia.

GAS SCARE GUNS - PRICE LIST

Prices are on their web site.

I couldn't find any videos of a Sievert LPG gun in action, but I did put up a short video of the Bullfinch doing some basic hard bronze brazing a while ago.

How to bronze braze with LPG or butane gas - YouTube

Rob

There was a thread a few months ago about the bullfinch and after i read it I got one from the uk. Its a ripper, al heap better than the old primus torch i had previously.

Cost a bit over $200 including postage when the exchange rate was still good. The reg has a different thread on the POL fitting so you need to find the threaded collar bit from an australian reg and change it over.

Originally Posted by gallegos

There was a thread a few months ago about the bullfinch and after i read it I got one from the uk. Its a ripper, al heap better than the old primus torch i had previously.

Cost a bit over $200 including postage when the exchange rate was still good. The reg has a different thread on the POL fitting so you need to find the threaded collar bit from an australian reg and change it over.

Yes, the POL is different on the UK imports. The locally supplied POL is correct (E H Cambridge).

Here is a link showing the Auto Torch flame temperatures with LPG compared to other systems.

Bullfinch Gas - Technical information: flames

Rob

At the end of the thread started over 12 months ago by shedhappens, he said he was looking into LPG torches which also use compressed air. I wonder how he got on.

At around $200 per year rental on my OXY cylinder for LPG/OXY set, it would have to be worth buying a Bullfinch. I think I have said that before. Have to look into it.

Dean

Thanks for the replies.
I think I'll look at getting a bullfinch. I handed my oxy/acet cylinders back about 4 years ago. I had hardly used them for a few years. I also handed my migshield cylinder back about a month ago. Rental on the size E had gone up to $175/year. Thats extortion in my opinion. I had only used the welder a couple of times in the last couple of years. I'll look at buying my own migshield cylinder later on this year. It will pay for itself in a couple of years.
So not having oxy means I think I should get a better LPG torch.

regards
bollie7

I am still interested too, but i'd really like to know just how big a cross section could be heated enough to braze. I will have the need soon to braze things from thin sheet, bar around 3/4" dia and rebuilding some gear teeth on gears up to 1 1/2" wide. Do you think the bullfinch will manage? Otherwise what about oxygen LPG? Oxygen bottles are pretty cheap to buy outright, its the construction of the acetylene bottles that makes the sets really pricey, $1200 was the price i have been given on the smallest bottles outright.

Cheers,
Ew

Originally Posted by bollie7

Thanks for the replies.
I think I'll look at getting a bullfinch. I handed my oxy/acet cylinders back about 4 years ago. I had hardly used them for a few years. I also handed my migshield cylinder back about a month ago. Rental on the size E had gone up to $175/year. Thats extortion in my opinion. I had only used the welder a couple of times in the last couple of years. I'll look at buying my own migshield cylinder later on this year. It will pay for itself in a couple of years.
So not having oxy means I think I should get a better LPG torch.

regards
bollie7

The Bullfinch sounds expensive, but when you consider the rental cost of two bottles, you actually pay it off in one year. It's not as good as oxy, but for smallish or light gauge jobs it's fine.

The air and LPG guns in the previous thread turned out to have a "fluffy" flame and are not suitable to localized bronze brazing.

I previously tried boosting a standard LPG torch with compressed air, but it's only moderately successful and not a viable alternative to the Bullfinch. The problem is that only a small % of compressed air is oxygen, the rest is inert gases.

Oxy is certainly not economic these days unless you use it regularly and it's necessary for the work you do.

I had oxy, but the rental was just too much.

Rob

Originally Posted by Ueee

I am still interested too, but i'd really like to know just how big a cross section could be heated enough to braze. I will have the need soon to braze things from thin sheet, bar around 3/4" dia and rebuilding some gear teeth on gears up to 1 1/2" wide. Do you think the bullfinch will manage? Otherwise what about oxygen LPG? Oxygen bottles are pretty cheap to buy outright, its the construction of the acetylene bottles that makes the sets really pricey, $1200 was the price i have been given on the smallest bottles outright.

Cheers,
Ew

The Bullfinch will handle thin sheet well, but heavier cross section will test it. For thick large gears you need something better.

If you've used MAPP gas, the Bullfinch is similar with about a 30% greater capacity - BTHU wise (best guess). It's certainly nothing like as powerful as oxy/acet.

I haven't used LPG/oxygen but recall a poster saying it (CIG Colt) wasn't as good as it's cracked up to be.

You might be better off just using oxy and returning the bottles for a refund as soon as possible.

Rob

Originally Posted by nearnexus

The Bullfinch will handle thin sheet well, but heavier cross section will test it. For thick large gears you need something better.

If you've used MAPP gas, the Bullfinch is similar with about a 30% greater capacity - BTHU wise (best guess). It's certainly nothing like as powerful as oxy/acet.

I haven't used LPG/oxygen but recall a poster saying it (CIG Colt) wasn't as good as it's cracked up to be.

You might be better off just using oxy and returning the bottles for a refund as soon as possible.

Rob

Thanks Rob,
I've been saving up brazing jobs with that thought in mind. Its a shame the oxy is so pricey, they are so handy. When i win the lotto......(that i don't buy tickets to)

Ew

From here you can download a .pdf data sheet for their air/gas torches. They are said to be very noisy in operation.
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