MAPP Gas replacement

[tjkubota93]

When brazing or soldering copper I wrap a wet rag around the pipe 2-3 inches from my work. It seems to act as a barrier and the pipe heats faster (as well as preventing damage further away)

 

[Lelandwelds]

When brazing or soldering copper I wrap a wet rag around the pipe 2-3 inches from my work. It seems to act as a barrier and the pipe heats faster (as well as preventing damage further away)

How does absorbing more heat with water keep extra copper from absorbing more heat? I like a backstop of 12" square of carbon felt to keep from setting the wall on fire. Dump as great a volume of heat as possible as quickly as possible. Then get out of there. Slow heating invites oxidation and cold and dirty joints leak.

I think you should just make the leap, buy the equipment, and learn more metal trade skills. If i thought like that I couldn't work on cars or anything because the total cost of equipment was too high. You buy tools for one project and use them for another. Later, you buy some other missing piece for yet another job. Before long, you can build trailers, log splitters, or furnaces.

 

[jaxs]

How does absorbing more heat with water keep extra copper from absorbing more heat? I like a backstop of 12" square of carbon felt to keep from setting the wall on fire. Dump as great a volume of heat as possible as quickly as possible. Then get out of there. Slow heating invites oxidation and cold and dirty joints leak.

I think you should just make the leap, buy the equipment, and learn more metal trade skills. If i thought like that I couldn't work on cars or anything because the total cost of equipment was too high. You buy tools for one project and use them for another. Later, you buy some other missing piece for yet another job. Before long, you can build trailers, log splitters, or furnaces.

Agree on all points.

 

[Raised on a Deere]

How does absorbing more heat with water keep extra copper from absorbing more heat? I like a backstop of 12" square of carbon felt to keep from setting the wall on fire. Dump as great a volume of heat as possible as quickly as possible. Then get out of there. Slow heating invites oxidation and cold and dirty joints leak.

I think you should just make the leap, buy the equipment, and learn more metal trade skills. If i thought like that I couldn't work on cars or anything because the total cost of equipment was too high. You buy tools for one project and use them for another. Later, you buy some other missing piece for yet another job. Before long, you can build trailers, log splitters, or furnaces.

��I am coming more around to the just buy the tools, - have done that most of my life with overall good results. But I don’t want to go acetylene just yet. The welding dealers around here are way too much in league with the professionals and do their best to get diy guys out the door, with, “go to trade school for two years” or “I had to dig ditches for 10 yers to get my liscense” I am sure there are some walk-in business friendly dealers in the big city one hour from here, but I haven’t found it yet. Got lucky and found a good hvac shop In Lexington n KY though. It’s just a matter of time.

I have decided to get a turbo torch and try the T-6 tip CADplans suggested and go the propane/mapp gas route but cannot figure out which turbo torch comes with adapters and regulators that work with acetylene (for my future) and with propane/Mapp for now. The kit descriptions just leave me confused. I see some that have the handel and work with acetylene but is there another regulator that I must buy to attach to propane?

 

[jaxs]

I switched from acetylene to propane using same rig other than cutting tip that fit's on same handle. (B and MC tanks need same adapters as those for normal gauges) Propane does every thing acetylene does besides weld. If you plan on using rosebud tip you will need at least 100 cf acetylene bottle to prevent drawdown acetone complications. There is no drawdown problem but if you loose pressure with propane you can put on the spare grill bottle or warm the tank with hot water.

 

[Raised on a Deere]

Maybe finally I am figuring the hardware out. I see a turbo torch kit on Amazon that attaches to propane and mapp pro bottles. I can use my Mr Buddy heater hoses tank adapter and regulator to attach to my 30 lb tanks. If I want to use acetylene in the future I buy a acetylene appropriate b/mc regulator.

So if I start out with T-6 tip, attach to H-4 handle, then hoses of desired length, and attach to regulator/tank adapters appropriate to fuel used I will have a brazing set up. Is this it?


Or are we talking two entirely different sets of hardware depending on whether propane or acetylene?

 

[jaxs]

Or are we talking two entirely different sets of hardware depending on whether propane or acetylene?

If you mean will the regulator and hose that convert's a Mr.Heater from 16oz LP bottles to 20 Lb grill bottle work with acetylene,the answer is no. There are regulators that work with both LP and acetylene and some that don't. If regulator work's for both,it will be stated in description.

 

[Raised on a Deere]

If you mean will the regulator and hose that convert's a Mr.Heater from 16oz LP bottles to 20 Lb grill bottle work with acetylene,the answer is no. There are regulators that work with both LP and acetylene and some that don't. If regulator work's for both,it will be stated in description.

No I am talking about a hose that connects to the 30 lb tank on one end and has a fitting just like a bottle on the end. My heater runs off the throw away bottles or the hose I mentioned. But there is no regulator, it is in the heater.

But that is what puzzles me, about the turbo propane (LP) torch I saw. From what some have been saying I thought they were taking their acetylene swirl air torch and using propane with good results provided they get the right tip. I want the capability to use acetylene should a job require but anticipate that I would be using propane because of the economy and safety. I don’t know if I would be swapping tips and regulators or if perhaps they were talking about one like you described that specifically is designed to do both, a requirement I need to get in my selection of turbo torches.

 

[radios1]

Maybe finally I am figuring the hardware out. I see a turbo torch kit on Amazon that attaches to propane and mapp pro bottles. I can use my Mr Buddy heater hoses tank adapter and regulator to attach to my 30 lb tanks. If I want to use acetylene in the future I buy a acetylene appropriate b/mc regulator.

So if I start out with T-6 tip, attach to H-4 handle, then hoses of desired length, and attach to regulator/tank adapters appropriate to fuel used I will have a brazing set up. Is this it?


Or are we talking two entirely different sets of hardware depending on whether propane or acetylene?

you won't be able to braze with just propane, it don't get hot enough, map, or map-pro gets much hotter.. what you want is an oxy/propane setup so you can braze larger pipes.. neither map or map-pro or propane makes a shielding flame, so, you'll have to use either flux coated rods or use flux.. that's another drawback to propane etc..

 

[CADplans]

. From what some have been saying I thought they were taking their acetylene swirl air torch and using propane with good results provided they get the right tip.

I have two propane tips, and one acetylene tip for my Turbo Torch. My Turbo Torch came with the propane regulator,,
I happen to have an acetylene regulator, so I use that with the acetylene tip.

I have accidentally started the torch, with the acetylene tip, on propane. The torch acts like there is too much air, and not enough fuel.
It burns, but, it burns "cool",,,

 

[Raised on a Deere]

I have two propane tips, and one acetylene tip for my Turbo Torch. My Turbo Torch came with the propane regulator,,
I happen to have an acetylene regulator, so I use that with the acetylene tip.

I have accidentally started the torch, with the acetylene tip, on propane. The torch acts like there is too much air, and not enough fuel.
It burns, but, it burns "cool",,,

Thanks for chiming in again. What you said about swapping the regulators clears up my confusion.Now I need to shop.

 

[Alan W.]

Raised on a Deere, have you tried going to Weldquip in Danville. They have always been helpful to me when I had an idea to try something.

 

[radios1]

Thanks for chiming in again. What you said about swapping the regulators clears up my confusion.Now I need to shop.

it is actually dangerous to use a propane regulator on acetylene, which spontaneously explodes at 18 PSI. and a propane regulator don't have the warnings at 15 PSI, and it's too easy to go over the limit with a propane regulator, also, it may not have the flashback arrestors..

 

[Raised on a Deere]

Raised on a Deere, have you tried going to Weldquip in Danville. They have always been helpful to me when I had an idea to try something.

No, my stomping grounds are Frankfort, Lexington, Lawrenceburg, Versailles and sometimes Louisville
. But Danville is in my back yard. My problem is I just. Haven’t had time to make the rounds yet. Just moved back to KY after 17 years in ALABAMA. Thanks for tip about weldquip.

And raidios1 what you said and other stuff I have heard suggests to me that acetylene is much safer when one is properly trained and it is used regurlarly. I am confident I would enjoy having it around if it turned out I really needed it. My purpose at this point is to get the job done if possible with out resorting to the next level. Thanks for sounding out.

 

[WranglerX]

IF you are going to do brazing/silver solder on copper, (and a lot of it).... Get Prest-o-lite torch and acetylene cylinder....

https://www.esabna.com/shared/documents/litdownloads/pol20000bcatalog122012email.pdf

Starting around page 11.... Its been standby in AC industry for years....

dale

 

[Raised on a Deere]

Just to update where I am at, - once I sorted out what the torch components were and then finding a turbo torch catalogue it was possible to decide which torch kit I needed. One of the kits is a propane/ mapp gas torch with #6 and #4 tip which I believe will cover my bases but I am including a #2 tip in my order just to have the broadest range of capability possible from this torch. Presto-O-Lite sure looks like the real deal but too pricy for my limited use.

Also, once I got out of my one horse town I found a welding supplies house in Frankfort that has a business model very congenial to the beginners and novices but well liked by the pros I talked to in the shop so I am now a candidate for acetylene b tank use.