Replacement for Ronson blowlamp ??

[88v8]

I guess many of us had the old Ronson blowlamp, with its large and small burners. They still appear on eBay, but the cylinders went out of production years ago, never did find out why.
That blowlamp was superb - stable at any setting, no flaring. Subsequently, Rothenberger produced what was supposed to be a replacement, but it was rubbish. I've tried various others - a plumber's lamp with the hose and large Calor cylinder, Taymar, none of them works well. I also have a small refillable lamp, but it eats gas and is only good for fiddly work.

Has anyone found a good gas cylinder blowlamp?

I need to burn the glass out of four Crittall windows so they can be sandblasted, and various other jobs.

Ivor

 

[Penners]

I can't answer your blowlamp question - I just tiffle about with a little Taymar canister job.

However, I'm slightly worried about your idea of burning the glass out of a Crittall window frame (although this worry may be the result of ignorance). Crittall frames are, I understand, galvanised. When I were but a stripling doing engineering training, one of the short courses I did was on welding. When it came to welding galvanised steel, we had to wear high-efficiency masks to protect us from the zinc "fluff" that was produced, and which floated around in the air. This was very toxic.

I have no idea how high the temperature has to be before this fluff is produced - it may be that a blowlamp cannot produce these temperatures - but I though this was worth mentioning, just in case.

 

[d49xc]

I do plumbing jobs with a yellow disposable cylinder of MAP gas and a rotherberger type
brazing torch like this
http://www.screwfix.com/p/gogas-quickpro-auto-power-torch/88334
Can be held at any angle and works/self lights instantaneously

That said these are really brazing torches rather than blowlamps...........

 

[DJH]

I have a Rothenburger blow torch which is a self igniting one with an adjustable flame and it's worked well for me over the years even upside down. It has what they call a turbo flame where the hot part of the flame wraps around a pipe being soldered applying equal heat to the front and back of the pipe helping ensure that the solder runs all the way around the fitting. I have the larger version as well which has different sized nozzles for each size of pipe up to 35 mm.

Both of these torches are suitable for silver soldering and brazing taking copper pipe up to the required red heat.

Doug

 

[LadyArowana]

I have a Rothenburger blow torch which is a self igniting one

Isn't that a bit dangerous?

 

[Penners]

I suppose that depends on how much free will it's permitted to exercise.

 

[Flyfisher]

When it came to welding galvanised steel, we had to wear high-efficiency masks to protect us from the zinc "fluff" that was produced, and which floated around in the air. This was very toxic.

I have no idea how high the temperature has to be before this fluff is produced - it may be that a blowlamp cannot produce these temperatures - but I though this was worth mentioning, just in case.

I don't know the temperatures required either, but it's a point well worth mentioning. Another forum I frequent lost a contributor after he inhaled toxic metallic gases whilst welding and died. :shock:

I've always felt that these sorts of jobs are best done outdoors in a light breeze!

 

[Penners]

I agree FF - with the welder standing upwind of the workpiece.

 

[DJH]

Welders should always stand upwind, so should farmers, fishmongers and tannery workers...

 

[Penners]

Er... don't you mean downwind, Doug (from you, anyway)?

 

[DJH]

Damn it yes, I do mean down wind.. forget I ever mentioned it.