I was wondering if I could find someone that might instruct me on lighting the brazing torch I have. I am also open to use other tools.
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Please be safe.
No offense, but I immediately question the safety considerations of a person asking how to light a torch.
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Perhaps it may just be better for me to go into back parking lot away from the metal shop and braze there.
I can do ignition. I apply the map gas first. Ignite. Adjust the map gas. Then I apply the oxygen. It is at this step I have problems. The flame is not like the video. I apply more oxygen the flame goes out. I quickly cut oxygen then map gas as per manual instrctions. If some one could instruct it would be helpful.
I’m not sure which videos you watched, but these seem pretty decent at showing the startup procedure (I did not watch the second one to see if he’s showing brazing well, I only watched the startup, where he keeps the camera on the valves):
I’ve never used oxyMAPP, but oxyacetylene is (for folks with relative inexperience like me) kind of like adjusting your shower, where there’s a hair’s breadth between “not good” and “just right”. It sounds like you’re either setting your MAPP too low at the start, or bringing the oxy in too far/fast. It requires patience and practice, and, again, if it’s like oxyacetylene, micro adjustments.
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One of the problems with these setups is there really isn’t an O2 regulator. MAPP liquefies and pretty much maintains an even pressure until it is all vaporized in the cylinder then the final pressure drop. The O2 cylinder here are very small and low pressure (compared to high pressure steel cylinders) so as they are used the internal pressure continually is dropping at a relatively quick rate so it needs continual adjustment, but the O2 does greatly raise the flame temperature.
What is nice about this set-up is the smaller tip so the flame can be better focused. Most MAPP torches the nozzles create turbo-effect internally mixing air and gas to get a hotter flame - but it’s more spread out and not as focused as say some Propane torch heads that have a nice “pointed flame”
What Jast and Photomancer said: I have one of those torches. The knobs require a very gentle touch and you will find yourself constantly adjusting the oxygen. And your first several joints will look like total crap until you get some experience.
If you don’t need the strength of brazing for your project, have you considered soldering? It’s a lot easier because you don’t have to heat things up as much. If I tried to braze your project, I expect that it would be seriously distorted in shape from all of the heat by the time that I was finished.
I’ve used one of those like many years ago. Didn’t like it at all. Love my oxy acetylene setup not. I have used the strait propane & map gas ones to braze before too.
Went out to the metal shop and worked with Thomas a little bit. He just needed a little guidance in brazing technique. It actually took a couple of torches to get enough heat into all that copper because it wanted to pull the heat away so fast. But we got it to flow nicely with solid joints.
When done it going to look pretty cool.
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Glad to hear you guys got it working. I noticed the query and wanted to say that unless one is brazing thick copper of large pieces or large joints, then there is no need to have an O2 tank at all. Use MAPP gas and a standard propane torch tip for standard copper pipe up to one inch diameter. One may burn more gas but have less problem.
As always cleaning and sanding until only new copper shows is VERY important. Using the proper flux is also a must as well as making sure that the parts do not move during the process. I prefer to use high quality flux from a professional supply house and purchase it for the materials I will be using at the time.
I have found that most new to brazing overheat the pipes and heat unevenly. After watching pipe fitters braze hundreds of feet of 6 and 10 inch copper pipe I realized that slow and even heating is the key with copper…move around the part to assure even heat and take it easy. Do not overheat at a single area. When the heat is even all around and approaches the brazing temperature everything happens on its own. Also try not to create a secondary heat sink…like your vice setup or working table. keep them far enough away not to cause yourself additional grief.
Hope any of this helps you in the future.
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Part of the problem is most MAPP torch heads create a “Turbo-effect” which is good for heating a large area, which is great for plumbing but not so much for more precise focus - which propane torches tend to have. But you’re right slow even heating is the key.
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