Or, you could use one of those grill lighters. That would also keep your hand away from the flame.
earlier, Bob Kennedy, wrote: >The one with a trigger has a pizzo crystal that makes a spark to >ignite the fuel. Propane is the gas to stay with for plumbing. >There is map gas but it's hotter and getting the heat right with >solder and not melting it instantly is tougher with map gas. > >I have a couple different torches that have accumulated over the >years. I have one of the igniting kind, you pop the trigger until >the flame starts and then leave it alone. Sometimes I think it's >more bother than it's worth. > >I have a simple torch that you screw into the top of a "bottle" of >propane too. On that one you open the valve and as the gas comes out >just light it. You can use a match or lighter, but I have a sparker >that I use. It keeps my hands far enough from the flame that I don't worry. > >The sparker is available anywhere that would sell a torch. There is >what looks like bolt threads inside a small cup. On one side of the >handle is a spring loaded lever that has a flint on the end. You >squeeze the handle and it moves the fling back and forth across the >threads and causes a spark. A couple of those and the torch will >fire up. Torches run anywhere from around $10 on up to around $30. >Both come with a bottle of propane, it just depends on what your >local stores are selling them for. I've found them in Lowes and they >had a different price depending on the department they were in. >Couldn't figure that one out, so I just bought the less expensive one. > >I've never tried melting solder with a heat gun. I doubt it gets hot >enough to melt the solder and let it run going back together. The >fan would probably keep it too cool. It might however get hot enough >to sweat it apart. I've used mine to take golf clubs apart so it >gets hot enough to melt epoxy. But I think that's around 400 degrees >and solder from what I remember takes about 600 or so. I'm sure >someone will have the exact temp to melt with... > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Scott Howell >To: <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>[email protected] >Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 8:14 AM >Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Bathroom Shut-off valves > >Yeah, that would be more my concern is burning myself or the damned >house down. grin Actually I probably would do ok, but I need to get a >torch first. Actually and I'm sure someone has covered this at some >point, but what is a good torch that would get the job done? I know >they have some that fire by trigger, but can't recall if you hold that >trigger or what and the type of gas I should be using. Also, >On Mar 7, 2009, at 7:22 AM, Bob Kennedy wrote: > > > It's a bit harder putting it back in with solder, but getting it out > > is nothing. You do have to be careful if you're using a torch > > because there is a flame that can start fires. I have a cookie > > sheet, an aluminum baking pan that I use to deflect heat and flames. > > Haven't lost a house yet due to a torch. Wood stoves are another > > area I don't want to talk about... > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Scott Howell > > To: <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>[email protected] > > Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 5:34 AM > > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Bathroom Shut-off valves > > > > Well I have to agree and first how can anyone say there is a > > difference. If you think about it, most valves under a sink (at least > > in my experience) have been of the compression type. WHen I lived in > > my townhouse, I had to replace a number of valves. I could not really > > cut these back because there would have been nearly no pipe to put a > > new valve on. So, I just simply kept the nut on the backside and just > > slapped a new valve on. I have never had one leak that was not > > directly do to me not tightening it up enough. I guess it just seems > > tricky to heat a pipe enough to loosen the solder, that seems tricky. > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.8/1987 - Release Date: >03/06/09 07:20:00 John [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
