Anyone have a micro torch?

Post by **Mike Everman** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 12:29 am

I like it. Watch the videos on the Henrob site. Very cool.

paul skinner · Post by **paul skinner** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 2:45 am

Mike Everman wrote:I like it. Watch the videos on the Henrob site. Very cool.

Yeah, it's an excellent piece of equipment. I can weld anything with it. Aluminum, cast, stainless.

It was worth every dollar.

Post by **Mike Everman** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 5:33 am

I think I'm going to cash out my Ameritrade account (a little stash well under my wife's radar) and get that. Do you suggest getting the 00 tip, or any other of the accessories that prove indispensable?

paul skinner · Post by **paul skinner** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 4:00 pm

Mike Everman wrote:I think I'm going to cash out my Ameritrade account (a little stash well under my wife's radar) and get that. Do you suggest getting the 00 tip, or any other of the accessories that prove indispensable?

I went whole hog and purchased the Deluxe Master Kit. I used the extensions and the extra welding tips when I reassembled my homebuilt plane. I had various mixtures of T351 and T606 and 2024 and I found the extras came in handy.

You might try ebay first though. Sometimes you'll save yourself a couple of bucks (also no tax) when someone gets rid of one of these (not often).

Post by **Mike Everman** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 5:34 pm

If I don't order this today, I don't know me very well. ;-9

There is one on e-bay right now, but I want unquestioned support.

Mike Kirney · Post by **Mike Kirney** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 4:30 am

Why cut corners? I would assume that Henrob offers a warranty, which would be voided if re-sold. If you want to get really cheap, you could just order one from time to time as you need it then use it for the 90 days and send it back for the refund. I wonder how many times you could get away with that. BY the way, the thing is AWESOME!!! I got a little chubby just looking at the pictures. I got so excited, I posted a couple of messages on the forum there. I've always dreamed of an acetylene torch that didn't weigh 10 lbs., wasn't 20 inches long and wasn't designed to make even the simplest welding jobs totally frustating. Lo and behold, Henrob has fixed everything that was wrong with oxy-acetylene welding. They even offer oxygen regulators that you can dial right in to the pressure you really need. I'm putting one on my Visa when the weather warms up enough for me to get out to my workshop and burn a little gas.

Post by **Mike Everman** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 5:36 am

Oh, yeah. I love it too. OK, so I didn't order it today. But I also get wood when I go to the site. I can't wait to get it! Thanks, Principal. Oh, yeah, there's two on E-bay now.

marksteamnz · Post by **marksteamnz** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:18 am

You can get Jewellers torches. Drilled saphire nozzles. Beautiful little gadgets. We have one a work using oxy hydrogen to make small platinum thermocouples and repair the platinum sheaths. I took it home (with permission) and ran it on oxy acetylene to weld something tiny up It must have been eons ago as i can't even remember what I was fixing. Reading glasses frame?
My regular torch is pretty light but takes a big range of tip sizes from bugger I just set the wall on fire 2 meters away to damm where my glasses I can't see stuff that small.

[quote="Mike Kirney"]Snip
I've always dreamed of an acetylene torch that didn't weigh 10 lbs., wasn't 20 inches long and wasn't designed to make even the simplest welding jobs totally frustating.

paul skinner · Post by **paul skinner** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 4:06 pm

No problem et al.

I did look at the Meco Midget before I purchased the Henrob, but I wasn't impressed.

http://www.tinmantech.com/html/meco_midget_torch.html

If I can make a suggestion though to anyone who buys a gas torch...

Take a course from a practical teacher. Even a few simple lessons. It'll show you quick "how to" without wasting a lot of material.

Enjoy.

P Skinner

Post by **Mike Everman** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:19 pm

I'm lucky to have a master working for me, and while I could get him to just do the work for me, I want to learn it in the worst way. I can use mill and lathe pretty well (non NC) and I want this in my quiver for when I retire to Bum * Egypt and build jets in earnest!

Mike Kirney · Post by **Mike Kirney** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 8:14 pm

Oxy-acetylene welding is a lot of fun and easy to learn. I learned in shop class when I was 13. I made a basketball hoop and I think I got a B+ on it. If you can't get into a course, at least get a book, because you can really cause a lot of damage if you aren't informed. Mike, I bet that guy in your shop can show you all you need to know in under an hour. I was 13 and I had my puddling technique down in 90 mins. Practice, practice practice! Oxy-acetylene welding is a very Canadian way of joining metal, by the way. "Carbide" Willson, an engineer from Ontario, is generally credited as the first person to create calcium carbide by fusing lime and charcoal using an electric current. When these carbide crystals are moistened with water, they decompose to acetylene gas and calcium hydroxide, and this technique was used quite a bit in miners headlamps, little camping stoves, soldering torches, etc. With the millions he made off this and other inventions, Mr. Willson built a well-appointed home for himself in the Gatineau hills, just north of Ottawa. Willaim Lyon Mackenzie King, one of Canada's most famous Prime Ministers, purchased it from him and used it as a lavish summer residence until his death, when he willed it to the people of Canada. It is now part of a national park and you can have tea and sandwiches there in the summertime. They used to have really good ice cream there too. As far as I know, no public welding is allowed on the premises, but there are some great backcountry skiing trails on the property and plenty of all-season visitor parking.

Mike Kirney · Post by **Mike Kirney** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 8:59 pm

I wonder how useful the 00 would be. The site says its for welding 26 and 28 guage metal, which is ridiculously thin. They have a 0.5 tip especially for use with 20 and 18 guage stuff, but I think the 0 and 1 should accomplish most pulsejet related welding. I'm gonna order the kit for $329 and the fancy oxygen regulator too and see what I can do with that, then maybe I'll order some of the other accessories. I welded my 20 guage jet with a 0 tip and a clunky old Harris 16 with a really crappy oxygen regulator (I really have no idea what the pressure in my hose was, maybe it was 5 psi, maybe it was 10 psi) and I didn't have any outrageous problems. Good regulators with fine resolution on the low-pressure side will make joining iron with fire substantially more pleasurable, and I think they are more important than the tip you use. Sometimes you can compensate for a too-large tip by holding the torch farther back from the metal or using a larger rod.

Post by **Mike Everman** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 8:22 pm

I won $220 last night at poker so I just ordered my Henrob! He threw in the .5 tip, which he says is the thing for .020" thick sheet welding. Oh, boy, I can't wait!

Viv · Post by **Viv** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 8:45 pm

Mike Everman wrote:I won $220 last night at poker so I just ordered my Henrob! He threw in the .5 tip, which he says is the thing for .020" thick sheet welding. Oh, boy, I can't wait!

Ok heads up people! don't play poker with this guy he will have the shirt off your back.

Viv:-)