Bike Forums - View Single Post - Need Some Advice on O/A Regulators for a Beginner's Setup

08-18-15 | 05:22 PM

#6

Doug Fattic

framebuilder

Joined: Dec 2009

Posts: 1,788

Likes: 2,710

From: Niles, Michigan

The propane mixer/elbow for the Smith AW1A torch handle is the AT-61 (the AT-60 is for acetylene). The screw on tips you would need that attach to the end of the AT-61 are the LT103, LT104 and LT105. Those are the sizes that work well for brazing bicycle frames with propane (even though they say they are for acetylene. The propane tips are too big for our use in most cases).

The reason I don’t like Smith tips for propane as well as Victor tips is because the Victor tips have a recessed end that help keep the flame attached to the tip. This is a bigger problem with propane than acetylene. The smaller a tip the greater the difficulty.

<www.Torchtools.com> sells Victor clone equipment (called Gentec) at discount pricing. They have the items in stock. The Gentec® 140T torch handle (= Victor® J-28) comes with check valves (about a $20 added on value). The propane specific mixer/elbow is the 881W mixer (= Victor® UN-J). The tips that are the right size for brazing frames are the 883-2 (= Victor® TEN 2, the 883-3 (= Victor® TEN 3) and the 883-4 (= Victor® TEN 4).

The cheapest Victor compatible torch handle is the Uniweld 71. It is lighter and bigger than other aircraft torch handles including the J-28. They can be found pretty cheap on Amazon. For awhile they were around $40 but frame builders have snapped them up at those prices. It is actually my favorite torch but the quality is not as good as Smith or Victor.

Decent propane specific regulators sell for less than $100 even at your local welding supply store. For safety, after the regulators you will want flashback arrestors and on the end of the hoses and torch handle you would be smart to put check valves. Don’t forget that somewhere in your line will need to be some kind of conversion from the B size fittings on the regulators to the A size fittings on your torch handle. Some hoses come with A fittings on one end and B on the other.

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