can't light butane torch

[shirt]

am having a muppet moment.

need to solder some copper piping. couldn't find my blow torch with automatic ignition so nipped out and bought a cheap £10 butane jobbie.

only problem is i can't light the bugger! even cracked open the gas blows out any match or lighter held to it. tried lighting it on the gas hob, but the flame dies when held away from the hob.

so how do i light it??? the old one had an ignition button but this doesn't

please help, i rather need to get the water back on asap!

[tribbles]

Might need the nozzle to warm up a bit - leave it warming up by the hob before taking it away.

[The Ben]

They are a \pain in the arse arn't they!!! I went through a whole box of matches trying to light one... On the last on, the match snapped... IT could have been that one that lit it!!! grrr. Had to pop out and buy a lighter!!! The gas comes out too quick and blows the flame out.. .grrrrrrrr

[shirt]

done! cheers tribbles

[109 Bob]

If it's the sort which has little holes near the end, put your fingers over the holes to restrict the air being drawn through. Then light but keep fingers over holes for a while, if flame goes out after you remove fingers repeat until it stays lit.

[Ordinary Bloke]

Make sure the nozzle is clean where the gas comes out. Shake the bottle for a few seconds. Put a slightly damp cloth over the air vents around the sides of the nozzle, whilst lighting it with a cigarette lighter (get some cheap disposables) or a candle, a match is hard to light/hold if you're messing with the torch.

The flame should light easily, as the nozzle warms up remove the dampened cloth (10 seconds is usually ok for me). Keep the torch upright for as long as you can, the cheap ones don't like working upside down.

[Ordinary Bloke]

109 Bob said:

If it's the sort which has little holes near the end, put your fingers over the holes to restrict the air being drawn through. Then light but keep fingers over holes for a while, if flame goes out after you remove fingers repeat until it stays lit.

Or until you smell burning flesh... yes that's how I do it but the damp cloth way is better for someone just starting out with cheap butane torches

[Dogwatch]

Got myself one of those cook's butane torches from Woolies intended for creme brulee and the like. Pietzo ignition and brilliant around the place for lighting disposable BBQ's, candles and any other form of (legal)ignition.

Never going to be powerful enough for soldering but near impossible to blow out the flame, unlike an ordinary lighter. Doesn't fit easily in the pocket either so less likely to go walkabout.

[TWSTEEL]

[Olf]

TWSTEEL said:

Errr, no. Butane he said.

[TWSTEEL]

Olf said:

TWSTEEL said:

Errr, no. Butane he said.

Errr, yes. Paraffin came long before butane and you don't need to run out of matches to light it. "Progress" isn't always better. Millions were spent developing the Fisher Space pen for use by the US Astronauts - the Russian Cosmonauts took pencils.

[mybrainhurts]

Has he blown up yet...?

[Ordinary Bloke]

mybrainhurts said:

Has he blown up yet...?

That's the burning question...

[Ricky_M]

TWSTEEL said:

Olf said:

TWSTEEL said:

Errr, no. Butane he said.

Errr, yes. Paraffin came long before butane and you don't need to run out of matches to light it. "Progress" isn't always better. Millions were spent developing the Fisher Space pen for use by the US Astronauts - the Russian Cosmonauts took pencils.

My boss has one of these in the office, pretty much identical. But I'd rather use my propane torch with push button igintion than faff about with that thing!

[Olf]

TWSTEEL said:

Olf said:

TWSTEEL said:

Errr, no. Butane he said.

Errr, yes. Paraffin came long before butane and you don't need to run out of matches to light it. "Progress" isn't always better. Millions were spent developing the Fisher Space pen for use by the US Astronauts - the Russian Cosmonauts took pencils.

Well why didn't you say that then instead of posting a picture with no caption.

I'd still go for butane anyway thanks. Paraffin is messy and smelly and that tilly lamp technology burner would be a pain in the arse for small jobs.

[Pigeon]

Hold the match at the side of the end of the burner, not right in front of it. You have to sneak up on the potentially burny bit otherwise it sees you coming. Sometimes it works putting the match flame through the holes in the sides of the burner. Lighters are better than matches, of course. The automatic ignition button on my blowtorches always stops working very soon so it's lighter all the time.

[shirt]

Ordinary Bloke said:

: said:

Has he blown up yet...?

That's the burning question...

not quite! but it turned into a pain of a job. the torch i bought is very basic but has an 'anti-flare device' which basically means the flame goes out when you hold it upside down.

i was basically cutting a juntion from the pipe and adding a straight join, as the room used to be a kitchen which i've turned into a bedroom. the problem was that i had to solder a joint under the floorboards and directly underneath a stud wall! every time i went to solder, the bloody torch went out, but eventually made progess by singeing some floorbards

job done, tidied up, then found my old and much better torch in my toolbox

nice hot bath and a few beers later, feeling much better!

[Ordinary Bloke]

shirt said:

Ordinary Bloke said:

: said:

Has he blown up yet...?

That's the burning question...

not quite! but it turned into a pain of a job. the torch i bought is very basic but has an 'anti-flare device' which basically means the flame goes out when you hold it upside down.

i was basically cutting a juntion from the pipe and adding a straight join, as the room used to be a kitchen which i've turned into a bedroom. the problem was that i had to solder a joint under the floorboards and directly underneath a stud wall! every time i went to solder, the bloody torch went out, but eventually made progess by singeing some floorbards

job done, tidied up, then found my old and much better torch in my toolbox

nice hot bath and a few beers later, feeling much better!

The only good bit about DIY plumbing is the beer afterwards

[Disco_Dale]

TWSTEEL said:

Millions were spent developing the Fisher Space pen for use by the US Astronauts - the Russian Cosmonauts took pencils.

Not according to QI.
And I believe Stephen Fry more than you.

[spikeyhead]

TWSTEEL said:

Errr, yes. Paraffin came long before butane and you don't need to run out of matches to light it. "Progress" isn't always better.

Sorry to piss on your bonfire, but butane is a paraffin.