The shed smoke alarm works

I decided to do a bit of brazing in the workshop last evening and rather regretted it. After cleaning the metal, setting it at right angles and putting on some flux, I started to heat it with my medium sized torch as it was a lot smaller than the gate (See lessons in heat). My torch is just a little regulator that fits onto the top of a small gas canister which also happened to be a new canister.

MT2055 mixed butane/propane torch
The first time I tried to use this torch it flared badly i.e. the nice strong blue flame about 2in long turned into a orange fireball about 12in long and 4in across (it’s a small torch hence also a small fireball). I’d presumed it was because I was trying to remove paint from the gate and some chemical fumes had got in the air intakes. When I used it again on the gates later it was not a problem. So I did not expect an issue with this job as there should have been few paint fumes. However, it flared again, a couple of times setting off my smoke alarm.

My conclusion is hence:

  1. Because it’s small there’s no space for anti-flare technology in the regulator
  2. Tipping the can maybe the cause of the flaring.
  3. A full canister is more of a problem than a part full one
  4. Until I’ve worked out how to stop the flaring, I’ll have to work outdoors

2 thoughts on “The shed smoke alarm works

  1. emmyymme says:

    I’m glad it wasn’t anything more serious to test out the alarm – though not sure I’d want to be around that fireball!

  2. Thanks. If it had been the first time I’d seen the torch do that I’d have been a bit more worried.

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