Casting torches, Which ones are best?

[rjstarkey]

Hello, I am looking to buy some casting torches to cast metal copings and full metal crowns. I like products and equipments that are very durable. I was wondering if you guys could recommend some good torches. I was also told that oxy/acetylene torches were the way to go, but was also wondering if natural or propane gas torches could also be used? Thanks.

 

[DMC]

Harris.

Multi-Oriface. Forgot the exact number of tip?

 

[user name]

Acetylene is dirty. Natural can be inconsistant and not as hot as you may need. Propane is my choice, but you should be sure to use 'grade T' hoses. Scott is right...Harris multi 1390 H. Ivoclar has been good with everything else Ive tried...has anyone used their torch?

 

[cheadlemick]

Don't forget flashback arresters or you will blow yourself up!

 

[Brett Hansen CDT]

We used to use acteylene before I did some digging online and found that it is not a good fuel choice to use for dental casting because it is very dirty. We use propane now.

 

[rjstarkey]

Thanks for all of your feedbacks. I am now looking into a Harris torch that works with propane and has a flashback arrester.

 

[Bobby Orr ceramics]

don't touch acetylene. It's like fertilizer from a farmers field.

Propane very intense in heat......melts alloy like a convection oven. Easy to burn the the turkey on the outside, yet raw on the inside......risking burning trace elements.

Natural gas is best for overall volume heat......best for even melting and preserving trace elements...... for base alloys you MUST crank the oxygen so the torch sounds like a jet engine.

When you melt a high-palladium alloy, it's best to use natural gas because the palladium sucks up hydrocarbons like a cocaine addict with white powder.......propane is very high in hydrocarbons......if you are getting bubbles on a high palladium alloy and you're melting it with a propane torch......dangerous for contamination. There's no metal finishing or oxidizing cycle that will fix it when it's already impregnated into the casting.

Talladium has an awesome multi-orfice tip torch that we use for base or noble alloys.

 

[EJADA]

I use the Harris propane/Oxygen tip #11 for all of my casting needs. It works great.

 

[Brett Hansen CDT]

Great post Bobby. At our old lab we used natural gas. When we moved into this lab, we didn't have that option so we were using Acetylene until I discovered it was not a suitable casting fuel. Luckily, our alloy caster is excellent so we haven't had the problems with propane you describe.

 

[LifeLike]

Been using propane and oxygen for the last 26 years,same Harris torch all time, thousands of castings with no real problems.

 

[rjstarkey]

Thank you guys soo much. You guys have been a great help!!

 

[rjstarkey]

Due to all the helpful responses and tip, I ended up purchasing a Harris Heavy duty torch is designed to be used for melting, annealing, and casting large volumes of non ferrous metals. It has a low preasure "F" type mixer (model B-43-N) with 2290-3H heating tip, designed to work with oxygen along with natural gas or propane as a substitute. The torch have a back pressure check valves (200psi max.) with "B" type fitting connectors. e in Ireland. 12ft hose is made by Good Year, 1/4" GRADE T FUEL GAS STD DUTY MAX WP 200 PSI MEETS RMA/CCA IP-7-90

I was wondering if you guys recommended purchasing the Harris 25-100c regulators for both oxygen and propane to go with this also, Or if you guys think that the regulators are unnecessary? Thanks for all the help again..

 

[Pieter]

Question - why use torches at all? Induction casting machines are so much more accurate, cleaner and a pleasure to work with.

 

[paulg100]

"Question - why use torches at all? Induction casting machines are so much more accurate"

ALOT of techs that are experienced with torch casting will disagree with you on that.

 

[cheadlemick]

Induction machine £5000! casting torch + bits and pieces £500 no maintenance needed! Think I will stick with my inaccurate torch! Lol!

 

[rjstarkey]

Question: This is a heavy duty low pressure torch. Do you guys think I need to purchase a high pressure torch to melt non prescious metals such as rexillium at a temperature of appx 2200-2500, or is this lower pressure torch enough to do the job since its a propane and oxygen torch? And do I need regulators?

Thanks in Advance guys......

 

[cheadlemick]

yes you need regulators and oxy propane will melt ni/cr no probs!

 

[Rdpurdom]

I have owned the Talladium Harris casting torch since the early 80's. I followed Edward Harms recommendations to the letter and have always had excellent results. I use natural gas, right out of the wall and oxygen. The trick to casting N.P. Alloys is heat VOLUME! It'll knock down a crucible full of base element ingots in seconds! Dial back the oxygen and it'll melt any other alloy you want with no problem. BTW,natural gas is the cleanest gas to use because it has the least amount of hydrocarbons and will not give you gassing problems when you start stacking glass on it.
When using base alloys I will ONLY EVER USE Talladium. I actually prefer Talladium to bake porcelain to over any other alloy. For the past 9 years I have been working for a high end prosthodontic group and they made me use a high noble metal but now I'm back in my own lab and I will use Talladium exclusively! Btw, at the lab I just left, we had an induction casting machine from Reitel and it was great and very easy to use. Nice dense castings! I will not shell out 10-15 grand for a casting machine. I am mostly all ceramic these days so casting is not as big a part of my work as it used to be. I can better put that money elsewhere. If I did a lot of casting I think I would get an induction machine.

 

[aqdental]

I have owned the Talladium Harris casting torch since the early 80's. I followed Edward Harms recommendations to the letter and have always had excellent results. I use natural gas, right out of the wall and oxygen. The trick to casting N.P. Alloys is heat VOLUME! It'll knock down a crucible full of base element ingots in seconds! Dial back the oxygen and it'll melt any other alloy you want with no problem. BTW,natural gas is the cleanest gas to use because it has the least amount of hydrocarbons and will not give you gassing problems when you start stacking glass on it.
When using base alloys I will ONLY EVER USE Talladium. I actually prefer Talladium to bake porcelain to over any other alloy. For the past 9 years I have been working for a high end prosthodontic group and they made me use a high noble metal but now I'm back in my own lab and I will use Talladium exclusively! Btw, at the lab I just left, we had an induction casting machine from Reitel and it was great and very easy to use. Nice dense castings! I will not shell out 10-15 grand for a casting machine. I am mostly all ceramic these days so casting is not as big a part of my work as it used to be. I can better put that money elsewhere. If I did a lot of casting I think I would get an induction machine.

Hi, just wondering if you could give me the code of your torch handle and tip. Thank you

 

[JMN]

Hi, just wondering if you could give me the code of your torch handle and tip. Thank you

Unfortunately, that user was only here once, in 2016, to make that post.