A propane gas torch is an inexpensive, versatile tool that can be used for dozens of various jobs around the home and workshop. Generally available in hardware stores all over, these self-contained torches give a dependable source of focused heat which is safe and easy to control.
Designed so that they light immediately and burn with a clean blue flame, these torches need no pumping, priming or preheating. They comprise of a disposable propane fuel tank with a burner assembly which screws on top. The burner has a built-in valve which allows turning the torch on or off and controlling the
size of the flame.To ignite one of these torches, open the valve a bit while holding a match to the burner's nozzle. The propane fuel (in compressed liquid form) is pressure-packed in the tank so that it comes up hissing as soon as the
valve is turned on. Most tanks are around 10 inches high and carry enough fuel to last anywhere between 8 to 16 hours, depending on the size of the flame. When the tank is empty, the cylinder is simply unscrewed from the burner and thrown-away. Refill tanks are available at a minimal cost.To adapt these torches for a variety of uses, most manufacturers create an assortment of different-style burner tips and accessories. For fine work there are narrower burners which give a pencil-like flame. For over-all soldering and heating, there is the utility burner or heavy-duty burner. To give a wide flame for burning off paint or for heating up big pieces of metal, there are special flame-spreader attachments. These give a fanlike flame when attached on over the outside of the utility burner nozzle.