Butane burner

[EnglishIvy]

'> Does anyone have any idea how hot those little butane burners for Creme Brule get? I have been able to solder jump rings with it, but now that I am trying to make a bezel, I can't seem to get the solder to flow.  HELP!!

Greetings English Ivy,

From a web site on cooking (http://www.chefdepot.net/minitorch.htm), Creme Brulee Torch: Operating temperature up to 2800 degrees F

Lapidary Journal has a very good article on torches and uses:  http://www.lapidaryjournal.com/feature/jul03str.cfm titiled "Hot enough for you?"

A snipit of the article is here:
•Minis, Micros, Pen and Pencil Torches. When the only demand on the torch is soldering small items, then most of the hand-held, self-starting torches like the Micro-Jet MJ-300 ($20) and the Blazer Butane Microtorch ($56) will do the job. These inexpensive mini and micro single-gas torches produce a pinpoint 2500°F flame powered by readily available butane.

More heat is produced by the Microflame® torch, which uses butane, and Micronox® and MINIFLAM's MICROTORCH ($35). Both produce pinpoint 5000°F flames capable of brazing and soldering. The MICROTORCH is described as being like laser technology without the price.


I currently use MAPP gas with oxygen, which is a "dirty" flame and produces a fair amount of soot - but it IS hot enough. I'm saving my pennies for a better torch set up.

Hope this helps!

Janet
Toc's Bounty

[Metalman]

You should be able to solder the bezel wire itself with the butane.  If it won't flow - it is probably a flux and/or "cleanliness of the metal" issue.  
If you are trying to solder the bezel on to a base/pendant/larger piece of metal it is possible that the larger piece is heat sinking the temperature.  If you take some chunks of fire brick and build a small surround around the piece you may be able to extend the heat of your torch. The consideration at this point is not really that you need a hotter torch - you need a larger flame which can heat a larger general area.
Hope this helps