DIY Basics: Essential Guide To Blowtorches

Elon Musk, the real world version of fictional character Tony Stark, made headlines worldwide following the relase of a company-branded flamethrower (pictured above) and this got Handyman editors thinking… what else can we use to shoot flames out of and melt things to other things?

Bowtorches, gas axes, flamethrowers are all roses by any other name.

Here’s how to use them best.

Blowtorches can be categorised according to the type of fuel they use, which affects how much heat they can generate. The three main types commonly used for DIY are powered by butane, propane or MAP-Pro gas.

Even though only licensed tradies can legally solder mains plumbing, this is just one of many jobs that a blowtorch is good for.

Blowtorches for DIY range from tiny butane micro torches not much larger than a cigarette lighter, to heavy-duty models that can burn at temperatures of more than 2000ºC.

The brazing techniques that this kind of high-powered tool facilitates can be used to make metal furniture, sculptures and even jewellery.

But even a basic blowtorch can be used to solder copper pipe into a frame for unique shelving, or to plumb an outdoor shower that is connected to a garden hose.

In addition to soldering, blowtorches can be used with a purpose-designed attachment for incinerating weeds. Attaching a spreader nozzle that disperses the heat generated by the flame makes jobs such as stripping paint a breeze.

Another common use is to direct the flame onto a seized nut, causing it to expand relative to the bolt and loosening it enough to be turned.

Blowtorches are also useful for craft projects ranging from glass blowing to decorative powdercoating. They even have culinary applications, as a butane-fuelled torch is needed for caramelising the top of a crème brûlée.

Elon Musk, the real world version of fictional character Tony Stark, made headlines worldwide following the relase of a company-branded flamethrower (pictured above) and this got Handyman editors thinking… what else can we use to shoot flames out of and melt things to other things?

Bowtorches, gas axes, flamethrowers are all roses by any other name.

Here’s how to use them best.

Blowtorches can be categorised according to the type of fuel they use, which affects how much heat they can generate. The three main types commonly used for DIY are powered by butane, propane or MAP-Pro gas.

Even though only licensed tradies can legally solder mains plumbing, this is just one of many jobs that a blowtorch is good for.

Blowtorches for DIY range from tiny butane micro torches not much larger than a cigarette lighter, to heavy-duty models that can burn at temperatures of more than 2000ºC.

The brazing techniques that this kind of high-powered tool facilitates can be used to make metal furniture, sculptures and even jewellery.

But even a basic blowtorch can be used to solder copper pipe into a frame for unique shelving, or to plumb an outdoor shower that is connected to a garden hose.

In addition to soldering, blowtorches can be used with a purpose-designed attachment for incinerating weeds. Attaching a spreader nozzle that disperses the heat generated by the flame makes jobs such as stripping paint a breeze.

Another common use is to direct the flame onto a seized nut, causing it to expand relative to the bolt and loosening it enough to be turned.

Blowtorches are also useful for craft projects ranging from glass blowing to decorative powdercoating. They even have culinary applications, as a butane-fuelled torch is needed for caramelising the top of a crème brûlée.