hey everyone, got a newb question: is there a tip made that can be used on a bernz-o-matic style propane bottle to produce enough heat to bend steel tube?

 

Nope - propane gets no where near hot enough. MAPP might get close for small stuff, but you really need oxy-acetylene

 

Probably need to add some oxygen to the propane to get enough heat to do that:
- http://www.sculpture.net/community/a...hp/t-3372.html

Or get a tube bender and do it cold.

 

id love a tube bender, but they are out of my price range at this time. i have also noticed oxygen cylinders at home depot next to mapp and propane. any idea if the pure oxygen would provide enough heat? thanks for the link too, it gave me some good insight, i never considered the used regulator danger.

 

NO you'll need to buy the Mapp/oxygen torch kit to run the two gasses - it will get 1/4" plate red hot, but the oxygen will run out fast....

 

What are ya trying to do exactly?

 

Tried one of those Mapp+O2 small cylinder kits. You can get steel hot enough to braze and weld but like mentioned above, you run out of O2 really, really, really fast. Like in my case I was trying to weld a washer to the top of a nut and I could just barely get that hot enough to get a little welding done before I ran out of O2 (like a minute or so as I recall). And that was with a small little pencil point flame for welding. I could imagine with a larger flame to heat a larger area, you might blow through one of those small tanks in seconds.

 

If you keep the flame just lower than hissing (cutting type plame) you can stretch out the O2 for 5-10 min. Any longer than that and you're pushing it.