senza7

I have seen pictures of cloth braided hoses for use in frame building and I am ready to upgrade from my clunky and heavy rubberized hoses. I have searched and googled all types of different ways of describing these but can not find them. Can anyone here point me in the right direction for a supplier? Thank you.

calstar 

This vendor has ultralight hoses that are used by some frame builders, not cloth though.

https://www.tinmantech.com/products/...welding-hoses/

Maybe this is what you're referring to as cloth hoses:

https://www.amazon.com/Miller-Smith-.../dp/B001DE37NY

Brian

unterhausen

I have the Smith Kevlar hoses. They are really nice. Make sure not to drip flux on them

senza7

this seems to be just what I am looking for, I want light weight and flexibility, the stock heavy rubber hoses that come with oxy acetylene kits are stiff and a pain in the ass to move around the shop with. Alsom do you know if the mecro midget torch is big enogh to braze bike frames? Ive only seem pictures of it and it appears to be too small, looks like it is more suited for soldering jewelry. Anyways, thanks for the advice.

Andrew R Stewart 

Micro midgets have been used on many frames successfully. I suspect many/most of these are silvered and lugged. I also suspect that bronze brazing an old Davis type cast and plugged crown might stretch the capacity of the MM. Andy.

Doug Fattic 

I keep 4 different torch handles for my frame building class students to try out if they want. A Victor J-28, a Smith AW1A, a Unweld 71 and the Meco Midget (now made by Victor). The MM has enough umph for any type of normal frame building application including using a rosebud. It also allows for the use of multi-port tips that TM Technologies sell that are great when using propane because the extra small "ports" help stabilize the flame. They come in 5 sizes and can put out a lot of heat.

The Meco Midget is a love it or hate it type of torch handle. Its flat shape requires the arm/wrist to turn to flick the flame off the work instead of rolling a round handle between my fingers. So i vastly prefer a round torch handle. I would guess only about 20% of my students prefer the MM. But those that prefer it really like it. This is why trying one before buying it is a good idea. One alteration that made me like the Midget better was to use flashback arrestors on the end of the handle instead of the more common check valves. They are bigger. They added enough extra length to make its small size seem more comfortable in my hand.

unterhausen

that's interesting, the midget at work only has a tiny tip that's barely good for anything

Doug Fattic 

TM Technologies sells 4 different sets of tips (with 4 to 7 tips in each set) for the Meco Midget torch handle. 3 of those sets are for acetylene and 1 multiport set of tips for propane. They also make a rosebud for propane. In their catalog they have a chart comparing their tip sizes to other brand's tip sizes. Their largest has a huge orifice size of 0.093" capable for welding 3/8" steel. My preferred orifice size when brazing frame materials is between 0.032" to 0.046". That makes their 5, 6 and 7 tips larger and much larger than I would prefer to use. Their L series are designed to provide a sharper flame tip than their N series and great for fillet brazing. Their OX multi-port tips for propane are awesome. They also sell longer elbows to help keep the heat away from the torch handle. Sadly these tips don't fit other brands and I am not a fan of Meco Midget.

old jupiter

Lightweight O/A torches used to be called "aircraft" torches, and generally used the lightweight hoses with the smaller threaded fittings. My old Victor J-27 is a sweetie, but no longer made, I believe. But as Doug says, that company's J-28 is pretty "handy."

FWIW, going to the other extreme (just my opinion) gets you to the Dillon/Henrob torch, now sold as Cobra torch, so it's still made, but I've seen 'em at automotive swapmeets. Tried one once, clumsiest torch I ever used. But then some guys really like 'em, so . . . .