Butane torch vs Propane torch

[theonlyace]

As the title states, I was curious about the different fuels. I work on cars a lot so I have a bottle of propane laying around and a torch attachment. Are there any negatives to using this fuel to torch SS wicks, Silica, Kanthal, or anything related to putting it in my body. I notice all the videos in regaurds to rda's and rba's use Butane. Also, the site I bought my Silica from recommended 1. Torch Till it Glows 2. Let cool. 3. Rinse with distilled water or Everclear [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]4. Let dry. [/FONT]Is torching Silica safe?

 

[tmcase]

I've used propane to torch mesh but I used a bic lighter on the kathal before wrapping. You can torch the mesh and kanthal when the coil gets gunked up if you can raise it up above the post. I don't think it makes any difference whether you use butane or propane.

I wouldn't torch silica though. A bic lighter should be all you need. I've never heard of anybody torching silica except maybe ecowool which is a different kind of silica. I don't even use a lighter on my silica but I should to at least sterilize it.

 

[Katya]

I used a BBQ lighter (butane) many times to torch silica wicks in plain cartomizers when I was testing them (after taking them apart) and didn't see any ill effects--but I only did it a couple of times, so I don't know if it can be done repeatedly. But I agree with tmcase--all you need is bic lighter.

 

[Kent C]

More important that what fuel used:

2. Let cool. 3. Rinse with distilled water or Everclear 4. Let dry (or 151 proof vodka, filtered, uncolored, unflavored for #3). Even good to do if you just dry burn.

Torching or "bic lightering" will bring a silica wick back to white, as shown on many vids....

 

[rolygate]

The main difference between propane and butane is that butane gas bottles can't be used in cold weather, the pressure drops according to the temperature and if it's cold, you get virtually zero pressure. This is why boats used for day-sailing in summer use butane for the cooker, as it's slightly cheaper and easier to find, but boats used all year round or for voyaging use propane gas bottles.

Propane gas bottles are also filled at a higher pressure and are stronger. Propane bottles are strong and can be re-filled with any gas (propane, butane, propane-butane mix, LNG), but butane bottles can only take butane. Propane bottles have a left-hand thread on the valve connector - this catches out a lot of people.
Propane is a hotter burning gas which is why it's used for steel cutting in an oxy-propane torch.

There are no practical differences for torching rba components, except that if a butane torch is left in an outbuilding in winter then it won't work well. The alcohol rinse is the most important part anyway, as said before.