No more MAPP!

Where I worked at Kaiser Steel, most all burning was done with propane, there were huge acetylene generators that went out on a scrap truck, but if really thick plate was cut, acetylene was used but from the biggest cylinders, with four cylinders manifolded together to avoid drawing the acetone from the cylinders, this was done in our shop, so I got to watch! The plate being cut was about 12" thick, a special silicon steel for its magnetic properties, the parts were "backstop magnets" for the Stanford linear accelerator, as I remember, I worked on them on the G&L 350T boring mill after the notching operation with the torch was done.
 
No more Mapp ? We just got 2 cases delivered last week . ( if you're talking about the small yellow bottles ) .

Edit ...........we use Map//Pro .
 
I could be wrong but as far as I remember MAPP gas has not been made for at least 10 years in Canada, it was replaced with Map pro.
 
Well whaddya know.... apparently I am already using "MAP/PRO" too.
The cylinders says to only use with MAP/PRO compatible torches, but I've just been using the same old propane one......

As a user, I never even noticed the switch.

Brian
 
I too was not aware of the switch. What an amazing ( in the worst sense) bit of marketing. Switch to a formulation that is significantly lower in cost but lower in performance, design a new label that implies an improved product, claim its better than propane (it is , marginally) and increase the price.

I have used MAPP gas in the past for small brazing jobs in spite of the almost double price because of the almost double flame temperature. I recently bought a cylinder of MAP Pro and it will be the last. Propane in the little torch from now on. BTW, I buy the squat cylinders used for camo stoves and portable heaters. They are 16 oz. vs. the 14 oz. cylinders and lower in price.
 
What the heck are you supposed to sweat copper pipe with propane? Particularly when it's cold out, I'll say it's impossible. I don't have a small, easy to maneuver bottle of acetylene. If they can make MAPP/pro for consumers, why not regular MAPP? This reminds of last year when I was re-staining my deck and I only had a half gallon of the "good stuff" left so I went to pick up another gallon. Some very effective ingredient was outlawed here in Colorado. Something about its V.O.C's. Stop protecting me from myself!
 
I got a turbo style propane torch a little while back and it puts out noticeably higher BTUs than my old one. The downside is that it also goes through propane faster. I don't think the new one gets much hotter, it just gets more heat into the work. I've found it works fine for soldering 1/2" copper pipe. Stuff like valves, hose bibbs and the like take longer but that's understandable. More material to get hot.

I also have used it for hardening small cutters I have made. The most recent was a long-reach countersink for a project where I designed myself into a corner.

Now, those propane weed burners REALLY go through the propane. I have used them to prep garden spots (to burn off last season's weed seeds) and the 20lb tank I use gets cold enough to freeze water on the outside. I have no idea on how one of those would work for soldering/annealing etc., except that I'd do it outside!
 
Flame temperature of naturally aspirated propane is supposedly more the 3,000ºF. I find that building an impromptu furnace out of fire brick makes it much easier to reach brazing temperatures. I lay two bricks down for a base and three bricks for walls. A sixth or seventh brick cis used for a roof. This decreases radiation and convection of heat noticeably.
 
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