Question about a National 3A/B torch

[Firestarer Arts]

We've been using a National 3A/B, and love it, with the different tips it does everything we want. We had a Mid Bench Burner, but have no use for it, not for what we do. It's just to big a flame.

Question is...

We've been noticing the shaft of the torch getting really hot, and don't remember it ever getting that hot, or maybe didn't take notice to it in the past...

Is this normal?

Thanks.
Daniel Brennan, FSA:

[Onekura]

I have one - stopped using it - but it got very, very hot - changed to a bethlehem barracuda, wrapped some copper pipe arround it with an aquarium pump for water cooling and no more problems - might work with your National too

[hyperT]

Originally Posted by Firestarer Arts

We've been using a National 3A/B, and love it, with the different tips it does everything we want. We had a Mid Bench Burner, but have no use for it, not for what we do. It's just to big a flame.

Question is...

We've been noticing the shaft of the torch getting really hot, and don't remember it ever getting that hot, or maybe didn't take notice to it in the past...

Is this normal?

Thanks.
Daniel Brennan, FSA:

I've used one all my life. It gets hot but not hot enough to worry about. If there is a flash back and starts burning inside the neck it will get extremely hot over time. If you hear a strange whistling sound coming from the torch then that is the reason and all you need to do is cut off the fuel and relight the torch it doesn't happen very often and is caused by an error on my part not the torch. This can happen from brushing something across the blue cone at the base of the fire and it will reignite inside the torch. Sometimes that will cause a loud noise like a car backfiring , other times it will ignite inside of the torch with only the whistling sound, sometimes you get both noises. I don't worry about it flashing back to the tanks because all the pressure in the lines force the fuel away from the tanks to start with. Why would one grab any torch somewhere it is likely to be hot? Metal is a much better conductor of heat than glass, but it's not dangerous in normal use. All torches get hot somewhere or another. The normal tips work fine and so do any of the "hush tips" made for the 3a but use more fuel than the one holed tips. Be aware that this torch probably wont melt down, but is capable of effecting your hearing over time when working at extreme temperatures. It can get very loud.
Every torch I have gets hot somewhere, it's the nature of the beast.

[Travis420]

mine gets hot when u use a heavy oxy flame.just keep ur candles out from the tip.

[LewisW]

I have used the national 3-A for over forty years. The tips get too hot to change easily. Also the heat from the tip heats up the treading so that it makes the threads wear out. The solution is to buy extra of the goosenecks . One for each tip. then when you go to change out the tip, change from the bottom of the goose neck, very easy now.
Lewis

[Jimmi The Don]

Pretty much what everyone else said. They do get warm, when you turn the torch off blow some oxygen through it, this will sometimes blow a ball of fire out of the torch, eliminating any internally ignited gasses .