Radius71

    Hi to every one first of all i would like to offer my appologies for posting a few pics of my Radius71 in this section and not being able to speak German


    I have had this Radius71 for about 20 years now when i first started to collect blowtorches stoves and lanterns,i have a few only Benzine powered blowtorches as all my others are paraffin/petroleum fueled,and have only used one ot two benzine blowtorches in my collection, and today i fired up this 71 for the first time in over 20 years, i recently changed the cotton wick in the fuel pic up tube changed the seal in the filler cap with a new viton seal and changed the seal in the safety valve and today i repacked the packing gland with some graphite tape i bought from Peter Bendel,which is superb quality and has worked perfectly,here are some pics of the Radius71

    Hi to UK,
    I've noticed that several times now, it really seems that paraffine blowtorches are much more common in the UK than gasoline powered ones. On the other hand, here "on the continent" about 80% or maybe even more of all blowtorches run on gasoline, I have only one which is made by Sievert and belongs to the smaller ones.
    I believe that people here like to start fast with short preheating time. My small Barthel gasoline-blowtorch needs only one preheater cup, maybe another one if it's windy. Starting it takes about three minutes. The Sievert paraffine Blowtorch needs two if you're lucky and up to four if it's windy and cold outside. It can take more than ten minutes to get it running properly.
    But paraffine has advantages, too. It is much safer, if a sealing breaks with gasoline in the tank, you're in trouble, paraffine may not even ignite with a little luck. This is the reason, why gasoline blowtorches always have a valve to turn off the flame. My little Sievert doesn't even have that valve.


    Stefan

    Hi stefen a very good explanation you have come up with,Paraffin fueled blowtorches are more common in the Uk than petrol/benzine,i am not sure of the reason it could be that paraffin was all ways cheaper to buy than petrol/benzine and paraffin was the most common fuel to heat the home other than coal and paraffin could be bought at fuel station's and every high street had a hardware shop that sold paraffin.i use my paraffin blowtorches for all sorts of work from paint stripping soldering work removing bolts that have siezed and i all ways find one spirit cup of spirit is enough to start my paraffin blowtorches about 3-4 mins but if lit out side i all ways use a wind shield to stop the wind effecting the burning spirit blowing it away from the heating coil,


    but i do have one paraffin blowtorch that needs to preheats as it was made in the 1970's may be early 80's that has a steel burner nozzle and not brass so it takes 2 preheats to heat up the coil

    All the verry best from essex uk :gaehn:

    Yeah, those old things still work perfectly. I always need two cups for my little blowtorch, maybe I should check the heating coil, it is a double coil, one might be stuffed with dirt.
    One and a half cup is enough if preheated in the basement.
    I don't know much about prices of paraffine in the UK back then, I just know that Tesco doesn't sell liquid barbecue lighter. I tried to get some spare fuel for the little Feuerhand 175 hurricane lantern I had with me as I visited St. Ives, Cornwall in the summer of 2010.


    Stefan

    Hi Stefen your heating coil could have a build up of carbon in slowing the heating process or the paraffin fuel here in the UK may be a bit more volatile so it turns to vapour/gas easier so it little less time in preheating

    All the verry best from essex uk :gaehn:

    Well that could be a reason, maybe you could help me excluding one. Would you please take a picture of a sticker on a can of the fuel you use?


    Stefan

    Hi Stefen i dont buy the pre pac paraffin what comes in a plastic container i buy it from a local fuel station that still sells it from the pump that way it is cheaper,as i do have two paraffin heaters i use for extra heat or when i dont want to use the central heating.a well known brand of pre packed paraffin is from caldo there web site is www.caldo.co.uk they do a premium grade paraffin and paraffin extra which is modified so there is no odour and has a higher flash point which makes it better if used in a heater inside but would only use the premium grade in my pressure stoves lanterns and blowtorches,

    All the verry best from essex uk :gaehn:

    Oh you lucky one...
    Here in Germany you can just forget about it, cheap paraffine is only available in France, paraffine for portable heaters is about 58 € per 20 litres in Germany, which should be around 50 Pounds. Petrol stations don´t have it, the guys behind the counter stare at you like you where a talking dog or something like that.


    Stefan

    Hi Stefen i must admit i am a bit lucky having a petrol staion close by that sells it as they are very few around now,that petrol station that sells it is a old fashioned family owned buisness,there is a place even cheaper that sells it at 90pence a litre but it is in new southgate in north london he sells butane gas red diesel which is low tax for machinery and paraffin i go there most of the time as i work in north london i buy 20 litres at a time if in a emergany i will go to the petrol station which it is £1.25 a litre

    All the verry best from essex uk :gaehn: