G'day Tyler and Norm
As I was trying to start it, the whole handle filled with butane. When it filled up to the top, the piezo got it
Whomp! Hand covered in fire.
Through some minor miracle, no burns, just no hairs left on most of my right hand.
All I can attribute it to is there was so much gas that it was a rich cool burn for the first couple seconds.
When I was a kid a few times petrol would burn on my hand but never burnt my hand as long as it was only a small amount of fuel
and the fire goes out in minimal seconds from lighting ,As we know it's the fumes/ vapour that burn from the liquid ,so fumes not having direct contact with your skin don't burn you as long as the fire is extinguished very quickly.
If a small amount of fuel is burning on your hand and you violently wave your hand around to put the flame out ,you will not burn.
It's a little like stopping a candle burning with your fingers.
When pinching your fingers around the flaming wick, you are quickly reducing the air to the flame and very quickly cooling the extremely fast (hot) atoms and molecules that generate heat to a more slow (cool) state. Between your fingers is little to no air and therefore nothing to combust.
I agree with Norm the Birko irons are excellent ,my Birko 130 w is at least 50 years old and still working.
The electric Weller aren't too bad ,my old one lasted 20 years before dying and was replaced with another about
10 years old now but probably made cheaply these days and I never leave the iron on unless soldering as they have
warnings now that they can burn out if left on and not in use.
When I google best soldering iron LPG, Weller came up.
I was given a Lotring iron and one with a 6v transformer ,they look old and still work.
My primus LPG torch works good but you need to use the 8.5 kg gas bottle for better gas flow.
Weller iron was bought cheap new the others all cheap second hand .
Cheers
Max.
