INTRODUCTION
Brazing and soldering are some of the oldest methods for joining two metals. As early as 1475
B.C. soldering was being used to join gold and silver. The heat source for these early operations
was usually a wood or charcoal fire fanned by the solderer's breath. Thankfully, the art of
soldering has evolved since then.
For many years standard soldering torches operated on a variety of combustible gasses. Natural
gas, acetylene, methane, propane, and air/gas combinations were widely used throughout many
industries. However, these gasses have drawbacks. They are usually bought in pressurized
bottles that can be costly, dangerous and are prohibited in increasing numbers of municipalities
and states. In addition, these gasses generally do not burn cleanly and can leave excessive
oxidation and "fire scale" on articles. What the jewelry industry needed was a torch that could
solder cleanly, effectively and safely.
The HydroFlame Torch answers all these needs and more. The HydroFlame is an oxyhydrogen
generator that operates by converting distilled water into an oxygen/hydrogen fuel gas. The
HydroFlame Torch creates gas on a demand basis. This means that there is no potentially
dangerous stored gas.
Because the HydroFlame Torch burns a gas that has a high hydrogen content, it produces what is
referred to as a "reducing" flame. What this means is that the flame of the HydroFlame Torch
will actually eliminate oxides to some extent. Because it reduces or eliminates oxidation,
soldering with the HydroFlame Torch is much cleaner than what can be achieved with traditional
torches. However, the reducing flame of the HydroFlame is only effective where the flame is
actually in contact with the piece. Because of this, it is always advisable to use a flux dip prior to
soldering, and to use a suitable flux when soldering to ensure clean, perfect joints.
