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Homemade Propane Burner

Written by Jamie Cunningham

Published on 20 May 2009

Page 1 of 3

In my quest to melt aluminum, I have decided to build my own propane torch for my furnace.

I had been using a "weed burning torch" from Harbor Freight, but that was using too much propane, so I thought using a high pressure regulator was worth a try :) Here are some pictures and a few videos of the burner I came up with.

Make sure to hit "Next" at the bottom or use the article index because there are three pages and this first page does not describe the completed (better) burner.

OK, so in keeping with my "formula" for my other projects, I decided to try and build this burner from parts I could get mostly from the home hardware stores. Turns out I got everything I needed from them and didn't have to hunt for anything :)

Here's what my burner consists of: (Note this is not the final list - see the next pages of the article)

High Pressure Regulator (0 to 10psi) - I found this at Home Depot in the BBQ section - looks like it's to use BBQ grill propane tanks with a turkey fryer
3/8" MP to 1/8" Male Pipe to Female Iron Pipe Bushing - Found this in the plumbing section with all the other brass adapters
3/8" to 3/4" Iron Bell Reducer - The store I went to did not carry black iron pipe anymore so I had to settle for the galvanized
(Note: there are noxious fumes given off when the galvanized finish burns off - only do in a well ventilated area with protection)
(also note: I have since found black iron pipe for the final version of my burner)
3/4" - 8" long Pipe Nipple
3/4" to 1" Bell Reducer

That's it for what you need to buy - next you have to drill some holes or machine some slots in the pipe nipple. I did both :) At first I drilled a bunch of holes and when that didn't seem to get me enough air flow I used my grinder to make some slots... It's not pretty in the least and I figured I could buy another pipe nipple and do it right if it really bothers me - but I wanted to get it working first:)

Take a look at the pictures in order to see how I assembled the burner - so far this is the easiest assembly I've seen yet of all the burners :)

and at the end are some pictures of the burner in the furnace and on the bench and at night - I'm not sure I'm supposed to have the orange second flame and I'm on the forums getting some advice - and I will update this article accordingly if I change anything. (Update: no I am not supposed to have the orange second flame - that means that my burner is not aspirating enough air - see the next pages for the improved design)

Alright - that's it for today - enjoy the pictures and videos and if you have any questions / comments - please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.