Straight answers to the questions people ask most when choosing and using small accessories for gas cutting and welding.
Why use a spark lighter instead of matches or a cigarette lighter?
A spark lighter makes a spark right at the end of a tool, so you can light the torch with your hand well clear of the gas flow. Matches and cigarette lighters put your hand close to the flame or the unburnt gas, and a butane lighter carried in a pocket can leak or be damaged near hot work.
A spark lighter is a basic safety item that anyone using a gas torch should have. Hold it to one side of the torch tip, away from your face and body, and light the fuel gas as your torch maker instructs.
What types of spark lighter are there and which should I choose?
Common types are the flint lighter, where a striker scrapes a flint to make a spark; the cup lighter, where a small cup fits over the nozzle so that the spark and gas meet in a protected space; and the electronic lighter, which makes a spark from a crystal and needs no flints.
Flint types are simple and easy to keep going by changing the flint. Electronic types are neat and have no flint to replace. Choose one you can operate comfortably with a gloved hand, and keep a spare, as a lighter that fails tempts people to improvise.
How should I light and shut down a torch safely?
Always follow your torch maker's instructions, as the details vary between torches. In general, check the equipment and connections first, open the cylinder valves slowly, set the regulator pressures, open the fuel gas valve a little at the torch and light it with a spark lighter held away from your body and face, then add oxygen and adjust the flame.
To shut down, close the fuel gas valve first, then the oxygen valve, then close the cylinder valves, release the pressure from the lines and back off the regulators. Never light a torch in a confined space or near anything flammable, and never point a lit torch at people or cylinders.
What is a spindle key and why should I keep it on the cylinder?
Some gas cylinders, notably acetylene, have a valve that is opened with a spindle key rather than a handwheel. The key fits over the spindle and turns it open or closed.
While the cylinder is in use, leave the key on the valve spindle so that you can shut the gas off quickly in an emergency. Open the valve only a little way, as the instructions say, and never use pliers or a wrench in place of the key, as they can damage the spindle.
What spanners should I use on gas fittings?
Use a spanner that fits the nut properly, preferably a good quality drop-forged combination or open-ended spanner, rather than pliers or grips, which crush brass nuts and round off the corners. A badly fitting tool slips, damages the fitting and may lead to a leak.
Tighten connections firmly but do not over-tighten, and never use a hammer or an extension on the spanner. Keep the spanner clean and free from oil and grease, especially for oxygen fittings.
My lighter will not spark. What should I check?
On a flint lighter, the usual cause is a worn flint. Replace it with the correct type of flint and check that the striker and spring move freely. Clean any oil, dirt or spatter from the spark area, because grease and dirt can stop the spark. Keep spare flints with your tools.
On an electronic type, check that the contacts are clean and that the striking action moves smoothly. If it still gives no spark after cleaning, replace the lighter. Do not improvise with matches or a cigarette lighter as a stop-gap.