I have been using a G-TEC Natural Gas Pressure Booster System in my casting process
for more than 7 years. I switched to natural gas to
eliminate safety concerns with the use of propane. The G-TEC unit
provides the appropriate pressures and flow required for all karats
of gold as well as platinum.
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Hyde Park Jewelers
Denver, CO
The G-TEC System allows us to use natural gas from the city. We don’t need to have
cylinders and we don’t have the rental fees cylinders incur. We get the pressure
we need using the gas we already have available. It is a perfect solution for
us!
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Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology
Paris, TX
We found natural gas to be much cleaner. We were using propane before and found that we were getting a little sponginess, especially in the platinum. We also found that natural gas didn’t stress the metal as much. We believe that natural gas is much more favorable for the casting process.
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Pampillonia Designs
Dallas,TX
Click on the YouTube link on the right to hear Bob Pampillonia talk about casting
platinum with high-
Click on the YouTube link on the left to hear Instructor Shannon Calloway talk about
TIJT’s TB-
If you use acetylene or propane....if you are connected to a standard utility natural gas pipeline,
you will be surprised by the superior performance of high-
Lower cost is only one of the advantages of natural gas compared to acetylene and propane.
For equal BTUs natural gas costs much less than either acetylene or propane, and because you are connected to the utility natural gas pipe you never have to replace empty cylinders.
Natural gas is much cleaner than acetylene -
When you bring a cylinder of fuel gas into your studio you introduce a lot of stored energy that could be very dangerous. One BTU is the equivalent of lighting one wooden kitchen match so
if you use a 1-
Is keeping a tank of gas in your studio dangerous? Click here to read what happened when a propane tank exploded in a jeweler’s shop in the Mallers Building in Chicago.
If your torch is connected to the utility natural gas pipe OSHA and local fire codes require you to use combination flashback arrestor check valves to protect the gas meter from a torch flashback.
The problem is that flashback arrestor check valves need at least ¾ psi gas pressure to work properly, otherwise they block gas flow.
With high pressure natural gas from a G-
When a jeweler’s torch has a flashback a 5,000F flame travels through the hose and gas pipe to the gas meter, which explodes.
The explosion can send pieces of the meter flying in all directions, injuring anyone standing nearby and
starting a fire.
Click on YouTube to see what happens when a gas meter has a torch flashback. The source of this video is an independent testing laboratory doing research for a leading NY gas utility.
A torch flashback can shatter the gas meter, sending metal parts flying in all directions
If you are using natural gas right from the utility natural gas pipe your torch is not getting all the
gas pressure it needs for top performance.
Utility natural gas pressure is only ¼ psi in most places but your torch is designed to work best
at pressures between 3-
recommend higher natural gas pressure when it is available. It is like the difference between
cutting with a sharp knife compared to a dull knife.
You may also experience a flickering or unsteady flame, especially in winter, as heaters and
other gas appliances in your building turn on and off. High pressure natural gas supplied by a
G-
Get the best performance your torch has to offer by using high-
Platinum melts at 3,300F and by boosting natural gas pressure to 10-
Natural gas burns at more than 5,000F but you need plenty of gas volume to put the maximum heat on the metal. Higher pressure means more gas flow and better heat transfer to platinum and all karats of gold.
Platinum casters report better results when heating with natural gas; there is less stress on the metal, less porosity and an overall better quality cast.