Smith Little Torch hose failure

[Warren and Robbin]

Hi, Two sets of my little torch hoses have developed perforations their whole length. Both the oxygen and the LPG.

Oddly enough their customer service won't answer my emails. All I'm asking is what in our shop environment eats the hoses? I am successfully using medical oxygen hose for both gases without any problem.

We do have an etching station using nitric acid a few feet away. Could that eat the hoses?

thanks for the help.

Warren, e-bu Jewelry

[Sean Macmillan]

How old is the torch?  I've had similar problems with little torches.  Just like you said, both hoses.  I think they just dry out and crack.  I didn't even bother trying to contact the company and just bought a new set from Harbor Freight.  New hoses are about $50 each, so I thought I'd pay the extra $20 for the complete set.

[Teresa Perry]

Your hoses may not be made of a very high grade rubber. I seen this same complaint on Ganoksin forums about the same issue with a particular torch brand. Hoses do dry out and need replaced eventually, but how long have you had them? I am wondering if your etching station just might have something to do with how fast they dried up. How dry the environment you are working in can also play a part. Also, I would check to make sure that your etching station has proper ventilation and vacuum. Not just for the hose life, but also for your own safety. The fumes from etchants can be very hazardous and if they are hastening the demise of the hoses near by they are also certainly going to affect your other tools, too. But mostly I would consider what the fumes can be doing to your health & safety.

Hoses are a bit porous and certainly affected by the room air and lack of moisture. If they are absorbing acidic moisture it is certain that this would crack them sooner than they otherwise would wear out. I have moved my own etching station to be as far away from other tools as possible, and am in the process of an exhaust system to vent it outside and away from areas in my yard where there is people & pet traffic, (my studio is in my basement). If I were you I would make this a priority safety issue.
Deciding on the best & most affective vacuum system is really a true science, and there is a way to figure out how much vacuum you need for a certain square footage of space. The best way to have that done is to consult an HVAAC specialist, you can probably find one in your local business area by calling a heater/AC company, although there is some great information in the Ganoksin forums, too. Here is a link to a few of the articles I found:  http://www.ganoksin.com/server-cgi-bin/iglimpse?GLIMPSE_ID=nenam&am...

Hope this helps

Best, Teresa

[Alison B. Antelman]

I have used that torch for many years and the only reason why I had to replace the hose was because I burned it with something that fell. The hoses are easily replaceable. Too bad smith didn't respond because I also have had very good luck with their customer service. I would use their replacement hoses right away because of the seal, if the fit is not right your hoses could be leaking and that would be dangerous. replacements are available at any supplier...otto frei, rio, etc... I would also try calling them, some of these companies are still old school and haven't quite figured out email.