Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

I use a lot of propane. The propane/butane mix is under less pressure which is important if you are using a refillable tank to feed your burner. Those tanks can't withstand the higher pressure of propane. My burners always need more open fueling as the tank gets lower on fuel.

I cant think of anything else that using propane would harm. I have several of the burners found on eBay that are made in Serbia I think. Silicone tubing works for plumbing the tank to the burner and I use wire ties to tighten the tubing on the burner and tank.

In my area, the 1 pound propane cylinders are much cheaper and easier to find than the mix.

Good luck running on gas!

Hi,

In the UK both butane and Butane/Propane mix are available in deposable cans. Propane is only available in large heavy cylinders, our motor home use's it for cooking and heating.

If memory serves when using gas cylinders are made for models and the like you can only get insurance to use straight Butane and the mix using tanks with a limited volume. Again if memory serves the gas tanks for butane have to be tested to 180 psi and the mix 330 psi I think for propane it is around 600 psi these pressures being for up to 50C temperature.

Propane burns a lot hotter than Butane which we notice when camping in Mainland Europe when we have to use Butane if we run out of gas, we also have to use a different regulator if we change gas.

I can try and find the exact pressures and burning temperatures if anyone is interested.

Take care Tony.