The original blowlamp consisted of a small number of parts. There was a sturdy reservoir to hold the fuel, attached to a strong metal tube which led to a nozzle. The nozzle was located within a perforated combustion chamber. Paraffin was the most commonly used fuel in blowlamps, although in some you could find benzene or petrol. If paraffin was used, then initially the fluid had to be forced from the reservoir by means of a small pump. In order to operate the blowlamp effectively, you had to either `prime' (pressurise) or heat the fuel within the tube. With this method the fuel was ejected from the nozzle, in the form of a gaseous jet. The vapours of the fuel mixed with air drawn in through holes in the walls of the combustion chamber. This meant that as the gas ignited, a powerful, extremely hot and clean flame was produced.
In modern blowlamps the reservoir is replaced with a butane gas canister, the flow of fuel is via a regulator to the nozzle. Due to the fact that the gas in the cannister is under high pressure, there is no need to pump or prime the blowlamp. In all other respects the modern blowlamp operates on the same principles as those of yesteryear.
