Further to the information in "Exhaust" by Ronald... I have always fancied being able to gas weld and cut, I envy those who can weld up inventions and things! This new torch from Australia looks the business for car botherers! The website suggests 5-10 hours for a novice to learn with this new fangled torch, my questions are,:- How difficult is it to learn, is it learnable at home, what is required and how much for a couple of small gas bottles (wish I hadn't sold that old torch, hoses and regulators at Beaulieu!) as i believe you pay rent and the local authorities like to know you've got the bottles? If I got hold of some bottles at a jumble can i get them filled? http://www.welddownunder.com/index.htm
is the site if anyone is interested, it promises easy welding with low heat damage and distortion. I know this is a bit dull but I wish i could make things out of metal , wood just doesn't cut the mustard with engineering! Can anyone help free the frustrated welder from within!
This looks interesting but the pictures of the bodywork welding can just as easily be acheived with MIG. In my experience one of the advantages of gas is that you can have a more general heat on the work object and then specific heat at the sight of the weld, this torch acts more like MIG in that it is very localised so where is the benefit? Not convinced yet!
gas would be my weld of choice (if I could weld!!!) because it involves flames and I'm unashamedly male (and childish!) From a more practical point of view, you can use the heat for soldering, brazing, heating to free studs/bearings and lighting barbecues (which I believe is not possible with electric welders). Aside from whether this particular torch is any good, I'm still no closer to how easy it would be to learn and the practicalities of owning bottles etc! I do know I envy those who can just tack a few bits of steel together to make useful things!!!
Lots of information on gases, equipment and safety, though no prices on BOC's site. You would more than likely have to rent and have the bottles refilled at a BOC outlet. A number of other trade suppliers sell 'PortaPac' type gas welding kits, which contain everything you need including a wheeled trolley with folding handle, which allows safe upright transportation of the small gas bottles in the boot of a car. The bottles of gas however are not included with these kits, you obtain those from BOC. PortaPac kits sell new for around £450 + VAT. The BOC site has contact numbers you can call for bottle rental / gas charges.
The full size bottles can be a bit of a liability and they're extremely heavy. Only last year in a village not far from me, a local contractor was transporting full size bottles in his Transit van, a leak occurred and ignited, blowing the van to smithereens and killing the driver instantly. The centre of the village looked as if a bomb had been detonated, it caused extensive damage to property. I assume this is precisely why Local Authorities like to know if you've got bottles, particularly full size ones, stored in your garage.
, wood just doesn't cut the mustard with engineering! Can anyone help free the frustrated welder from within! 
From a more practical point of view, you can use the heat for soldering, brazing, heating to free studs/bearings and lighting barbecues (which I believe is not possible with electric welders).