Oxy/Acetylene

[Anonymous Poster]

Propane won't give you as much heat. Technically it won't weld, just braze, which is all most farmers/home shop welders do anyway. You will need new cutting tips and rosebud tips, the welding tips will work fine (for brazing). Of course a new requlator is needed. You need to make sure your hose is rated for all fuel gases, not just for Acetylene. I don't know what the problem is, but Goodyear has spent quite a bit of money to warn people not to use a certain hose series with any fuel gas other than acetylene.

I haven't seen propane rated to cut more then 2" (my O-A torch is rated for 12") even in a heavy duty torch series. I do think I would avoid running propane through a real dinky home depot series torch, since it may not have the flow.

I don't know where you guys get your tanks, I paid $320 for mine 10 years ago. At that price, a propane 20 or 100lb cylinder would have saved quite a bit of money. Shoot, I just paid $100 for a 10 lb CO2 cylinder last week.

One advantage of propane is that 50% of the time you run out of gas, it's going to be the propane tank which is easially refilled or replaced with a BBQ grill tank.

Pat

 

[Corm]

I have just recently learned to weld, and have started a couple of projects. I'm thinking about adding an Oxy/Acetylene torch to my shop, and am looking for some advice. Torch setups vary widely in cost. Is there really that much difference in the performance of the inexpensive setups you can buy at a place like Home Depot compared to an expensive setup like you might buy at a welding supply store? Would a 'weekend welder' like myself benefit from spending the extra $$? Thanks in advance for any advice offered.

Corm

 

[RobS]

Lot's of good info here.

Does anyone have the "mini-tanks" that you can get at Lowe's etc? They sell an entire kit (mini-tanks, hoses, regulators, torch and tips in a handy looking plastic tote) for a couple of hundred bucks. Seems ideal for a weekend welder like myself. Would this setup work?

Thanks /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

Rob,
I have one of those and I don't like it at all. If you use it at all you are always filling up the tanks and it always seems to run out on sunday when nothing is open. I still have it but bought the big tank system too. It is nice for going out and doing small jobs so you don't have to lug around the big tanks though.

 

[RobS]

Richard, thanks for the input. Can the regulators etc. from the mini system be used with bigger tanks later down the road? Aside from the tank capacity, does the torch have sufficient oomph to handle typical rural homeowner tasks? Thanks again /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[heehaw]

is it possible to get a hose that would go between the big and small tank to put some gas in the small tank?? i know it wouldn't "fill" it, but it would beat going back an forth to the welding supply shop.
heehaw

 

[skent]

Acetylene is extreamly unstable in a pressurized state. It's only able to be stored in tanks that have a acetone 'wick' on the inside that causes the gas to be stable. (learned that one in a library book) Trying to pressurize Acet into a regular cylinder could be very (and I will repeat VERY) dangerous.

Oxygen is normally under very high pressures (over 1000psig) and besides, gas regulators function as one way valves and would not allow the flow or the pressure needed to back-fill a tank at home. If you had a small tank, and were able to back fill to say 300 PSI, it would last maybe a minute of welding/brazing time. (not very usedful)

I purchased tanks from a local gas supply house and paid $360.00 for the set. (Rental was 80 per year per tank). It's nice to be able to do repairs and have the eaquipment right there when you need it.

Check out a library book on gas welding basics from your local library. I believe they will cover the construction of the tanks.

Steve

 

[Bird]

Very good answer, Steve.

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

On the subject of buying tanks, let me pass along a situation I was faced with a couple of years back. Last century /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif (early 90's) I bought a set of tanks from a fellow who was selling some of his shop equipment. The oxygen tank, if my memory serves me right, was a 175 cu ft. cylinder. The first two or three refills/exchanges on the tank went off without any problems. On the next refill, I wasn't so lucky. The fellow at the welder supply company said, due to a change in the law, he could not refill or exchange the tank without a bill of sale (for the tank) from either a certified tank dealer or tank manufacturer. Of course I had neither. I had to exchange my tank, plus pay a few bucks, for a 75 cu ft tank which, at that time, could be refilled/exchanged without needing a bill of sale. As a side note, I had no problem exchanging the acetylene tank.

My point to those looking to buy tanks, check your local welding supply shop to see what the law is in your state. I'm in NY.


Russ

 

[gordon]

I'll go along with the dangerous, not only with the acetylene but messing around with any high pressure gas.

The oxygen could be backfilled with the proper rig. A high pressure hose 3500psi rating would handle it. The pressures would equilize in both the tanks.

You could also do this with propane. As long as the tank your trying to drain is higher to get the liquid out. This will only work on the older style tanks. The new style valve has a check valve to keep the liquid from flowing out if the tank is tipped over or 80% full.

Gordon