How to tell if hose is Propane ready from Oxy setup

woodlandfarms · May 31, 2011

I just had a nice turn of fate. My neighbor builds steel buildings, and has a bunch of Oxy Acetyelen systems in his shop. He buys them all the time and they end up on the floor of the shop. He is giving me regulators, hoses and the controls. I will need to buy tanks (he has tank carts but leases tanks).

Anyway, how do I tell if a hose is ready for Propane, and from what I understand here it would take a few years anyway for the hose to be effected. Any thing else I need to look for? I will have to buy a tank, but a new setup at the welding supply is $400 plus tanks...

Thanks

Carl

tb525 · May 31, 2011

Look at the stamping on the hose, an acetylene only hose will be grade R. A multi fuel hose will be grade T.

rjmack · Jun 1, 2011

propane cutting may be okay on a gang torch cutting table with new steel, but you aren't going to have any fun cutting up things that are rusty, coated with tar or other sorts of things... it just doesn't have the preheat capability that acetylene does.

i cut up a rusty old dump box off a 5 ton truck that had been used as a sander in the winter. swore i would never use a propane cutting torch again.

woodlandfarms · Jun 2, 2011

rjmack

Your comments are interesting. Everyone I have spoke to has gone in the other direction. They say cutting is great, but pre-heat takes a longer moment and you need to relearn your sweet spot in the flame. Also from what I get the reason propane is less loved for welding / brazing is due to the air around the flame. Something is different, where acetyline provides a shield, propane does not.

Even our oxy dealer, a major national chain, recommended propane.

But you are not the 1st one to have said watch out. I am going to go for the propane and will let you know how it turns out.

Carl