Oxy-Gasoline torch

[micromike]

http://www.opetrol.com/farmshow.htm

Farm Show Mag. Just Featured this torch invented by The Chinese.

It cut right through a 3-in. shaft salvaged from a hydraulic cylinder and also a piece of
high carbon milled steel that we measured at about 3 1/2 in. thick. Jensen's new acetylene
torch wouldn't cut either of them.


Check it out!

Mike

 

[micromike]

Here is their web site

www.opetrol.com

 

[RWB]

good report mike thanks for the information

Ray /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Slamfire]

Sounded like a good torch, but with a $500 price tag, a bit out of my league. I'm thinkin' about MAPP gas, since I don't have a lot of cutting to do.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I used a gasoline torch In a shipyard In Pascagoula MS where a friend works. He tried to get me on as a welder but I declined. They use a torch called a PetroGen thats been around a while. I think its made in the UK but others have made them and most had a regular Handle. This one did good and cut through 12 3/4 inch plates easily. When i first saw that one i thought bomb. I used it and it worked quite well. Ive also seen them used in casting plants to cut/melt Cast parts off the casting trees.

 

[slowzuki]

The oxygen is what does the cutting. The fuel is for pre-heating. Big cutting tables turn off the fuel once the torch gets started.

Ken

 

[slowrev]

Slamfire,
I use OXY/Propane to cut with. Have to have a different tip and the preheat time is a bit more, but works out ok. Plus $22 for a propane tank vs 240.00 for an ACY tank plus cheaper gas and safer. You will use more Oxygen though, about 2 X as much as with Acy, but Propane is cheaper than acy so it evens out.

the gasoline torches are neat, just not cheap.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Ken my pattern burner cuts the fuel off or reduces it depending on the thickness of the steel. I used to work with a fella that cut the fuel off on his OA torch, hed the it started then reach back and cut the fuel off and made all of us younger folks look bad lol.

 

[slowzuki]

Taylortractornut, I to saw this the first time from the old fellow in the shop. He cheated a bit and got me to shut the fuel off at the ballvalve on the wall!
Ken

 

[MikeIA]

Petrogen has a web site:

http://www.petrogen.com

I emailed them and asked for the info packet...The August 1, 2002 price list has the standard package for $935 F.O.B. San Leandro,CA

 

[gmason]

Now somebody need to produce a consumer version of this commercial torch.
$300-$400 range woould be appropriate... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

gary

 

[CJDave]

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I'm kind of an OLD DOG when it comes to new-fangled stuff, but this torch looks pretty good. I've used both MAPP and Acetylene and consider myself a Rembrant with a torch. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif I can feel the internal resistance to going with a gasoline torch for all the usual reasons, but intellectually, I can see that it is actually a lot better way to go. I'd buy one in a minute. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[MossRoad]

Is this thing for welding or cutting only?

I didn't see anywhere about welding with it. I only saw cutting tips on the website. Did I miss something?

 

[MikeIA]

The Petrogen info focuses on cutting...they make a big deal over the gasoline reacting 100% with the steel instead of 70% for acetylene.

"Heating tips are available for cleaning, sweating bearings, bending, and brazing."

If it worked for welding, I'm sure the promotional material would say so.

 

[slowrev]

Mike,
Wow! too high for me. I can get a decent AC/DC stick welder and an OXY/ACY rig both for that money. Of course I have a tough old buzz box and a Propane cutting rig for now.

 

[slowzuki]

Welding needs some CO and other gases to make a good shield. If you have ever tried welding with a propane torch you will see it burns too clean to shield well (all you get is CO2 and water vapour)

I suspect the gasoline torch is similar, and makes porous, brittle welds much like the so called "Brown's Gas" welding torches. Browns gas is really just a form of hydrogen gas so it burns even cleaner and makes terrible welds.

If you do a google search, you will find the supporters of Browns gas, then you will find a group of people bilked out of thousands of dollars for non functioning machines that cost a fortune to operate! The guy selling them is quite a fraudster using rigged demos and tests.

For example he uses and IR temperature gun to say the flame is cool, only so many degrees then welds with it. Well, IR guns are calibrated for certain surfaces, and guess what, they read really low on hydrogen flames!
Ken