Plasma for heating?

[Balerguy2]

Acetylene is closing in on a 100 dollars a fill........................... My gauges/ torch setup is Harris EP* so converting to Propane is not advised. A new 220v Plasma Cutter costs something over a 1000 dollars but how is it for heating... steel 1/4, 5/16, 3/8" plate? Jobs? Fixing broken farm equipment and DIY fabrication.

*Harris 85 torch handle, D-85 mixer, 72 cutting attachment, Single Stage Gauges.

Looking for any advice on this?! TIA

Carl

 

[deereman75]

Can't heat at all with a plasma... Not sure why your torch can't be set up with propane?

 

[Scooby074]

Why not go propane?

You should be fine with a mere change of your torch's tip. They try to sell you special gauges and hoses etc. but a standard acetylene regulator and hose (although technically you should change the hose) will work just fine. I just went Oxy/Propane and have no regrets at all!

 

[yomax4]

Why not go propane?

You should be fine with a mere change of your torch's tip. They try to sell you special gauges and hoses etc. but a standard acetylene regulator and hose (although technically you should change the hose) will work just fine. I just went Oxy/Propane and have no regrets at all!

Ditto !

 

[mrmikey]

From Harris' site Model 85 | The Harris Products Group :
The Model 85 is designed for welding, heating and cutting with oxy-acetylene but can be adapted to alternate fuels with the proper accessories.
Oxy-acetylene/Hydrogen--Oxy-natural Gas/Methane--Oxy-propane/Butane--Oxy-propylene

As was said, propane is the way to go, I've never heard of a torch not being able to use propane other than using the proper two piece tip.
No bottle contract which around here runs $160 for three years per bottle. You'll still need ox obviously but it's a far sight cheaper than acetylene at $40 for 3.2 cu. meters......Mike

 

[Balerguy2]

deereman75
scooby074
yomax4
mrmikey

All of you have "hit it out of the park"! Thanks a million. After going through the pdf(s) I'm looking for a photo or anything that details the "brass fittings" needed to mount my acetylene regulator to a propane cylinder. Those fittings must be available.................. LWS or Menards or Ebay?

Carl

 

[jwmorris]

You can heat with a plasma but just locally and always instantly to melting temperature.

 

[mrmikey]

The spigot that goes into the 20 lb, as well as other sizes, propane tank is a POL fitting, Propane POL . If you can get hold of an old barbecue, take the fitting off the BBQ regulator, it's a standard 1/4" NPT thread, take the acetylene fitting out of your regulator and replace it with the POL fitting. The only thing you'll have to do is drill out the propane fitting with a 3/16" drill bit to remove the flow valve, it's there so that if you bust a hose on you BBQ the fuel will shut off due to excessive flow, it won't allow enough gas thru for a torch.
If you don't want to do that there is no doubt an adaptor made that will convert from acetylene to propane.....Mike

**EDIT**
1/4" NPT providing you have a brand name regulator, I don't know what the knock offs are. The guy at the local welding supply showed me a Victor knockoff regulator the other day, what a piece of crap. The gauges are not a standard pipe thread and seal at the bottom with some kind of nipple protrusion. The bottle stem is threaded into the regulator and the regulator is so small that after it's threaded in, the top of the regulator is drilled and tapped for the gauge which drills a half hole into the stem. Turn the stem accidentally and you shear off the gauge nipple. The gauge lens is not replaceable neither.....Mike

 

[Scooby074]

deereman75
scooby074
yomax4
mrmikey

All of you have "hit it out of the park"! Thanks a million. After going through the pdf(s) I'm looking for a photo or anything that details the "brass fittings" needed to mount my acetylene regulator to a propane cylinder. Those fittings must be available.................. LWS or Menards or Ebay?

Carl

Your regulator should thread right in. Try it. If not post back.

 

[Arc weld]

Most acetylene uses a standard fuel gas fitting the same as propane. The only ones that's different is Air Liquide that uses an acetylene only fitting. You can get an adaptor to convert them though.

 

[dstig1]

I went with propane from the start so I wouldn't have to keep another tank around. Just run off my spare grill tank. You should upgrade the hoses to the right kind (I forget the letters T & R or something), especially if this is long term use as propane is supposed to degrade the regular acetylene hose. The other thing you will find out is that propane uses a TON of oxygen. I'm not sure how it compares to acetylene as I have only ever had propane at home, but a 20 lb grill tank lasts forever - while the oxygen goes down like a rock. I went through 3x 125cf oxygen cylinders and the propane was probably still half full. The only other time I used a torch it was acetylene, but that was in class run off a manifold system that never ran out so I don't know how it compares in usage rate.

 

[charlz]

I have been using oxy/propane since the 80's I believe you can't weld with it but I just use a torch for heating and some cutting (also have a plasma so that gets used for cutting in the shop). Welding gets done with the MIG and hopefully someday I will have a TIG for any thinner stuff and other materials. Right now I have a small acetylene cylinder on hand but I really don't ever weld anything thin/small

 

[yomax4]

If your regualtor doesn't hook right up, Ask your welding supply for a Western part number 15-2 and a 15-3. Nut and nipple to fit propane,acetylene,proplylene,mapp etc. the other end of the nipple is 1/4 pipe that should screw into your regulator. If your regulator doesn't hook up as it is you may want to have someone look at it and make sure it's a low pressure fuel gas reg.

 

[rankrank1]

Acetylene is closing in on a 100 dollars a fill........................... My gauges/ torch setup is Harris EP* so converting to Propane is not advised. A new 220v Plasma Cutter costs something over a 1000 dollars but how is it for heating... steel 1/4, 5/16, 3/8" plate? Jobs? Fixing broken farm equipment and DIY fabrication.

*Harris 85 torch handle, D-85 mixer, 72 cutting attachment, Single Stage Gauges.

Looking for any advice on this?! TIA

Carl

If you have a transformer based stick welder you can use a Twin carbon arc torch for intense heat (even more BTU potential than Acet). However, a Twin Carbon Arc will NOT cut metal. But with a Twin Carbon Arc you can Heat, Braze, Flame fill weld, silver solder, etc. with one. There are some quirks to using one as it is not as easey to use as Oxy/Acet but it operates for nearly free (only the cost of electricity which is really cheap).

Note: Twin Carbon Arc is not the same process as carbon gouging (or ArcAir) - Arcair is a crude cutting/gouging process that is loud, noisey, and requires a rather large output welder. In short, they are totally different processes and should not be mistakenly confused.

FWIW: I mothballed by oxy/acet torch years ago when my bottle leasees expired. Got tired of the expensive bottle leases and the gas refills have only skyrocketed since then.

If you are interested in finding out some more on Twin Carbon Arc then follow this link that I have also posted in (you may have to cut and paste to your browser)

http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/showthread.php?42262-Carbon-Arc-Torch

 

[Balerguy2]

Thanks everyone! I need to spend more time looking at ((( From Harris' site Model 85 | The Harris Products Group ))) courtesy of mrmikey (thank you!). My oem data/ data charts from Harris of roughly 1985 specifically excludes my torch and cutting attachment from "other fuel gas" ie only mentions Acetylene fuel gas use. The newer Harris data from 2009 includes data for the Harris 85 handle and 72-3 "classic" cutting attachment and provides data for Propane and some other fuel gases. My cutting attachment is a 72-2 which presumably is older. There is no mention that it is included to use "other fuel gasses" in this 2009 Harris data. I don't know what differences exist (if any) between the my oem 72-2 and the newer 72-3 "classic" cutting torch attachment? It is hard to understand since my 72-2 would take the same 6290-NX cutting tips also for Propane use. If Harris is not forthcoming in a yea or nay any of you using this gear with Propane would look at their cutting torch and determine what 72-? they've been successfully using with the 85 handle?

I must thank each and everyone who has posted response! Thank You!

Based on the wealth of info you folks have offered perhaps this too has been answered previously?

Carl

The Acetylene fittings from my Harris Single Stage regulator seemed to correctly fit the common 20# Propane cylinder. Zero fittings needed.