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I'm sure everyone has used an oxy-acetalyne. I know you can use MAPP gas, propane, or acetalyne, and that propane is the coolest burning, mapp, then acetalyne.
I'm considering this since one can get a tank of propane filled for cheap, I'm poor, and I need metal melting power And, oxygen is explosive enough without adding acetalyne.
wondering if you can use a regular torch setup, and use different tips, and how well it cuts..?
It cuts just as well, preheat is a touch slower. There are some advantages. Its cheaper, you dont have to buy acyt bottle and tends to cut multible layers better. On the downside, it doesnt provide enough heat to weld and you may need bigger than 20lb bottle to run heating tips and in cold weather, it wont run big tips on small bottle. It also uses more oxy to heat, but oxy is cheaper than fuel so this is a toss up. Some torch brands its difficult to find tips for. My auto mechanic bud uses it exclusively for 20 yrs for cutting and heating. Before the advent of plasmas I use it quite a bit and a 100lb bottle lasts a LONG time. I still have a couple portable sets using it on occasion. Used propane a while back on a steel seawall repair where it was convenient to park a hundred pounder and some oxy bottles.
I have never brazed with prop, have done soldering with it. I suspect it MAY make enough heat to braze. You might go to the Hobart forum or Welding web abd ask, sure someone has tried it. As a side note, scrap yards use lp for cutting most of the time due to the cost, it is nothing new, its done all the time.
Last edited by Sberry27; May 27, 2004 at 09:02 AM.
I use propane all the time. One its so much cheaper to run. I have brazed with it to. You will have to use the propane cutting tip to do so. Just turn down your pressures at the regulators real low. Then braze away. I runn high pressures when cutting find the biggest tip you can for your torch. Its not hard to blow through 3 to 4 inches of metal. I actually have less clean up when I cut things with the propane over clean up I used to do for acctelyne. Besides I run a 60 lbs of propane, I stopped count after about 25 of the big bottles of O2 . Call me cheap but thats alot of cutting and its still going on it. I fill the 60 about once every 3 yrs.
Bob
I have only used the oxy-propane cutting rig when I was cutting scrap metal at a scrap yard. Like it was stated above it is a cooler flame than acetylene, but it lasts a lot longer.
Well, I don't know how to weld with a torch, I have a wire feed for that .
What kinda of pressures do you run with that? I am new to torches.. I've used them, but never had to setup the regulators and that... btw, do you have to buy any special adapters to hook up a tank?
Most should hook right up. Pressures vary due to tip size and thickness of material. Invest in a set of tip cleaners. For a number one tip 7 or 8 psi on the fuel and up to 25 psi oxy is a good starting point up to 1/2 inch with good clean tip. It can make a cleaner cut if you use just enough O2. That is only guideline. Victor makes a small book called cutting and heating guide available at welding stores. It has all the charts, sizes, different fuels etc.
Cool. Now, I will be able to afford to pickup everything at once.. (torch set, tanks etc). Plus, I really didn't like the fact I was going to have to store acetalyne in my basement...
All I ever used is propane, 20# bottle to 6-7 bottles of oxygen(large,K size). I'm cutting R/R track #4 or#5 tips, for us speed is what we want in scraping. Does a good job and you can find it at the gas stations.
Actually it is oxygen that does the majority of the cutting procedure- or oxidization. There are also cutting torches that work off of regular gasoline as well and can cut metal up to 6 inches thick-- I forget the name of the set up- LIke petzo(?) anyway I think you are a better off getting a standard oxy/act set up with victor torch for generl use-- check ebay I have seen alot of great deals of torches etc., there
oxy propane is the only way to go. i'll never go back to oxy ace. you can even take the bottle off of your grill and use it. cuts stuff .5 in and bigger like cake. to cut .5 in and small i use a little more angle on my tip. go with the propane you won't regret it.