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oxy-acetylene rig

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Old Jun 27, 2007 | 10:31 PM
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oxy-acetylene rig

I just bought a portable torch kit off ebay. What pressures should I be regulating the gas and the oxygen?
 
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Old Jun 27, 2007 | 10:47 PM
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Have you got any experience with oxy-acetylene? If not, set the regulators to 5 psi for both. Once you have gained more experience, you can bump the pressures up to about 10 for acetylene, 40 for oxygen.

But no matter what you do, don't set the acetylene to any more than 15 psi.

ps. When you set the pressures, the ***** on the torch handle should be in the open position. And when you open the bottles, open them slowly. Open the acetylene bottle only 2 or 3 turns, but open the oxygen bottle all the way, and back seat it.
 

Last edited by bigrigfixer; Jun 27, 2007 at 10:50 PM.
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Old Jun 28, 2007 | 01:34 PM
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Portable sounds like a small rig....so, I'd say 7psi on the acetylene (acetylene becomes unstable at higher pressures) and 10psi on oxygen for welding. However, for cutting and rosebud heating, up to 35 psi on the oxygen and still 7psi for acetylene works very well. Cutting and heating to bend steel are all about oxidizing. Higher pressure on acetylene and oxyen in welding will have you blowing through the weld on an awful lot of stuff.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2007 | 05:10 PM
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Originally Posted by bigrigfixer
Have you got any experience with oxy-acetylene? If not, set the regulators to 5 psi for both. Once you have gained more experience, you can bump the pressures up to about 10 for acetylene, 40 for oxygen.

But no matter what you do, don't set the acetylene to any more than 15 psi.

ps. When you set the pressures, the ***** on the torch handle should be in the open position. And when you open the bottles, open them slowly. Open the acetylene bottle only 2 or 3 turns, but open the oxygen bottle all the way, and back seat it.
Yeah I got experience but I haven't had to actually adjust the pressure since way back in school in the 80's, at work the regulators are already set. I bought it primarily to function as a flamming wrench as my truck requires additional persuation to remove some old rusty bits, this is why it is a small kit.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2007 | 09:34 PM
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Well, you already know how to adjust the pressure, you're all set. Just remember, don't go past 15 psi.
 
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Old Jun 29, 2007 | 12:03 AM
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You should open the oxygen bottle at arms length away and turn your face away. It is not uncommon for the oxygen regulators to explode. This way you will minimize the damage to your body.
 
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Old Jun 29, 2007 | 05:51 PM
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Originally Posted by fixnair
You should open the oxygen bottle at arms length away and turn your face away. It is not uncommon for the oxygen regulators to explode. This way you will minimize the damage to your body.
do you have first hand knowledge of this? Never heard of that happening.
 
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Old Jun 29, 2007 | 06:26 PM
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Not firsthand but A friend of mine has. He has the scars on his arm where the gauge blew up on his oxygen bottle. I was taught in shop class way back in the 60s to do it that way.
 
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Old Jun 29, 2007 | 09:52 PM
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It would be a good idea to get check valves and install them between the hoses and the regulators. I learned years ago to only turn the acetylene on about 1/4 turn, if there is a problem it's quicker to shut it off.
 
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