Thread: A torch set up-Oxygen/Propane??.

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I was talking to a friend recently telling him that I need to get a torch set up for the shop and complaining how expensive it is especially the tanks.He told me that I should go to the retail welding store and buy the propane tips for a torch over using oxygen/acetylene.That I could use my bbq 20 lb propane tank and for a oxygen refills if I knew anyone that owns a junk yard I might be able to buy the them from them because it ups their %'s.

All I want is something to heat up rusty bolts and heat metal to make bending it easier.

The question I have is if anyone of you guys are doing this and what is your experiences with it??.Also how do you have the regulars set?.

I have used a friends propane (he had a plumbers tank) and on it he had this head with extra orifices around the perimeter, he said it oxigenated the propane and would get lots hotter. We used it in a metal shaping class and it worked really good. I been thinking about getting one for myself, very slick.

What my friend was talking about is using propane in place of acetylene and still using oxygen by using regulators.

Why? If used proper, oxy-acet should run out at the same time. You might consider those small oxy-acet bottle that you can own, when they run out you just carry them in and exchange or have them refilled. I have a couple sets of them and they don't take up any shop space or a monthly bottle fee.

I bought my tanks a long time ago and would not use anything else.(oxy-acet) Propane dose not burn as hot and I'm not sure you can burn steel with it For stuck bolts propane just dosen't get it... I think you will be disapointed with anything else but O/A... Home Depot here is where I get my tanks exchanged. Just get a small set to start you can always sell it and go bigger. I can't even imagin a fab shop with out them.

Charlie-I said the same thing about propane not being hot enough.My friend said most junk yards have moved to propane because it is cheaper and it isn't like what I am used to with propane because once you mix oxygen with it,it energizes the propane to burn hot.He said he has cut 3/8 I beam with his set up.I was hoping someone here has done this and could tell their version.

The differance is in the tips and probably the regulators. If you backfire a regular O/A tip you can clean them with a tip cleaner and a file...... Propane ,if I recall the tips are vained if it pops back its time to buy another one. I have two sets Oxweld and Smith. I have used accetagin(spelling??) with oxygen and it just is not the same. If you realy want to save money set it up with natural gas. that will work also, like propane. When I worked a Reynolds they even had a burning table that used water( cut 6" steel). Anything will work, to me its just how hard do you want to work

I've burned 5" thick plate with oxy-propane on the mechanized burning table in my shop. However, if your main use is heating, you might be better off using acetylene. Propane uses a lot more oxygen for the same heat output due to the difference in the chemical chain of propane vs acetylene. For my burning table it doesn't really make any difference since the bulk of the use is oxygen anyway, but it does make a big difference for heating. Also, gas welding doesn't go nearly so well with propane as it does with acetylene.

Ive used both and o2 and propane will cut steel fine but i think it is a bit slower. either of them work good. i think the 02 propane would be a cheaper to setup combo and then only one high pressure tank
The big shop i worked at 25 years ago used 02 and propane because of the cost.

Needed a tank of acetylene last week and was told probally a year or more ?
Apparently there was an explosion @ the plant where they make it. I then talked to my buddy who sells welding supplies for a living and he confirmed this and said when you can find it its expensive.I asked about propane and he said Nah,for cutting and welding you want to use Propylene. I'll see if I can get some more info about it.

I have an old Airco Oxy/ Mapp welding torch, that takes a full sized oxygen tank, but uses the yellow mapp tanks that are the size of camp stove propane cylinders ( interchangable, but don't cook your burgers with it ). I also have a crossover hose to use it on a 20lb tank of propane and it works good ither way.. It will cut thinner steel, heat up bolts for bending.. Actually the only reason for an oxy/ acetelene setup would be for welding, as it creates a neutral flame which will shield the weld... With an actual cutting torch, it would do a lot more

As for what shut down Acetelene production, was a fire at the only carbide plant in the country, which acetelene production needs carbide

i used map for 30 years but was getting hard to get the small tank filled but i could tell you i did not fill it much. was good value .i did alot of cutting and brazing leading with map .after i could not get it filled any more in town i went to actylene all the shops i work at had acetylene. i like it better .i own all my bottles after the 25 year lease ran out boy time flys i went to two smaller bottles so there not so hard to move when empty