Welding Tips and Tricks

I'm interested in using propane in my oxygen acetylene setup for the occasional heating or cutting work. If I'm interested in heating up 1/8" to 1/4" metal to bend, where can I find info on what size propane heating tip I would need? Also what propane psi range would I be using for that sort of thing?

Hey mate, gotta stop you there. Ultimately, there's not too much from an acetylene set up that works with propane. You need new regulator, possibly a hand piece and a tips. Some decent quality hand pieces, you can change a screw in the base for swapping to propane but probably not the cheaper one. The cutting mixers are multi gas I believe. For bending, we normally just use the cutting tip and be careful not to melt the metal or hit the cutting jet lever. Anything around a #10 high speed (if labelled like that, I'm from Australia) will be fine for you..


Mick

from reading a few of these forums on this topic, it seemed people were saying that while technically you are supposed to change regulators, as long as you didn't need to exceed the psi on the acetylene regulator, you could still use it. what is the reason you were talking about for needing a different regulator?

I use my same regulator and torch handle. I put on a large propane cutting tip and have at it.

Been using it that way since the 90's when I was cutting scrap for money.

I also changed my hoses to propane/acetylene rated ones. Pretty cheap.

You can exceed the "red line" pressure with propane too. It doesn't have the same safety restriction as acetylene does.

While it may not be correct to do so ( I never been taught otherwise so just hooked it up ! ) I run BOC / Saphire regulators & torches - been interchanging between acetylene & propane for years without problems - I always cut with propane as I don't enjoy being raped by BOC for acetylene - only use it now for welding / brazing - I think there was a time years ago when the mixers were different but this dates to acetylene being produced at point of use from calcium carbide at very low pressures - my saphire 3's & 4's all seem OK on propane as do the cutting torches - only thing that is very rare to find over here s a propane rose bud - obviously the cutting nozzles are specific to the correct gas but the welding ones seem to work fine - just need a fair bit bigger size for the same heat output - maybe different countries have slightly different equipment & specs - with UK gas prices I plasma cut as much as possible & kinda keep thinking whether the HHO generator / torch set ups are viable - interested if anyone has experience with one or even the oxy / gasoline torches.

Fuel gas regulator don't much care what you put through it from Hydrogen to Propane including Acetylene.

Problem comes in when you crank on a regulator built for Acetylene to get past 15psi Propane loves on a large torch.

Propane Air is a cost saving in heating jobs. Propane/Oxy is questionable unless you get Oxy cheap.
Turbotorch makes some nice propane heaters in the small arena

Very few torch manufacturers make Propane/Oxy rosebuds. Smith only makes a mini now. Most have discontinued.
If you're heating for bends, use the biggest tip you can mount on your cutting torch.

Since so little information is contained in the original post I'm going with the presumption the question doesn't reach the arena of Liquid on both torch connections for heat volume.

Harris make a wide range of propane equipment

Franz© wrote:Fuel gas regulator don't much care what you put through it from Hydrogen to Propane including Acetylene.

Problem comes in when you crank on a regulator built for Acetylene to get past 15psi Propane loves on a large torch.

Propane Air is a cost saving in heating jobs. Propane/Oxy is questionable unless you get Oxy cheap.
Turbotorch makes some nice propane heaters in the small arena

Very few torch manufacturers make Propane/Oxy rosebuds. Smith only makes a mini now. Most have discontinued.
If you're heating for bends, use the biggest tip you can mount on your cutting torch.

Since so little information is contained in the original post I'm going with the presumption the question doesn't reach the arena of Liquid on both torch connections for heat volume.

Thanks for the information, very helpful. You mentioned that there was little info in the original post -- what other information can I give you to help answer the question? Thanks again for replying

Let's say I'm bending some 1.5" steel pipe, or something along those lines. How much psi will I need if I'm using propane? I'm just wondering what sort of jobs an acetylene regulator that goes up to 15 psi can handle. For the most part I wouldn't be doing super heavy work.

I'm hitting against 2 problems here, so lets try a different approach.

What torch and regulators do you currently have and how many cubic feet is your oxygen cylinder?
All of that is going to govern what you can run as a rosebud.

Off the cuff I'd say unless you have 200 or more cf of oxygen you're not going to get into much when it comes to propane heating.

Since you specify bending pipe, I'd strongly recommend going Propane Air for high heat capacity at low cost. Same would pretty much apply if you were bending flat, angle or channel.

weldin mike 27 wrote:Hey mate, gotta stop you there. Ultimately, there's not too much from an acetylene set up that works with propane. You need new regulator, possibly a hand piece and a tips. Some decent quality hand pieces, you can change a screw in the base for swapping to propane but probably not the cheaper one. The cutting mixers are multi gas I believe. For bending, we normally just use the cutting tip and be careful not to melt the metal or hit the cutting jet lever. Anything around a #10 high speed (if labelled like that, I'm from Australia) will be fine for you..


Mick

Nonsense. That's a scam "technicality" invented for you guys too obey your owners in the insurance/zoning and OSHA goof-stapos. I can show you literally dozens of sets here(within an hour) that are old act gear and running over a decade, some much more, on the original equip with nothing more than a change of cutting tips and rosebuds.The acet tips work fine but a No. 6 act's like a much smaller tip when using LP. Most just use the cutting head to heat and bend.A rosebud for heavy stuff.
You've been scammed. Again. Kinda like the mix addictions of the eighties.You bought it....LITERALLY.

Antorcha wrote:

weldin mike 27 wrote:Hey mate, gotta stop you there. Ultimately, there's not too much from an acetylene set up that works with propane. You need new regulator, possibly a hand piece and a tips. Some decent quality hand pieces, you can change a screw in the base for swapping to propane but probably not the cheaper one. The cutting mixers are multi gas I believe. For bending, we normally just use the cutting tip and be careful not to melt the metal or hit the cutting jet lever. Anything around a #10 high speed (if labelled like that, I'm from Australia) will be fine for you..


Mick

Nonsense. That's a scam "technicality" invented for you guys too obey your owners in the insurance/zoning and OSHA goof-stapos. I can show you literally dozens of sets here(within an hour) that are old act gear and running over a decade, some much more, on the original equip with nothing more than a change of cutting tips and rosebuds.The acet tips work fine but a No. 6 act's like a much smaller tip when using LP. Most just use the cutting head to heat and bend.A rosebud for heavy stuff.
You've been scammed. Again. Kinda like the mix addictions of the eighties.You bought it....LITERALLY.

DAMN, I'd love to drive over and spend a few hours with you personally guiding a tour, and even demonstrating all you know about acetylene and propane, but I gotta devote my time to plowing my 20 acre poppy field so I can fry up some brown tar heroin on the hotplate later in the summer.

Could you just ride around by yourself with your magic phone and make detailed videos and post them on Utoob4boobs?

Thanks for setting me straight. Fortunately, we have only ever run lpg