Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

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SteveHGraham
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Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by SteveHGraham »

Because I've been studying up on welding in order to put together a finger brake, I have learned a few things about flame-straightening, which is something I am certain I want to be able to do. One disturbing thing I learned is that you really need acetylene, not propane, to do it. Now I'm looking at acetylene rigs again. It's extremely confusing.

The one thing I'm sure of is that I want a Victor outfit. Why? Because sticking to one brand makes it easier to sort through the 3,000,000 models out there. That's the only reason.

I don't know if I will ever weld with acetylene. I am sure I'll want to flame-straighten, heat things, and bend things. I can do two of those things with propane, a lot cheaper than I can with acetylene.

I figured I needed an acetylene outfit, but then I read that you can use either type of outfit with either gas, as long as the hoses are type T, which propane will not harm. Is this correct? If so, I feel like I should go ahead and get acetylene and buy whatever tips I need to heat and cut with propane.

It's very hard trying to figure out what to get. I can get an acetylene rig for under $400, and it will supposedly cut thick steel, but when I look for outfits that are only for cutting, the price goes up over $700. The ads say "1-1/2" gauge size," which must have something to do with the high price.

Help me out here. Zoro is having a 25% off sale today, and so is another company, so this is a good day to buy.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

You can heat and straighten with propane. In some cases, it's better, because it takes longer to heat than acetylene. Keeps you from overheating things and doing damage. Heat straightening can take some finesse.
The manufacturing facility I worked at in Portland, had no acetylene. None. We built LHD's (front end loaders) haul trucks, and service vehicles, all from the ground up. Both buildings, from the plate shop to set up & weld, and the machine shop to final assembly, were manifolded with propane & oxygen. Sometimes, things have to be heat straightened, and we did it.
The thing you can't really do, is weld with propane. Brazing, silver soldering, yeah, but welding, no.

But, if you want both, you need a separate regulator for the propane & acetylene. The hoses, mixing chambers and cutting head are the same, but you need different tips. Not really a major expense to do both.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by SteveHGraham »

This is really making my head hurt. I see that Victor has a bunch of regulators with plastic knobs, and then I see regulators that appear to be all brass. I'm going to take a wild guess and say the plastic ones break faster.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

Oh....and something you should know about heating, and acetylene....and rosebud attachments.
It is easy, to use a too large a tip, on a smaller acetylene bottle. The acetone inside the bottle, will only release the gas so fast, and if you use it faster than the bottle can release it, and your flaming torch will start sounding of like a pack of firecrackers. This varies by the size of the bottle, and the amount of acetylene remaining in the bottle.
Not good. This can cause a flash back, hence, why God created flashback valves. I think all the newer Victors have them as an integral part of the mixing chamber....but check on that. I have some on my regulators too. Us miners have a fear of fire......

:)
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

Not a fan of the plastic knobbed ones. Had too many take a hit, and too many had to go out for overhaul.
Granted, life in mines is tougher on things.

I own a couple sets of the brass with the butterfly handles. One set is almost 50 years old. I do back off the setting to zero on both when I am done cutting.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by SteveHGraham »

It wasn't complicated enough. Now I see there are different types of connectors. I have to choose between CGA-510 and CGA-300. The CGA-510 stuff is more expensive.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

What style comes with a Victor Deluxe Jorneyman? I bet of bought 150 of those over the years.
I'm not up on the hose connector models.
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

I bought plenty of the hose repair kits too....and I'm not sure what they came with.....whatever.....they worked fine.
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by SteveHGraham »

I don't see "Deluxe." I see Select, Edge, 450...God knows what else. They all say CGA-540 for oxygen and one of the other numbers for acetylene.
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

They may have changed the name......

It is a kit, comes with good brass oxy & acet regs, 25' of hose ready to go, mixing chamber, cutting head, I think 3 brazing/welding tips, and one rosebud. And...a cheap striker and some almost worthless goggles.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

Looking a little bit.....I see they have 'Edge' regulators....which are new to me. Different than the plastic handled ones I have seen before.

I don't see what they used to call the Deluxe Journeyman either, not even in my new Victor Catalog. Victor was conquered by the evil Thermodyne group, so I imagine things change. (sadly)
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

https://www.zoro.com/victor-cutting-out ... ifications

Close as El Zoro seems to have.
No rosebud. No hose. Only one brazing tip.....but the good regulators, chamber, & cutting head.
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