Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Welding Techniques, Theory, Machines and Questions.

Moderator: Harold_V

User avatar
warmstrong1955
Posts: 3568
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:05 pm
Location: Northern Nevada

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

What size rosebud are you planning on using?
#6 uses 15-40 CFH.
#8 uses 30-80 CFH.
Rule is, the max flow rate, in CFH of any bottle, is 1/7 of the cu/ft capacity of the bottle. That flow rate also diminishes as the contents diminish.
Size your bottle accordingly.... and with rosebuds, BIGGER, is better.
Going beyond that flow rate, is bad, and can cause acetone to come out thru the bottle valve....and thru your regulator.....and on. Ungoodness.
That's why I use propane to heat with, besides it's less expensive. I can use a barbecue bottle....much easier to lift than a 100 lb acetylene bottle.
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
User avatar
SteveHGraham
Posts: 7788
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by SteveHGraham »

I don't plan to use acetylene for heating. Just flame-straightening. It would also be fun to do a little welding, but obviously I would rely on arc welders generally.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
User avatar
warmstrong1955
Posts: 3568
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:05 pm
Location: Northern Nevada

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

SteveHGraham wrote: Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:37 pm I don't plan to use acetylene for heating. Just flame-straightening. It would also be fun to do a little welding, but obviously I would rely on arc welders generally.
Flame straightening IS heating.

Hit the attached link....and look at the biggest tip you are going to use with acetylene, and you can figure out what CU/FT bottle you need.
I was going to make you a copy of mine, but it's glued to the lid of a tool box....and won't fit in the scanner..... ;)

Victor Tip chart.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/ ... charts.pdf

And....sometimes being able to weld is handy. Last time I did....I welded the wing back on a big chicken for a friend. 5' tall metal sculpture....that was planted in the ground...
:)
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
User avatar
SteveHGraham
Posts: 7788
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by SteveHGraham »

Flame-straightening is intense, brief local heating, unlike, say, warming up a big piece of cast iron prior to welding.

Thanks for the link.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
User avatar
warmstrong1955
Posts: 3568
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:05 pm
Location: Northern Nevada

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

SteveHGraham wrote: Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:14 pm Flame-straightening is intense, brief local heating, unlike, say, warming up a big piece of cast iron prior to welding.

Thanks for the link.
It can be.....it depends on what you are straightening. Little stuff....like in the vid you posted....sure. Quick & dirty. Short runs with a big tip and a smaller bottle, you can do. You do need to know when you are starving for fuel though, and bag it when you do, should things take longer than expected. Same goes for cutting.
Last big thing I straightened here, in front of my shop, was a 2 yd3 LHD boom a local fab shop built. 1" thick side plates, that near as I could tell, a drunk in the dark welded the whole thing together.
If you want to get down, and cook your ground round.....get propane. Goes for straightening big stuff too.

Point is....it's still a matter of figuring out what you are going to do, and size your bottles accordingly.
Matter of safety. Acetylene is fickle, and should be treated that way.

The link will be handy....you're welcome!
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
User avatar
SteveHGraham
Posts: 7788
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by SteveHGraham »

I picked up a cheap handtruck today. Going to see if I can modify it to hold tanks, although propane is a funny shape. I got some chain, too. I figure I can cut a link in half and weld it to the frame of the handtruck to attach the chain on one end. I can weld the other half somewhere else to receive the other end of the chain. I may have to fiddle with it a lot to get it to hold two tanks side by side.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
User avatar
warmstrong1955
Posts: 3568
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:05 pm
Location: Northern Nevada

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

I drilled and bolted the chain on the backside, and used a snap-hook in the middle. makes it quick & easy to change a bottle. Works well with bottles that have similar diameters. With bottles that differ a lot, might be easier to use two chains & snap-hooks, or chain slots.

On the bottom, I cut some thinwall pipe, about an inch tall, and massaged it a bit to fit the different diameters, and welded it in place.
Same could be done for a non-industrial propane bottle, to fit the base, but some shorter. (I'm thinking of a barbecue sized bottle)

You might see that in the pics I posted earlier.
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
User avatar
BadDog
Posts: 5131
Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 8:21 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by BadDog »

Mine is much like that on the O/A cart, and the shield bottles. The main diff is my chains drop into what amount to grab hooks on the side, and stay in place by gravity. And the bottoms are held in place by bits of material welded roughly tangent to the bottle edge so it can't slip.
Russ
Master Floor Sweeper
Glenn Brooks
Posts: 2930
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Steve,

My acetylene tank is half the size of my Oxygen tank. My Oxygen tank is large- not the biggest one around, but approx4’ tall. (It’s rated for cubic feet,but I’ve forgotten the rating.) a general rule of thumb for oxy-acetylene sets, I think, is twice the oxygen for each unit of acetylene. A proper rosebud for the work you are heating, is essential. In any event, once you buy the bottles you can exchange for a larger size if needed. Some times I only replace the bottles every two years. Also, I think Victor is the much better brand on the market... so you’ve likely made the right choice.

As far as usage, acetylene works very well for flame straightening, or bending, and is the go to for cutting steel, if that is your need. I don’t know anybody locally that uses propane, all use oxy-acetylene, xcept for cast iron welding - where you actually melt cast iron rod into the work piece to affect the repair. An old timer locally does cast iron repair exclusively, and only uses propane for that work - holds temperatures on work as large as engine blocks with two big burners, one on each side of the work. and keeps the heat consistent for a long time after finishing - kind of like an open air blast furnace.

Sounds like you are good to go, once your equipment arrives. Try it out and have fun! Oh yeah, Wear a welding Jacket. Saves putting out burning shirts!

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
User avatar
SteveHGraham
Posts: 7788
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by SteveHGraham »

Am I the only one who keeps smelling burnt hair while using 6011 rod?
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by NP317 »

SteveHGraham wrote: Mon Sep 30, 2019 7:11 pm Am I the only one who keeps smelling burnt hair while using 6011 rod?
High spatter rate.
Yea, burning hair if you're not wearing a protective cap.
6011 is not my favorite rod, but it has its applications.
RN
User avatar
SteveHGraham
Posts: 7788
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Buy Acetylene Outfit for Both Acetylene and Propane?

Post by SteveHGraham »

I still don't have gas. I keep watching Craigslist and Offerup. People don't respond to my inquiries, and then their tanks sell.

Maybe I should stop using the word "stolen" when I ask people what type of tanks they have.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
Post Reply