Results 1 to 17 of 17
  1. #1
    BumpRacerX started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    246
    Thanks
    21
    Thanked 177 Times in 73 Posts

    Torch settings for propane/oxygen setup

    Howdy,

    I recently converted my torches over to propane from acetylene. My hoses are the correct set, and I switched the tip to a 1-3 GPN Victor tip. I'm getting horrible performance out of this setup though, and I'm guessing it's due to the settings I'm using.

    Anybody have any input?


  2. The Following User Says Thank You to BumpRacerX for This Post:



  3. #2
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    May 2011
    Location
    Saint Louis, MO
    Posts
    762
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 900 Times in 349 Posts
    Well first off what are you cutting up? What bottles and gauges are you using? Why aren't you using H-Scrapper tips? How many lbs of pressure do you want run with propane and oxy?

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to PistoneScrapProcessing for This Post:


  5. #3
    BumpRacerX started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    246
    Thanks
    21
    Thanked 177 Times in 73 Posts
    I hate torches, always have, always will, so pardon my ignorance. I'm cutting up a bunch of sch 80 pipe for short steel. I know nothing about tips, thought I had the right thing for my application, played with it a little more this morning and have it close to where I want to be at 10/40. The 1-3 GPN tip I'm thinking is the problem. Too small for what I'm cutting up.

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to BumpRacerX for This Post:


  7. #4
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    new jersey
    Posts
    65
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 17 Times in 13 Posts
    For me oxy/acc works best. I use a #3 tip cuts anything I come across. Propane is cheaper doesn't burn as hot.

  8. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by copperhound:


  9. #5
    SMF Badges of Honor




    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    ks
    Posts
    2,187
    Thanks
    2,513
    Thanked 2,140 Times in 898 Posts
    Not running propane down or anything, just don't care for how it cuts. Did wish getting my acctylene bottles was as easy as going down to Walmart or just bout any gas station in north America tho, it does have pros to it but not for me
    Alvord iron and salvage
    3rd generation scrapper and dam proud of it

  10. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by taterjuice:


  11. #6
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Feb 2012
    Location
    MN
    Posts
    72
    Thanks
    19
    Thanked 33 Times in 22 Posts
    How could you not like propane? Cheaper, safer, cheaper, more available and cheaper than acetylene. You must be doing something wrong if you don't like the way it cuts.

    To the OP, I run it at 25 and 100. Crank them up. Fuel is cheap and steel is money.

  12. The Following User Says Thank You to Dex for This Post:


  13. #7
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    May 2011
    Location
    Saint Louis, MO
    Posts
    762
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 900 Times in 349 Posts
    You are either a burner or a learner which one are you? Why do you hate torches. Torches can make you more money then you ever imagined. Imagine being able to cut up stuff that other torchmen can't touch with a 10 foot pole. Its practice practice practice with torching stuff eventually it becomes second nature. Figuring out problems like where to cut up stuff and how to cut stuff without getting hurt or injured. It took me years to perfect cutting scrap. I would suggest you start off with a three foot harris with maybe a number 4 H-scrapper tip. The torch is pretty easy to learn. Get it with a 75 degree head and get something that would you consider big and have at it. Experience trumps everything when cutting up scrap. 20 lbs of propane is fine turn it to 22 if its thicker and 1oo lbs of oxygen will work fine for what you are cutting the bigger it is the more you want to turn it up. You might want to try liquid oxygen for bigger projects. Start small think big. I cut 1440 GT last month. We busted up all kinds of scrap from a concrete plant to steel making equipment to tanks. We blasted through it all. Any questions that you have just shoot me a PM or ask it here and I will try to reply to it. I love talking about cutting scrap.

  14. The Following 5 Users say Thank You for This Post by PistoneScrapProcessing:


  15. #8
    SMF Badges of Honor




    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    ks
    Posts
    2,187
    Thanks
    2,513
    Thanked 2,140 Times in 898 Posts
    100 psi oygen ? That's why I hate propane, yes acctylene is more expensive but when I only run 35 psi oxygen think any savings on the fuel is lost to more oxygen consumption. And havnt seen anything a propane torch will cut my torch won't cut

  16. The Following User Says Thank You to taterjuice for This Post:


  17. #9
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    May 2011
    Location
    Saint Louis, MO
    Posts
    762
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 900 Times in 349 Posts
    Tater, I am cutting through 2 foot by 5 foot thick pieces they are solid and 35 pieces is a 205,000 lb rail car. I don't think a acetylene torch is gonna handle it. 200 psi to boot. Like I have said before its all in what u prefer and feel safe to use. Using combustables is extremely dangerous throw in gss, hydraulic fluid, other flammable liquids and combustables, scrap under pressure, etc and cutting scrap becomes a very hazardous job just be as carefull as possible and only do what u feel comfortable doing.

  18. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by PistoneScrapProcessing:


  19. #10
    SMF Badges of Honor




    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    ks
    Posts
    2,187
    Thanks
    2,513
    Thanked 2,140 Times in 898 Posts
    Not doubting you piston I'm sure your torch is very capable but sure There's a acctylene torch just as able, but how's propane safer ? flame still ignites gasoline either way, right ? Not starting anything here just wondered on the theroy that propane is safer. Meant propane torch similar to mine, an apples to apples comparsion
    Last edited by taterjuice; 05-08-2012 at 11:27 PM.

  20. The Following User Says Thank You to taterjuice for This Post:


  21. #11
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    77
    Thanks
    9
    Thanked 51 Times in 26 Posts
    if you are use to acctylene try backing your torch up a little bit
    the fuel is used for the heating your cutting with the oxygen.

    BTU's of Acetylene is approximately 1470 btu's per cubic foot.
    BTU's of Propane is approximately 2498 btu's per cubic foot.

    go to this page http://www.cousesteel.com/AndysPlace...Acetylene.html their is a word of info there
    Complete Auction Service
    www.smithauctioneeringservices.com
    TX. Lic. 16642

  22. The Following User Says Thank You to shootlow for This Post:


  23. #12
    Filthy's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Northern New Jersey
    Posts
    780
    Thanks
    850
    Thanked 372 Times in 202 Posts
    I helped my dad's neighbor move a bunch of furniture out of house and across town because he is moving. He gave me a bunch of scrap and in the mix was a brand new torch in the box. Now i need to learn how to cut and how to do it safely. I have never used a torch before, but it could prove a useful tool and its always a good skill to have.

    I have a lot of reading and watching to do before i ever touch that thing. I dont want to hurt myself.
    Thanks for the info. you guys are pretty helpful
    We're the renegades of Junk!

  24. The Following User Says Thank You to Filthy for This Post:


  25. #13
    SMF Badges of Honor




    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    ks
    Posts
    2,187
    Thanks
    2,513
    Thanked 2,140 Times in 898 Posts
    A cheaper fuel gas that requires double the amount of oxygen, tell me how exactly that's cheaper? P one has an answer for that. Yeah yeah big companies been using propane and Natural gas for burn tables for years I known that, not because its better or cheaper, just because its available in larger quantities. And for that matter natural gas out numbers propane by a long shot just cause all you have to do is hook up to a meter that prolly already there.

  26. The Following User Says Thank You to taterjuice for This Post:


  27. #14
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Feb 2012
    Location
    MN
    Posts
    72
    Thanks
    19
    Thanked 33 Times in 22 Posts
    Acetylene needs to be "pampered". Don't turn the pressure too high. Don't pull to hard off the bottle. Don't store on its side. If you do any of these the potential of "boom" comes into play. None of this applies to propane.

    Why would you bring up gasoline? Do you cut gas tanks up? That is very dangerous and plain old dumb.

    If you are concerned with using too much oxygen, consult your supplier and try to get a better deal. Oxygen should not be an issue. What I observed running "K" bottles was three bottles to one twenty pounder of propane. All this for about the cost of one acetylene bottle. Probably cheaper. About 75$.

    If you can throw out some real numbers, do so.

  28. The Following User Says Thank You to Dex for This Post:


  29. #15
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    May 2011
    Location
    Saint Louis, MO
    Posts
    762
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 900 Times in 349 Posts
    I can throw out the numbers i just got from my supplier 60 cents a hundred for oxygen. Yup since I am blazing through 750,000 cubic feet of oxygen a month and thats expected to top out at 1.2 million cubic feet a month when we are ramped up with 5 10,000 cubic feet an hour vaporizers in a month once the upgrades are done to my 3000 gallon tank. I use more oxygen in a month then most of the people in this forum will use in 10 years. I am getting my propane for 50 cents a lb or 2.57 a gallon which is expensive but we currently using 1 1000 gallon tank but we will be pulling so many BTU'S an hour that we are having to add a second 1000 gallon tank because we are afraid it will freeze up and won't keep up with our oxygen flow. 1.2 million cubic feet a month is equivalent to 266 of the silver or white painted liquid ox tanks that the majority of scrappers use unless you are using 427 bottle or smaller which are the small green bottles.. I might know a thing or two about cutting scrap. Once its all said and done I am guessing 12,000 a month to 15,000 a month in gases. I also have to cut 3,000 GT a month to keep up with the incoming flow of material. 5 or 6 jet torches at a time or more. The yard just bought a 345 cat to put in our burning area just to keep up with us because right now we are cutting up the material faster then they can clean us up and lay us back out with material.

  30. The Following 3 Users say Thank You for This Post by PistoneScrapProcessing:


  31. #16
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    1
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    I've scraped off and on through out the years ... Got back in it just now to make ends meet... What psi to set oxy and propane to... I'm using a #0 propane tip with a old craftsman torch head... Just went through 2-150 bottles of oxy and not even a used grill bottle I have 20lb please help

  32. #17
    Patriot76's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Buffalo Commons
    Posts
    2,949
    Thanks
    10,589
    Thanked 7,220 Times in 2,256 Posts
    Striker, welcome to the forum from the Buffalo Commons. Please take the time to introduce yourself in the new member category. We love to hear more information about new members.

    To address your question, I usually use propane for cutting and K-tanks for oxygen. Make sure you have a propane tip and I use a # 3 or 4 for most of my scrapping. Setting your gauges at 10 for propane and 40 for the oxygen will save fuel for most cutting. For thicker metal you can increase oxygen to 60 or higher since it does the cutting. No need to change the propane since it just heats the metal. A secret for efficient cutting is to remember the metal is actually your fuel in the cutting process.

    Liquid oxygen is mentioned above and one canaster is equal to 17 k tanks. Liquid oxygen tanks bleed themselves so they only pay for themselves if you have a lot of cutting to do.
    Last edited by Patriot76; 12-13-2018 at 08:16 PM.
    Give back more to this world than we take.


  33. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. Automotive Oxygen Sensors
      By rooka21 in forum Vehicle Recycling
      Replies: 19
      Last Post: 03-16-2014, 11:44 PM
    2. My setup not the best but it works for me
      By jrpbullrider in forum Tools and Equipment
      Replies: 27
      Last Post: 12-03-2012, 01:53 PM
    3. New shop - ideal setup suggestions?
      By rca987 in forum A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
      Replies: 7
      Last Post: 05-15-2011, 09:31 AM

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook