[TheForge] Oxy/Propane reprise

[Ben Barrett]

Wayne, I think you will be pleased.  I have a propane-specific gas
saver, which is dandy,
but a friend has a fuel saver built for acetylene which he uses on
propane with no problems.
I rigged up a simple foot-operated lever on the floor to switch my
torch on when it is positioned in the vise (above and in-line with the
pilot),
and I got a cheap harbor freight torch which happens to be compatible
with victor tips (I use a #0 and #2 propane-specific cutting tips,
which were about $22 each at my local welding supply IIRC).  I did
switch the hoses also, after multiple warnings that the cheaper hose
made for acetylene will break down over time when exposed to propane,
and develop slow leaks (hopefully they never spring for y'all who use
the lesser grade!).  I have no trouble lighting the torch, but have
not yet experimented with a brazing head (or a rosebud for that
matter).

The combination of a foot-controlled torch and a small fountain pump
in my quench tank (supplying a stream of water above it) make quick
and easy work of all sorts of small spot-heating and bending/shaping
work.  There are times I want a jeweler-sized torch, and times I want
much more heat, but I have been thinking I wished I had this torch
setup before I even had a forge built!

My only suggestion is to use the largest size oxy bottles you can
handle, so you get a better price and don't have to swap them as
often.  I'm curious about running a torch-like propane burner with
forced air (compressor, hair dryer, etc) if it could maintain a flame
in open air... anyone tried that sort of thing?  I know my propane
forge can get hot enough to weld in, but I'm wondering what it takes
to maintain a useful propane-air flame outside of the forge
atmosphere/enclosure.  Just a matter of mixing the syrupy fuel with
air, right?  Time to experiment some more, I suppose!

Best wishes,

Ben


On Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 4:58 PM, Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer
<artgawk at thegrid.net> wrote:
> Mine does.
>
> Wayne Ackman wrote:
>> I have been thinking of getting a propane setup as the last job I did --
>> curving the spiral on an oversize rail used a lot of gas.  But I was
>> wondering,  if it is harder to light... will it work with a gas saver.
>> I hang mine and it turns off.  and re-lights quickly as it passes the
>> flame for the next use.  Will that work with propane?
>>
>>
>> Ron Childers wrote:
>>> I bought a #2 propane adaptor tip for about $13 and it does a good job
>>> heating or cutting railroad rail. The small Victor seems to work fine on
>>> small stuff as-is. Trickier to light than acetylene....
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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