gasoline/oxygen torch

[rawblacksmith]

anybody have experience with these?
i just learned of them; seems many negative opinions about them, yet they are the choice of enough in the top of the field that i want to know a lot more about them.

can a regular o/a torch be used?
modified?

i know about the pressurized can for the gasoline supply...but is everything else compatible at all?

[butterThumbs]

Well, all I know about them is that they can supposedly cut through concrete without it exploding. Just some side talk I overheard in welding school.

[HWooldridge]

No, a regular O/A torch cannot be used. Gasoline torches were more common years ago - my dad had one; it was the old pump up style. You could braze easily but not weld and it put out a lot of heat but it was a little like holding a bomb in your hand all the time. Gasoline is not cheap anymore either so I'd wager propane is a better alternative (and torches and tips are made for that purpose).

I think "The Second Machinist's Bedside Reader" by Guy Lautard has some information on making one - but I wouldn't recommend it simply because so many other fuels work better and are safer.

[rawblacksmith]

i get much cheaper gasoline than you so i think it would be a great way to save money on cutting.
from what i've seen in demos, they cut way better than anything...cia, navy, crash-fire-rescue all use and endorse them, but i've never heard of them until recently.

[jayco]

Rawblacksmith,....if you're talking about the old gasoline 'blow torches' that were used years ago, I think the consensus is that they are very dangerous to use.

I asked about them in the IFI chat room some time ago and that's what everyone told me. As i understand it, they were so unsafe, that they quit making them.

be Careful!

[welder19]

This is what he is refering to when he says oxy/gasoline and they are very safe and efficient however they are expensive, about $1200 usd and up depending on the setup you go with.
petrogen
If you do a lot of cutting it will be worth it, or if you just have that kind of $$ to play with.
Anyone not familiar with them definately needs to go to the web site and watch the demo videos......they are awesome.
And no you can't use a regular ox/ac torch or tips.

welder19

[jayco]

Thanks Welder 19,........I stand corrected.

James