Elemental Metal Creations Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 I wasn't sure where to put this so here it is. A friend offered me a welding/cutting torch set that has been in her garage for several years since her dad died. It consists of tanks, cart, hoses and torch. I haven't seen it yet. I know that I may not be able to get the tanks filled and will probably need new hoses. My question is what do I need to convert to propane? It is much cheaper and I have 100lb propane tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Just a new fuel regulator rated for propane/propylene/other non-acetylene gases, new hoses rated for propane, and a new torch tip, again configured for propane. Regulators and hoses are universally interchangable, tips are not. You will have to bring the torch into a decent welding supply house and talk to the folks behind the counter. They may or may not agree to tank exchange if you talk face to face, but there is a much bigger chance they will turn you down over the phone. Just don't bring the tanks lying in the back seat of your car, or rolling around in the pickup bed. If you have them secured upright in a open truck bed, they may decide you have enough on the ball to want to deal with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elemental Metal Creations Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 Thanks John, thats what I thought, just wanted to make sure. I know about transporting tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 don't take the tanks they are a controlled ownership item. They either belong to a gas provider or they belong to her dad. Unless she can find the paper work showing the purchase of the tanks no body will fill them. Look at the owner ship identification on the tanks. Call the local industrial gas company to pick them up. This is one of the issues I worked with for over twenty years in the industry. People would often outlaw cylinders from a job site then abandon them. Acetylene cylinders can be house destroying dangerous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 There's a little more to an oxy propane torch than hoses, regs and a tip. This set up works but has a solid rep for eating oxy like candy. Look into a Harris oxy propane torch, since All States let the patent go Harris can now make the real deal. Harris made the All States oxy propane torches under contract but couldn't sell them. They can now and they run maybe 1/3 or less an All States rig. Be very wary of the tanks, there will be certification plates or stamps on them even if you can prove ownership. There is good solid debate over which is the most dangerous item in a modern shop, the acet cylinder or the oxy cylinder. Even an AIR oxy explosion has a rate of propagation in the range of 24,000fps. orbital velocity is around 25,000fps. However an oxy leak can make everything it touches flammable, very flammable. Dangerous things however you vote. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 I haven't had any issues with getting old bottles into a system, even without paperwork. Some companies that the bottles had come from originally had been sold, or went belly up. Some went back to the same company that was on the sticker around the neck. some of the bottles were marked sold, others were not. I currently have a stack CO2 bottles that came from a Navy surplus sale years ago. When I talked to a supplier here, they said bring them in and they would work them into their system as long as they passed hydro. With what they cost to buy, I would definitely explore getting them. Shoot, even if they are not owner bottles, at least use the gas that is in them before returning them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Around me small cylinders are almost always customer owned, and anyone will exchange them. Larger cylinders are a bigger crap shoot. there used to be a half dozen or so independent suppliers who would fill customer owned large cylinders. Almost all of them have been bought up or gone out of business, so it can be hard to get large cylinders exchanged or filled at least locally. My buddy about an hour south of me took all my large customer owned cylinders because he can still get them filled, or swaped with his supplier. Tanks with the big name suppliers have to go back to that company. However I've found that as long as you have an account with them, they don't ask where the cylinders came from. I've borrowed cylinders from a friend and gotten them refilled before returning them no problem with Praxair, even though I don't have any cylinders on my account. As long as I have an account, and one of their cylinders, they will swap no problem. I've gotten the same response from the counter guy at Airgas as well. A simple cash account isn't all that hard to get. All I needed was a few references and a credit check. They will even pick up and deliver if I want them to, though it's easiest usually for me to just stop in at the store down the street from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob Nothstine Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I'm hoping to fire up my propane / oxygen torch this weekend. you need a T grade hose. I had my local welding shop check my regulators they add a different spring to give me better control with propane. The torch I had only needed a new tip for propane. Some torchs can not be used for propane. Search smith lighting propane torch on YouTube for a real good video on lighting the torch. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 The filling of cylinders with no clear title can involve real serious liabilities for the filler. However, I should add that the company I worked for eventually went out of the cylinder business some time ago. One the problems we had was what you have encountered: the guy on the counter takes the cylinder in and the guy on the dock rolls it into the empty pile. Nobody stops to ask what is the history of the cylinder. As long as the current CGA connection is something that matches what they fill it gets filled if in test. If it goes to hydro the valve is thrown away, Except for the stamping the cylinder has no history. A date, a corp, and a manufacturing specification. Along with a serial number. Is this safe? Not really but accidents with filling steel gas cylinders are rare because there has been over a century of development. Does any of the above filling match DOT or CGA specification or practice. No! Why do I worry? Because I know and have seen the consequences of one carless error compounded by another. I have filled and used cylinders that were put in service during WW1. All gas cylinders are steel balloons. If you don't know the history you are best advised to start fresh with cylinders from you supplier with their name stamped in the steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yahoo2 Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 it will take 11 tanks of the biggest oxy cylinder I can get to chew through a 45kg cylinder of propane. you might consider a smaller propane tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elemental Metal Creations Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 Thanks for all the info. I am going to pick up the torch set tomorrow. All I know is that it was her dads and has a cart, tanks, torch(s), hoses and regulators. I will get every thing checked out and proceed with caution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 Take a close look at the hoses. They are the one item that goes bad and cause problems in any little used outfit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 On 2015-11-26 at 9:51 PM, Frosty said: Even an AIR oxy explosion has a rate of propagation in the range of 24,000fps. orbital velocity is around 25,000fps. Frosty, you cannot mean that. You mean AIR Acetylene?? Otherwise you are quite right. Happy new year to you by the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 When we moved from Az to Ok the local company simply charged to test and paint the bottles, no issues. They were a bit surprised to get an owner bottle account but we had a few, oxy, ace and tri bottles ( A O torches, 2 now 3 migs plus spares) as to the OP torch common wisdom with the welder a around here is to change the tip and use the ace. Reg and hoses till the pro. Eats them up. Not my idea of the way to via out it, but I agree pro is a lot less expensive than ace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 There are dual fuel hoses available I changed mine out years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WL smith Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I always go with NEW hose for peace of mind. New looks better than old dull hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elemental Metal Creations Posted January 4, 2016 Author Share Posted January 4, 2016 I got the torch set last weekend. everthing looks good, the torch is a craftsman. I called the local Airgas today, they said that I probably would not be able to get a propane tip for it. I told them what brand the tanks were and he said that they couldn't exchange them, then he told me that the local tool rental place could. he was very helpful and didn't try to convince me to go with his company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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