rawblacksmith Posted April 17, 2008 Posted April 17, 2008 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? Quote
butterThumbs Posted April 18, 2008 Posted April 18, 2008 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. Quote
HWooldridge Posted April 18, 2008 Posted April 18, 2008 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. Quote
rawblacksmith Posted April 19, 2008 Author Posted April 19, 2008 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. Quote
jayco Posted April 19, 2008 Posted April 19, 2008 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! Quote
welder19 Posted April 19, 2008 Posted April 19, 2008 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 Quote
jayco Posted April 19, 2008 Posted April 19, 2008 Thanks Welder 19,........I stand corrected. James Quote
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