Beginners Guide to Oxy-Acetylene Welding Equipment
Article Note:This Article is a contribution from Bruce Bauerlein, a metal craftsman who thought the information may be useful to especially the newer guys who may be less familiar with this equipment and its uses. Bruce contributed the article anonymously but I felt it important to thank him by name for this and many contributions intended to assist in continuing trades education. Thanks Bruce.
THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO OXY-ACETYLENE WELDING EQUIPMENTBy Bruce Bauerlein
The purpose of this page is to introduce the beginning welder to the equipment used in the Oxy-Acetylene welding process. This will be done starting with the cylinders and ending with the torch tip.
BACKGROUND
The use of gas welding dates back to the middle 1800’s where a
mixture of Oxygen And Hydrogen were used to produce a hot flame that was used in the making of jewelry. It wasn’t until the late 1890’s when the gas Acetylene became available that gas welding developed into the process that we know today. Acetylene is a gas that is manufactured by mixing Calcium Carbide,( a by product of the electric furnace steel making process) with water. Acetylene when burned alone can produce a flame temperature of about 4000 deg. F. With the addition of Oxygen a flame temperature in excess of 6000 deg. F. can be achieved, making Acetylene ideal for welding and cutting. An Oxy-Acetylene outfit is portable, less expensive and more versatile than a electric welding set up. By using the proper tips, rods and fluxes, almost any metal can be welded, heated or cut using the Oxy-Acetylene process.
There are many components that make up the Oxy-Acetylene outfit such as cylinders, regulators, hoses etc. The following is a typical outfit listing each component with a brief description of each.CYLINDERS
Oxygen and Acetylene are stored under pressure in steel cylinders . They are sized by the cuft. of either Oxygen or Acetylene that they hold.
Cylinders should be tested regularly with the date of the last test stamped on the top of the cylinder. Cylinders should always be secured and used in the upright position. When a cylinder is not being used, the valve cap should always be in place.OXYGEN CYLINDERS
These cylinders are made of steel and are usually painted green. They range in size from less than 20 cuft. To over 300 cuft and contain compressed Oxygen at pressures that can be as high as 2200 psig. All cylinders have valves and ( except the small “R” tank ) are fitted with a screw on steel cap that protects the cylinder valve when the cylinder is not in use. If Oxygen comes into contact with oil or grease, it will burst into flame. Never use oil or grease on Oxygen cylinder valves or regulators. Make sure hands and gloves are free of oil and grease before handling cylinders. Crack open the cylinder valve then close it before installing the regulator to clear the valve of any dirt. With the regulator installed, always crack the cylinder valve open first, then open it fully. This will lessen the chance of recompression which is caused by high cylinder pressure entering the regulator, heating up and damaging the regulator.
ACETYLENE CYLINDERS
These cylinders contain Acetylene under pressure, are painted black, ( small “B” and “MC” tanks can be gray, silver or red ) made of steel and have cylinder valves. They range in size from 10 to almost 400 cuft capacity. The cylinders contain a porous filler material which is wetted with acetone that allows the Acetylene to safely be contained in the cylinder at 250 psig. Always use an Acetylene cylinder in the up right position so you don’t draw any of the acetone out of the tank. Only open the cylinder valve 1 to 1 1/2 turns, leaving the valve wrench on the valve in the event it has to be shut off quickly. Acetylene should never be used at a pressure that exceeds 15 psig as it becomes highly unstable which, depending on the condition, could cause it to decompose and explode. As with the Oxygen cylinder, make sure the cylinder valve is clean before installing the regulator.
REGULATORS
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