Oxy Acetylene Instructions

Jay

There's nothing like one on one instruction you get from Vo-Tech for such a low price. You also get the benefit of using all the latest equipment.

Another idea is to stop by your local welding shop if Vo-Tech doesn't work for you. You might find a weldor that would take some time with you for $100 or so. Again it's one on one so your learning curve will go very fast.

One thing that Vo-Tech has vs a movie/welding shop, is the book learning that you need. They usually hand out some great info that's very useful.

T_Bone

One other safety tip that I was taught... open the oxygen bottle valve all the way to the packing so you don't get a leak. Open the acetylene only a half turn or so. In case of fire or a broken hose, you can get it shut off very quickly that way.

As for bottles and transpo, defintely open vehicles only. I imagine a large number of us have resorted to carrying a bottle in a trunk in desperate cases, but it's a real, real bad idea if you have ever seen the pictures of the results when things go wrong.

Bottles laying down are not extremely unsafe, even acetylene, but you have to let the acetylene sit upright for a few hours so that the acetone can be absorbed back into the porous core. An O2 bottle doesn't care which direction it is oriented.

Make double sure to tie your bottles to a column or use a good cart so they don't fall over. As long as you pay attention to what you are doing, OA is actually very safe. I am far more afraid of a skilsaw.

Jay

I've done a ton of research about ways to learn to weld if you can't get formal hands-on training, and my opinion is that the Wall Mountain series of videos ("Hi. I'm Steve Bleile, and I'm a welder.") is the best there is.

Several years ago I volunteered to assist one of the instructors at the local community college in both a metal art welding program and a traditional welding trade program. In exhange I get virtually unlimited use of the shop facilities. I have sat through the safety lecture literally dozens of times, watched various safety videos, read countless books and manuals, and observed an enormous amount of equipment useage by people who often lack experience with any type of tools whatsoever, and sometimes demonstrate a frightening shortage of common sense.

In the 40 year (M/L) history of the college, there's never been a fire or explosion in the welding shop. No high pressure bottles have gone through walls. Students (and instructors, and volunteer assistants) burn themselves, cut themselves, take off skin on grinding equipment, get stuff in their eyes, burn their skin with arc radiation, bump their heads, turn their ankles, etc. In other words, regular stuff.

The safety lecture for every new class is about an hour long, but that covers all the tolls in the shop, not just the welding equipment. I'm very much in favor of getting formal welding training at a high school, technical college, or community college, but it would approach overkill if all you want to learn is oxy-acetylene welding and cutting. The benefit of learning that way is that you don't have to reinvent the wheel dozens of times, someone can give you feedback on your technique, and you'll have a resource to provide information on the many puzzling situations that come up that don't seem to be covered in books or videos.

My OPINION is that if you're careful and you do your homework, you can learn to use oxy-acetylene equipment safely without formal training (and also that formal training won't be enough to keep some people from doing stupid and dangerous things.)

1.Keep the bottles secured upright. 2.Don't expose any part of the equipment to grease or oil. 3.Never turn the output acetylene pressure to 15 psi or greater. 4.Don't draw more than 1/7 of the acetylene per hour (a possibility with small bottles or massive heating. 5.Check for leaks regularly.

All the best, Stan

This is a new one on me. Never heard this before.
What happens if you do?
Can you provide a little more info about it?

Thanks.

Pooh Bear

I think it's because that's the maximum rate that the acetylene can return to its gaseous state from being dissolved in the acetone. If I remember correctly, you can start getting acetone through your regulator if you exceed that rate. I hope I'm not passing along misinformation but I've run across that one frequently enough to make me give it some credit.

All the best, Stan

Anymore, I just use propane. Gene

I have also heard there is another material in the tank.
But I don't remember what it is.

Thanks.

Pooh Bear

I've seen the filler material in an acetylene tank which was sawn in half. It looked like pumice. I also remember hearing that some organic material used to be used as the filler, but I can't remember what it was---something corn related maybe(?).

Here is an excerpt from Victor's "Welding, Cutting & Heating Guide" on the subject: "The gas...is then compressed into cylinders... Acetylene becomes unstable when compressed in its gaseous state above 15 PSIG. Therefore, it cannot be stored in a hollow cylinder the way oxygen, for example, is stored. Acetylene cylinders are filled with a porous material creating, in effect, a 'solid' as opposed to a 'hollow' cylinder. The porous filling is then saturated with liquid acetone. When acetylene is pumped into the cylinder, it is absorbed by the liquid acetone throughout the porous filling. It is held in a stable condition."

All the best, Stan

Knowing how to cut and weld sure does open up a whole new world for us, at least it did for me.

I took the "gas cutting and gas welding course" once and i took the "arc welding course" twice. Mainly because i can sit and practice my vertical and overhead welding with no interuptions and I had one of the best teachers too a retired welder with 50 years of experience. You can watch videos or sit in a classroom and listen but the only real way to learn is the hands on doing it.

Jay

PS-- Just called that number as is a local one for me and they say if you are in the U.S. to call 1-800-426-1888 and talk to customer service to have one sent to you N/C (Also free in Canada for any others looking in here)

This is just my understanding of the way it works.

Pooh Bear

Before you use the acetylene after being transported horizontal, the cylinder must be vertical for 24hrs before using. This is to keep the acetone in the sponge and not leach into the acetylene gas flow.

During the winter time at cold temperatures, neither O/A cylinders should be stored horizontial.

Back in the 70's when they were building the Eisenhower Tunnel in Loveland Pass, Co, they were laying down O2 cyl's at night and when they picked up the cylinder the next morning the O2 valve had frooze and exploded killing a few men. This happened a couple times before they understood what was happening and stopped the practice.

T_Bone