# acetlytne welding set



## PreciousMexpert (Nov 25, 2010)

http://img29.imageshack.us/i/torch0.jpg/
I bought an acetylene torch and I also bought a safety valve
In my propane welding set the safety valve is placed where I have marked A

I tried the same thing with my acetylene set and it didnt work
It works only when I attach it to where it says B
that is right below the hand piece
Is this normal
am I doing something wrong

If I attach it to where it says A the gas does not flow
its the same for oxygen and acetylene


----------



## Barren Realms 007 (Nov 25, 2010)

I have usually seen them hooked up at the regulator. but that might not be the case any more because of safety. 
Where did you get the check valves?


----------



## PreciousMexpert (Nov 25, 2010)

Barren Realms 007
I bought a complete set and I ordered it from the same company

and the propane welding set was bought about 20 years ago
so maybe things have changed and I can also ask the company


----------



## Barren Realms 007 (Nov 25, 2010)

Would you please! The check valve should be there to protect the tanks from ignition. But if there is greese or oil in the line an ignition can take place without protection to the tanks. 

I will see if I can find time to check with my welding supplier and see if there have been changes I am not aware of.

Thanks


----------



## qst42know (Nov 25, 2010)

You are paying attention the direction of flow?

You would need to adapt the male/female ends to switch which end of the hose you install this on.

Check with your torch manufacturer many handles are being made with internal check valves.


----------



## PreciousMexpert (Dec 1, 2010)

I called the company that sold me the set and they said it does not have a built in safety valve in the regulator and the safety valve only fits behind the hand piece and if I want another safety valve I would have to buy another more expensive kind
He said I don't need another one he said its like a car having 2 mufflers
He said just don't drop a hot metal on it


----------



## Anonymous (Dec 1, 2010)

PreciousMexpert said:


> I bought an acetylene torch and I also bought a safety valve
> In my propane welding set the safety valve is placed where I have marked A
> 
> I tried the same thing with my acetylene set and it didnt work
> ...


There must be something else wrong in your method of installing them.The hoses have the exact same fittings on both sides,and the pressure is exactly the same on both sides.Unless they are fitted with a check valve there is no variable (difference) from either side.Even if one or both were made wrong,it would not work on either side,instead of working on one side but not the other.If they work on one side,they must work on the other,its physics.


----------



## golddie (Dec 4, 2010)

I have a similar situation
The company selling me said it didnt have a safety valve and yesterday I was doing some welding and the acetylene got jammed and poped and it was not anything serious and all of a sudden I heard an bell ring and when I tried to re-lite the torch I noticed that the valve had gone to zero.
I found that amazing and the people selling the product dont know about it.

On another note when I am welding with acetylene I notice that the 2 pieces that I want to weld have to be touching with the slightest gap and if there is it wont weld 
I tried this with very strong fire and still no help
Do I need a tig or a mig system
thanks


----------



## butcher (Dec 4, 2010)

A check valve’s can be very important on your torch, I prefer to have it at the hose as it enters the torch handle, if you get your torch too hot the hot can cause a fire inside your torch or hoses and possibly in your tanks, the popping you here is a fire in your torch igniting over and over, make sure you have working check valves, and do not overheat your torch, also setting the pressure on your gases properly is important here, for what you are doing (heating welding and cutting), also learn to adjust your flame from the torch with the control valves on the handle for the flame you need for the job (reducing or oxidizing flame).

If welding with an torch metals should be prepared, cleaned fluxed if necessary, fitting before you weld, small gaps can be bridged with experience, using your filler rod or even with small pieces of cut rod (nails or other metal). to get practice with welding I teach people to weld two pieces of metal without using a filler rod, only using the torch flame, melting metal from the two they are welding together, once they can do that then welding with the filler rod becomes easy to do, it will take a little practice to get the hang of welding, just like riding a bicycle, Using proper welding tip for size of metals your welding, adjust your flame hottest blue flame at tip, put the end of this blue flame to the metal to melt the metal, if welding a thick piece and thin piece of metal together concentrate heat on the larger piece getting both red hot almost melted at same time, then melt then together using circular or zig zag motion pushing the molten metal along with the torch flame, not too fast not too slow.

Anybody using a torch should study up on its use and safety, a little time doing this could keep you alive and healthy, the web has any info you need also your local welding supply or library will have some books.


----------



## qst42know (Dec 4, 2010)

golddie said:


> I have a similar situation
> The company selling me said it didnt have a safety valve and yesterday I was doing some welding and the acetylene got jammed and poped and it was not anything serious and all of a sudden I heard an bell ring and when I tried to re-lite the torch I noticed that the valve had gone to zero.
> I found that amazing and the people selling the product dont know about it.
> 
> ...



What are your regulator settings? If they are to low you will get a lot of back fires. Check valves can drop your gas pressures by a couple psi. Final pressure is adjusted at the torch valves.


----------



## golddie (Dec 4, 2010)

Hi Folks 
Thanks for your help
qst42know
I did do research and I try to stay withing the safe range
I am able to weld but with acetylene I am new I did a lot of propane welding or soldering.
I tried to weld Aluminum to steel and I couldn't 
I should have practiced on something cheap I ruined something that I could have returned back to the store
Is this possible with special flux or solder


----------



## qst42know (Dec 4, 2010)

Aluminum to steel is not going to happen, far to dissimilar. Even if you got it sort of stuck the shrink rate differential would tear it apart.

What is it you are trying to put together?


----------



## golddie (Dec 4, 2010)

Hi qst42know 
I could find an alternative but like you said the aluminum lost its shape and I couldnt get anywhere.
It would be a good invention to come up with a flux or a solder for this purpose


----------



## butcher (Dec 5, 2010)

epoxy :lol:


----------



## Refiner232121 (Dec 7, 2010)

Can someone tell me about welding aluminum to aluminum with acetylene
What kind of solder is used 
or is just flux enough plus heat the 2 metals


----------



## goldnugget77 (Dec 7, 2010)

you need a special type of weld or bonding product


----------



## qst42know (Dec 7, 2010)

Search aluminum brazing online. I haven't used any so I don't know if they work.


----------



## butcher (Dec 8, 2010)

Aluminum is very difficult to weld with a torch, aluminum forms oxidation very easily, air and oxygen are you enemies here, they used to make special flux coated rods (had white flux coating) they would work but it was still with much difficulty, the pot or cast aluminum forget it with torch almost impossible. A wire feed with inert gas, or TIG work very well, more control of temperature melt and non oxidizing weld by the shielding atmosphere.


----------



## PreciousMexpert (Jan 22, 2011)

I think it is not a good idea to use plumbing tapes inside the bolts when tightening so that there are no leaks
This is true for gases 
how about oxygen is it OK to use plumbing tapes


----------



## Barren Realms 007 (Jan 22, 2011)

PreciousMexpert said:


> I think it is not a good idea to use plumbing tapes inside the bolts when tightening so that there are no leaks
> This is true for gases
> how about oxygen is it OK to use plumbing tapes



If you need to ues a sealant you should replace your fitting's.


----------



## rusty (Jan 22, 2011)

PreciousMexpert said:


> http://img29.imageshack.us/i/torch0.jpg/
> I bought an acetylene torch and I also bought a safety valve
> In my propane welding set the safety valve is placed where I have marked A
> 
> ...



The back flash valves go on the torch, make sure to have the arrow showing flow installed in the right direction.

If you put the back flash valves on the gauge end of the hose you stand a good chance of loosing the hose should a flash occur.

Back flash valve is a spring loaded ball, when I flash happens the force of the gas retreating closes the ball against a seat sealing off the gas flow preventing a flash back to the regulators.

If you look at the HHO torch stihl88 built you will note that the flash arrestor is located at the torch actually built in, albeit a home made arrestor using non ferrous metal wool.

Not sure of the direction the gas should flow in your arrestor, use some compressed air or even try blowing through it with your mouth it shouldn't take more than 1/2 lb to release the check ball.

Regards
G


----------



## eeTHr (Jan 22, 2011)

I only use oxygen-acetylene for cutting.

For welding steel, you can't beat a MIG welder. You can get a portable that runs off two car batteries. It's inexpensive, you can take it anywhere, and it gets good and hot. It will weld up to 1/4" steel, and thicker if the parts are small.

The torch gets the material very hot all over, that is, the heat travels too far before the weld area gets hot enough. If you are welding something "in place," then whatever it's connected to will get hot also, and if there's grease or plastic anywhere down the line, you've got trouble.

I always used flux core wire, too. You need to remove the air hood at the tip, but that also makes it easier to see what you are doing. The core wire will eliminate 90 to 95 percent of the air around the puddle, and so you see the actual metal puddle while welding instead of having it under the slag that you get from stick welding, and little or no chipping is required.

If it's outside and really cold, you can pre-heat it with a torch, but weld it with a MIG.

The battery powered is DC only, of course, but you can get different penetration by reversing the polarity, and that can come in handy on thinner material (there is no current adjustment). I used this commercially for field repairs, and it's way better than a gas powered arc welder. I ran mine using both the truck battery and one extra battery, with a control unit that would switch the configuration around. I could even weld with the engine running, charging both batteries while I welded. I highly recommend ii.


----------



## rusty (Jan 22, 2011)

I hate flux core mig welding wire, way to much clean up required.


----------



## eeTHr (Jan 23, 2011)

I never had any problems with it. Like I said, 90 to 95 percent clean. Plus it's easier and simpler to use.

What do you weld?


----------



## rusty (Jan 23, 2011)

eeTHr said:


> I never had any problems with it. Like I said, 90 to 95 percent clean. Plus it's easier and simpler to use.
> 
> What do you weld?



Using flux core mig wire with out a gas shield you stand a chance of inclusions in your welds which would show up on x-ray or machining a part back to specifications after building the worn section up.

There is more to welding than scabbing two pieces of metal together. I have welded cast iron successfully, cast and plate aluminium, stainless steel , t-120 to mild steel.

When I had my HF Canox Tig played around welding copper to aluminium just for fun, nothing practical. I still have a HF tig inverter unit made by Century for specialised work. I may use it to fab my HHO dry cell to bridge the positive and negative plates rather than rely on bolts and washers to carry the current.

By cutting the buss tabs extra long, using the tig I won't even need filler rod and save a fortune on SS nuts, washers and bolts. 

By arranging the holes in such a way that the hydrogen passes from cell to cell in each plate make it large enough to pass the bus bar through that same hole before welding, I see this as a money saving possibility in building HHO cells.

I also think that the SS plates could be positioned closer together using a membrane to pass gas and keep the plates from shorting out, if you have ever dismantled a lead acid battery you would see that the plates are close together and the battery has no problem venting gas during charging.

Just rambling, you guys give me inspiration.

Some places to look for SS sheet, some microwaves, dishwashers, sinks and cookware, don't forget to bring your magnet.

Regards
G


----------



## PreciousMexpert (Jan 23, 2011)

I have this acetylene welding set
I like it and I can see that there are other machines which are better like tig and mig
I am sure I will be able to adapt to using those should the need arise
The biggest problem is finding customers
How do you get them locally without spending a fortune on advertising


----------



## rusty (Jan 23, 2011)

PreciousMexpert said:


> I have this acetylene welding set
> I like it and I can see that there are other machines which are better like tig and mig
> I am sure I will be able to adapt to using those should the need arise
> The biggest problem is finding customers
> How do you get them locally without spending a fortune on advertising



Hang or shingle where the heavy equipment operators drink beer.or where they purchase their heavy equipment, it wont take long before you have more work than you can handle.

I had an Lincoln 200 amp portable on a 1 ton truck, specialised in welding grouser bars onto worn cat tracks. In the north country they want ice picks welded on.

You can read up on procedure here. http://www.titussteel.com/grouserbars_weldprocedure.htm

regards
Gill


----------



## eeTHr (Jan 23, 2011)

rusty---

Commercial welding of mild steel, mostly square tubing and angle, in the field, was part of my job for 15 years. I started using portable arc welders, or stick welding. When I got my own contractor's license, I went to the portable DC MIG, and it was five times better. And nothing ever broke after welding.

I see that you have much more critical requirements, whereas my intention was to help others like myself, who want to get a good job done, better, and inexpensively.

But it's always nice to hear lofty meandering, regardless of whether they pertain to the actual subject matter.

What do you thing of stick welding, by the way? Is it better than flux core wire?

8)


----------



## rusty (Jan 23, 2011)

eeTHr said:


> rusty---
> 
> Commercial welding of mild steel, mostly square tubing and angle, in the field, was part of my job for 15 years. I started using portable arc welders, or stick welding. When I got my own contractor's license, I went to the portable DC MIG, and it was five times better. And nothing ever broke after welding.
> 
> ...




Each has its place, if were talking structural welding and fabrication of mild steel, wire of course, wire is good for all position welding no time wasted changing rods, no nibs to sweep up, no flux to chip away, torch handle stays cool, disadvantage working outdoors your shield gas will blow away, yearly bottle rental. Due to limitations of whip length welding machine must be in close proximity to work. 

Welding steel with rust scale will result in poor welds. When your contact tip becomes worn welding becomes erratic. Mig is more finicky than stick to those unaccustomed to welding.

Stick is more versatile, hard facing the teeth of an excavator bucket, repairing a cracked cast iron engine block. rods available giving higher tensile strength welds, works in any environment even under water, disadvantage rods must be kept dry and warm, nibs and flux to sweep up at the end of the day, electrode holder gets to hot to hang onto even with the best welding gloves so I have a spare whip with an electrode holder ready to change over to. A fresh electrode holder is good for a couple of hours working with high amps.

Welding machine can be located several hundred feet from work, given the length of welding cable attached to the machine there are no limitations.

Most often I use 7018 low hydrogen rods, the flux curls off by itself.

For the shop an old refrigerator with a light bulb is enough to keep your welding rods dry and warm, the slightest bit of moisture will have bad effects on 7018 low hydrogen welding rods performance. Never bring the whole box of rods with you when 3 will do.

FYI: I use my mig for most of my welding that is required for my projects that I build. For my hydrogen cell project may blow the dust off and use it on that project.

You asked how to gain a customer base with out expensive advertising, not having any background on the type of welding you were planning of promote gave you an example that worked for me. In replying one tends to try and reach the whole audience.

Regards
Gill


----------



## eeTHr (Jan 24, 2011)

rusty said:


> I hate flux core mig welding wire, way to much clean up required.





rusty said:


> nibs and flux to sweep up at the end of the day



I think I may be confused, but I'm not sure.

Can you expound on these seemingly contradictory statements?

:|


----------



## rusty (Jan 24, 2011)

eeTHr said:


> rusty said:
> 
> 
> > I hate flux core mig welding wire, way to much clean up required.
> ...




In my first reply, I hate flux core mig welding wire, way to much clean up required. I used a 50 lb roll of flux core wire with out gas shielding and found that the spatter from welding had to be cleaned up afterwards to make the weld look half presentable. 

The machine was new and I had never used flux core wire before, tried different amperage settings and wire feeds, switched the polarity on the electrode side, always ended with spatter, little gobs of weld stuck to the metal near the weld zone.

I'm on my second 50 lb roll of wire with this mig machine, this time opted for 0.035 using gas the difference is night and day, the welds are uniform and clean with out spatter to clean up after.

Your confusion on this statement nibs and flux to sweep up at the end of the day leads me to believe that you have little or no experience as a welder. Here I'm giving some disadvantages of using stick rod.

What do you do with the nibs stick em in your pocket.

I will not be following up on this thread.

Regards
Gill


----------



## eeTHr (Jan 24, 2011)

rusty---

I didn't confuse the two, I was refering to your comparrison of the two, of course. Because you contradicted yourself when you mentioned that stick welding also requires a lot of cleanup. But I'm really glad you tried to straighten that out.

But it was pretty lame of you to resort to calling me a liar.

Bye.

:shock:


----------

