Torches

[luvmexfood]

I have a set of regulators for oxygen and acteylene plus a torch that has not been used in 20 years. Also have a set of tanks. Need to use them for an upcoming small project. Does anyone have an ideal if they will still work or would the orings or whatever is rubber inside be rotten. Thanks for any info.

 

[Baby Grand]

I have a full aviation set (Smith?) that I bought 30 years ago new and a large cutting torch that was old when I bought it, used, 25 hears ago. They all still work great. I would suggest that you buy new hoses, though. The hoses get beat up in normal use and are not very expensive to replace.

 

[jaotguy]

pressurize the hoses and dunk in water to check for leaks ..... the regs should be fine ( hook 'em up and see if they work correctly, a bit of "creep" should be expected ) same for the torch head ... clean the TIPS before starting any work.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Back out the adjusting screws on the gauges before opening the tank valve for safeties sake. This should be done all the time, but much more so when using old gauges just in case the diaphragm is bad. If you don't hear any leaks, then slowly turn in the regulator adjustment screw and watch the low pressure gauge to see how it comes up, if still no leaks, you should be good to go. All the torch O-rings can be easily replaced and most LWS will have them, but they aren't cheap. I think the torch head o-rings that fits between the head and mixing barrel was almost $5 for my Victor torch. Then there is the high pressure O2 for the cutting air valve seat that might be bad but that is all there is in the cutting head. I rather doubt that any of the components will need anything other than possibly new hoses from dry rot.

 

[Reverser]

Back out the adjusting screws on the gauges before opening the tank valve for safeties sake. This should be done all the time, but much more so when using old gauges just in case the diaphragm is bad.

The is a requirement in all/most large company shops. Although it's ignored a lot of times it should be done as Gary mentions.

I can testify to the fact that when a diaphragm blows, it will scare the living daylights out of you.
When I got my first job in the late 60's, I was helping a welder who had been using a torch all day. At quitting time, he told me to go shut the gas off at the bottles which was about 50 feet away. Not ever being shown how to do it, I assumed that everything that would screw in, needed to be screwed in.
The oxygen bottle had one of those large chrome Oxweld gauges with a big chrome wing nut as the pressure adjustment screw. Not knowing any better I started screwing in the wing nut and the diaphragm blew. Definitely not the way to start off a new job. :confused2: :laughing:

 

[polarred21]

Most likely the regulators are no good with bad diaphragms, that's been my experience. Be careful pressurizing them as stated above.

 

[Reverser]

Most likely the regulators are no good with bad diaphragms, that's been my experience. Be careful pressurizing them as stated above.

I'm sure diaphragms can be replaced. We used to send our beat up regulators and torches in with all kinds of problems to be repaired. And a month or so later, they would come back working perfect. I would think an individual could replace a diaphragm, unless a special tool would be needed for access. I never took one apart.

 

[Mattc8832]

It cost me $35 2 years ago for my set of Harris Torches to be gone through and new diaprahms out in. They work great now for being 15 years old.

 

[polarred21]

Last year my LWS quoted me a price of $52 to rebuild a Victor 2 stage regualtor. I could purchase a new Esab for $79.