Using propane instead of acetylene

[Shield Arc]

In the pic's you made, I noticed the cuts look smooth and hardly any slag. Is that typical with propane?

Oh you can get slag with propane if your travel speed is off.


I don't notice more use of oxygen, but I don't cut a lot with the torch, just depends on the project at hand. I use my band saw for most cuts.

 

[Ken45101]

Vapor propane is what powers gas grills, heaters, and camping equipment in a normal residential bottle. Liquid propane normally powers forklifts and other engines but has to be preheated by the engines coolant heat to the converted to a vapor

My son works on fork lifts. He just was just telling me that they had problems starting some of them with the cold weather. Without a running engine, there was no preheat to convert it to vapor.

I usually use oxy/propane for heating but I do have a lot of trouble with cutting tips popping on me. I do okay with a rosebud but sometimes I don't need all that heat. IDK if my problem is cheap cutting tips, or my mistake. It sure sucks up the oxygen!

 

[bandaidmd]

anyone ever tried there dillon/cobra on LP?

 

[diesel lover]

My son works on fork lifts. He just was just telling me that they had problems starting some of them with the cold weather. Without a running engine, there was no preheat to convert it to vapor. I usually use oxy/propane for heating but I do have a lot of trouble with cutting tips popping on me. I do okay with a rosebud but sometimes I don't need all that heat. IDK if my problem is cheap cutting tips, or my mistake. It sure sucks up the oxygen!

Well said!! While working for a fleet company with 115, 4000 capacity forklifts they would not start near zero if they sat too long. There was a point of no return when the raw liquid propane was much too much for the engine to ignite! If you had block heaters installed you would defintely stand a chance! I have had to tow several of them to a warm shop and let them warm up even after installing a new battery!

Tell your son the best thing out there for a cold propane engine is carb cleaner! It's much more ignitable in the cold than liquid propane but will not be damaging if too much is used. Remove a vacuum line, and spray into the vacuum line while the engine is cranking over.

 

[DXN1EL]

 

[diesel lover]

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWAnv3r0CSw

wow never seen something like that!! Just uses regular pump gasoline. Seems to be able to cut through all the thick stuff and also very cost effective !!

 

[DXN1EL]

The system alone is a little expensive Petrogen Complete Oxy-Gasoline Steel Cutting Torch System — Model# 100 | Cutting, Heating Welding Torches| Northern Tool + Equipment

There a Chinese that seems to be Zhonghuan Oxy Gasoline Cutting Torch Outfit ZH C100 CN | eBay

 

[Arc weld]

Propane does use more oxygen for the preheat flame. It's about 2 1/2 to 3 times more but that's at a low pressure. The cutting jet uses oxygen at a higher pressure but it's the same pressure as used with acetylene so there isn't much difference in consumption except for maybe a larger size cutting jet for propane. Propane is cheaper overall but not as much as just the cost difference between acetylene. More oxygen is used but since oxygen is much cheaper that acetylene, it's easier to save money using more oxygen with propane than using less oxygen with higher priced acetylene.

There's something I've never checked. Maybe Shield Arc could check with a tip cleaner? For an equivalent size cutting tip, say for 1/2" (#1), is the cutting jet hole the same size for propane as it is for acetylene?

 

[Shield Arc]

There's something I've never checked. Maybe Shield Arc could check with a tip cleaner? For an equivalent size cutting tip, say for 1/2" (#1), is the cutting jet hole the same size for propane as it is for acetylene?

I went out to the shop to check. Yes they are the same size. A #1 propane tip takes a #10 tip cleaner drill. A #1 acetylene tip takes a #10 tip cleaner, or a .043 drill bit.
Funny I never noticed the chart on the back of a set of tip cleaners before. Always just used the ones that fit the holes. Hopefully I read the chart right!

 

[Reverser]

Propane does use more oxygen for the preheat flame. It's about 2 1/2 to 3 times more but that's at a low pressure.

So then, if I understand this correctly, the most noticeable difference of the amount of oxygen being used, is in the heating of metal and not so much in the cutting of metal. Is this correct?

So if you were heating metal to bend, or brazing metal, then propane would use 2½-3 times more oxygen than acetylene?

I'll have to get this straight before I decide whether to take the plunge or not. :confused2: