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Old 12-01-12 | 03:32 PM
  #12  
MassiveD
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Joined: Jul 2011
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I thought the whole point of cutting torches is that when they shift to cutting they run oxygen only. There must be some reason for what you say, as even cheapo welding supplies that would never dabble in the arcana of propane welding or brazing always have propane cutting gear...

I have even welded with propane oxy, it works for our size stuff. I think accet, is virtually impossible for me to transport legally, and has no business in a domestic setting, or probably most light industrial settings. It needs it's whole own series of 1000 ways to die.

I just use a cheapo regulator, it is the red one they sell for those ice or weed burner heads.

As far as plug and play goes:

from Tinaman

"Setting Your Torch
I know that setting a torch properly may be difficult with all the pressure requirements and tip sizes, thicknesses and different metals, but here is the standard method used in the American Aircraft Factories for oxy-acetylene welding of aluminum sheet.

Select torch tip size for the metal thickness you are working with.

Bottles are closed. Regulators are closed - with the screws wound out. Torch is open and ready to flow, 3 to 4 turns on both knobs. (this needs to be checked with your torch, you do not want to unpack the valves, but 3-4 turns on a TM torch is pretty wide open)

Open oxy bottle first...all the way until the upper packing seats. Now, just crack the acetylene bottle until gauge goes up, then add 1/4 turn. Hold torch an inch from your cheek and wind in the acetylene regulator screw until a little breeze is felt on your cheek. Now light the torch - AWAY from your cheek please.

You should now have a bushy yellow flame that emits NO sooty trails. Add oxygen with regulator screw until flame is balanced neutral, then add both gasses until your flame is loud, and neutral.

You now have the best wide-open flame setting for the tip you have chosen.

NOW you can adjust the torch down to the flame you need for the work. The pressures are also correct for that tip size - and you never needed to see the gauges except for the acetylene bottle on startup."

Apparently when done this way you have all the things that need to be full open open, all the flows at the part of the gear they are supposed to be at. and you have a torch that probably won't pop, that can be lit by opening both torch valves equal amounts and sparking her off, and your pressures are OK, etc.... And you don't care what the dials read, because they aren't being used. Some of the safety side of this applies mainly to that sneaky A/O combo. But I tried it, and it works with propane.

These are good regulators if you want to go fancy:

https://www.tinmantech.com/html/hose_regs.php#pro
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