Oxy-Fuel rules old vs new

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I've always followed the 1/7 withdrawal rate, kept my acetylene cylinders upright, and kept grease and oil away from my oxygen cylinders. Recently I heard about the new withdrawal rate being 1/10 for safe operation. But today while reading some articles I found this older one from The Fabricator:http://www.thefabricator.com/article...fety-knowledgeMy biggest surprise was it said that acetylene cylinders are just as stable on their side as they are standing up. They sited easier access to the regulator in an emergency as the reason to keep them verticle. It makes sense to me that the acetone would come out the valve on its side. I'm surprised because i consider The Fabricator to be a reputable publication.Thoughts?Last edited by mr.dgold; 01-04-2016 at 08:45 PM.
Reply:I have seen acetone ooz out of acetylene tanks that were on their side. New rules or not I will stick with what I know as fact.  The rule of thumb I learned and will stick with is that you do not use an acetylene tank that has been laying on its side until it has been stood up and left sitting for the same amount of time as it was on its side.  I wish they could be used on their side, there are many times I would have preferred this. Even now I am contemplating buying a small acetylene tank to keep in the back of my truck because I do not like how tall the one I have now is.Last edited by thegary; 01-04-2016 at 09:01 PM.
Reply:I feel the same way. Though the lower withdrawal rates seem to be the same from multiple sources.
Reply:Interesting.  I always followed the 1/7th rule without problem.  Likewise, never using an Acy cylinder on its side was beat into my head for years.  I was always told to leave them standing upright, without using them, for 1 full hour after laying them down.AWS CWI xxxx21711968 SA200  Originally Posted by WelderMike  I hate being bipolar, It's awesome.
Reply:Don't confuse acetylene 'stability' with withdrawal rates and the drafting out of acetylene. I would imagine a tank is perfectly stable upside down also,,,, just, please, do nont try and use it that way. "The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:I think your right, but that's why I wanted to discuss the article I linked. I had to read it twice to make sure I didn't misunderstand.Last edited by mr.dgold; 01-04-2016 at 09:17 PM.
Reply:I feel like the article is just porely worded leading to the confusion. I don't plan to change any of my safe practices, I just found it odd. But the withdrawal rates seem to be the new norm, 1/10 for intermediate use and 1/15 for continuous use.
Reply:Yeh acetylene gets transported all the time laying down, the caution that I am familiar with has always been concerning usage (with drawing).. I suppose there are plenty of rules about laying of any type cylinders down already ."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:Haha I give up. We know about transporting cylinders. I'm talking about a specific article saying you can use it on its side. If anyone wants to read it, there's a link. Just thought it was strange, good day.
Reply:Originally Posted by mr.dgoldHaha I give up. We know about transporting cylinders. I'm talking about a specific article saying you can use it on its side. If anyone wants to read it, there's a link. Just thought it was strange, good day.
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyYeh acetylene gets transported all the time laying down, the caution that I am familiar with has always been concerning usage (with drawing).. I suppose there are plenty of rules about laying of any type cylinders down already .
Reply:Every junkyard I've visited, so maybe 15 in the local area over the last 20+ years have an old station wagon or mini truck with the two tanks laid down in the back, bungee strapped to the side and they burn the dickens out of them.  I'd have to guess that the pressure of acetone on a hot day would be about 10psi and I run my tanks until they are empty so there has to be a bit of acetone in the stream anyway.  Is the acetone in tanks refreshed at refill time?
Reply:plenty of users technically use bigger rosebud or cutting tip exceeding recommended acetylene withdrawal rate for over 100 years now..when people do not even notice a difference in torch performance not sure if it is a problem. oxyacetylene welding thick steel puts out enough heat to heat a whole house. most people do not oxyacetylene weld thick steel anymore. maybe under 1/4" but rarely heavier material..more a problem for  tank supplier needing to check acetone level so it can absorb enough acetylene. i believe they weigh tank and by acetylene pressure can calculate if acetone level is low for pressure and weight.
Reply:Originally Posted by rlitman  Also, here's a strange exception.  B and MC cylinders were originally designed to be used horizontally.  The B cylinders that have the valve offset to the side, were designed to be laid down, with the valve at the highest position for use strapped along a car's running board.  Newer B cylinders with the valves centered wouldn't work this way though, without losing acetone.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI have one of those old style B cylinders. It's got the old "prestolite" logo embossed in the side. One of these days I'll have to find a place where I can get it filled vs exchanging cylinders.
Reply:I don't think so, but honestly I've never checked since I keep it upright all the time. It's buried in the shed. If I remember I'll try and dig it out and look..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI have one of those old style B cylinders. It's got the old "prestolite" logo embossed in the side. One of these days I'll have to find a place where I can get it filled vs exchanging cylinders.
Reply:i'm not going to worry too much about the new withdrawal rate. before i joined this forum i never heard about the 1/7 ratio either.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI have one of those old style B cylinders. It's got the old "prestolite" logo embossed in the side. One of these days I'll have to find a place where I can get it filled vs exchanging cylinders.
Reply:Originally Posted by Silicon-basedAn interesting side note, the names 'B' and 'MC' for the tanks come from the days when automotive head lamps ran on acetylene not electricity. 'MC' stands for "Motor Car" and 'B' (the larger tank) stands for "Bus".