Using Propylene Cutting Tips with Propane?

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Just curious if anyone has used propylene cutting tips with LP.They often go much cheaper than LP tips, and some brand tips are sold with the same part number for both gases.
Reply:I can comment to some degree.  The oxweld 1534 two piece nozzles use three different lengths of outer sleeve for the various gasses while the internal brass piece remains the same.  One day i thred in a size 4 which is a #60 drill comparable to an 0 in many other brands the following 1515 an one piece propane tip with recessed center, an 1564 which is the same sized holes (eight preheat) but not recessed which is called a acetylene heavy preheat or mapp, and a 1534 with the long propane sleeve and they all seemed to work pretty close to the same.  I find propane or natural gas doesn't seem to work equally well every time.  I don't see why you couldn't shorten the inner piece to suit your needs if you could dress the end properly.  I have a lot of airco two piece nozzles flush on the end maybe some day I might experiment.  New Goss tips are pretty reasonalbe from on line welding supply places well at lest the normal straight ones.  I honestly don't understand some of it I ordered some 0 nx and 0 nff for harris lately and it sure seems to me the heavy preheat ones have thinner slots and less slot area.Whether you have a tip mix or mixer/injector in the torch might effect things to some degree.Quite a while ago I was enquiring about Maap and it turned out they would deliver it to some customers but wouldn't stock it.  Is propelene similar to maap?Last edited by fran...k.; 11-30-2011 at 08:52 PM.Reason: spelling
Reply:Originally Posted by fran...k.Quite a while ago I was enquiring about Maap and it turned out they would deliver it to some customers but wouldn't stock it.  Is propelene similar to maap?
Reply:Do post results. I just got a Smith SC 229 off Ebay and will be hunting tips fo' cheep. The ESAB info is handy since I have a few of them too.
Reply:For the life of me, I cannot understand ESAB's tip numbering system. Smith tips are probably the easiest. And my Oxweld torch, there are a bunch of variations within the same model. High psi, low psi, high volume, low volume, blah blah blah! The ESAB rep I spoke with on the phone didn't even have a clue as to what it all meant!"Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=55520 may be of use.
Reply:That's fine for size necessary. But look at the options in the ESAB catalog. Or look on the American Torch Tip Company website. My goodness!Tozzi was nice enough to give me some to get started. But when I have to buy more.........."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:I do it all the time, don't give me the you can't do it or it wont work crap.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:I do the "try a variety" method with all brands, then remember the numbers of what works for me.My Oxweld LP tips are Harris tips with an interesting tapered adapter that looks like the base of an Oxweld tip, but I don't know who made it and don't see another on the ATL site.I do it all the time, don't give me the you can't do it or it wont work crap.
Reply:Originally Posted by TozziWeldingI do it all the time, don't give me the you can't do it or it wont work crap.
Reply:Originally Posted by tbone550  I guess that's what happens when you buy 300 tips at a time.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWWhat? You use them as a hammer or something?
Reply:Originally Posted by tbone550I know, enough of the Stick-Man mentality around here!!!
Reply:I switched to propane, grabbed the biggest mapp tip I had off the shelf and away I went.  It might not be the best thing to be cutting with but I was pleasantly surprised and no lease on a propane tank.  I imagine for the general public a gas grill bottle would be a pretty darn economical way to run your torch,  you have no lease, no worries on getting a customer owned bottle filled and you can pick up a new bottle on the weekend at the grocery store or gas station.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmallMy Oxweld LP tips are Harris tips with an interesting tapered adapter that looks like the base of an Oxweld tip, but I don't know who made it and don't see another on the ATL site.
Reply:Here's the adapter. Dunno why I didn't find it the first time. Brain Phart...Oxweld NTT 2490 Tip Converter Kit includes:    converter    tip nut    screw    locktitefor Natural Gas & Propane
Reply:Well you found it.  Which brings up more stuff to discuss.I wonder if this device has something to do with two piece harris type tips which have too narrow a base to use in a harris torch without a custom washer/spacer device?What would the loctite be for?  The machine screw is to pull it out and has to be removed for use.  If one kind of is supposed to glue it into the torch that might be a simple way out for damaged seat in the torch itself.  I find the alternate fuels get the part of a cutting torch near the nozzle much hotter than acetylene and are more of a burning of flesh hazzard.For your 1500 series oxweld nozzles,  I have a few nozzles with no series number on them just the drill size and they are labeled Acetogen gas co on one line and Detroit Mi on the other line.  I don't know why they work so well every time I try one they are pretty similar to the 1534 genuine item.  Unfortunately I only have them in 53,48, and 42 which is larger than I hardly ever have any occasion to use.  I don't know what fuel they are supposed to be for but the recess is probably almost as much as dedicated propane/natural gas in others.  If  you somehow stumble across some of them they are recomended by me.
Reply:I ignored the Loctite since I also ignored the instructions. Cuts fine, no popping.I used the narrow base tips since I had them, but will plug in a thick one later today to check. I'd rather slap the torch in my hand to pop out the adapter since I've not dedicated that torch to any particular tip. Just got some Victor propylene tips off Ebay today, pic compares one to a generic LP tip. No significant difference between them. I'll fire one up today too.Also, you mention liking Harris. You wouldn't have a "71-no suffix" cutting attachment whose cutting lever valve actuating pin you'd measure "length and diameters" for me by any chance? I have a nice one that's missing that part and a bud with a lathe so I can have a better-than-factory pin in a few minutes. They don't sell those pins any more.EDIT:Adapter pics with "thin" Harris tip shown. To use the thick most-common Harris tip you need to counterbore (or drill neatly on-center) a stock Oxweld tip nut which are readily available. The tip nut threads won't engage with the torch head when using the thick Harris tip.The Harris tip flange needs to stand proud of the nut if you counterbore so the nut doesn't bottom out before the tip is seated, but 1/8" would be plenty. I expect the adapter kit doesn't come with a counterbored nut because that would cost more. When I get a spare nut I'll do one and post pics. A bored nut should still have sufficient engagement to seat a stock Oxweld tip, but I won't know until I do one. Attached ImagesLast edited by farmall; 12-08-2011 at 03:57 PM.
Reply:OOPS, ran out of Edit time.The Victor tips (number on the box in pic) work indistinguishably from "LP" tips. THANK YOU to the other posters for saving me money!
Reply:DOH. That's a Harris "73-no suffix" torch I need pin dimensions for, not a 71.