Hand-me-down o/a equipment pics and a question.

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this is the stuff that has been handed down to me:a Victor 315Victor 1050 90degree cutting torchSears Roebuck handle.  The black grips looks like its plastic, but its not.  its actually metal (dont know what material though)and a Craftsman cutting torchOA cartCraftsman Oxy regularor and Victor Ac regulators (both dont work very well)  but Craftsman ace and Victor oxy regulators work, so thats what's on the outfit now.various Victor tips.  I dont know where the bottom tip mounts to, but i included it in the picture anyway.My question is: how to i set up the fire for cutting?when i light the flame for welding, I set the oxy to 8psi, acetylene to 5psi.  turn on the Acetylene, light it, and adjust it til the sut is gone, then turn on oxy and adjust it to get a neutral flame.  with the cutting torches, there's an extra oxygen knob!!! and that confuses me   what is the procedure to light the torch for cutting after i put the torch to the handle?  I've dug around quite a bit, and came across the "stupid noob" thread and Lugweld's youtube video, but you guys are too advanced for me.  I need to get the thing lit up first before i can do anything.I know flash-back arrestors/check valves are missing, and I am concerned... so I will go get some today.I also need to know if there's anything i can do to clean up/rebuild both of these handles.  can you clean the inside with a Q-tip with alcohol?  will LWS have the rubber O-rings for these handles?  should I do these maintenance myself or send out the handles to be done?  Where do i send them to?  are there local people that can do it (I'm in Upland, CA 91786)little help, please?  thanks in advance Last edited by oxy moron; 03-12-2009 at 05:01 PM.
Reply:You will need a lot more than 8psi on the oxygen pressure.That extra knob is the oxygen feed.  You set your neutral flame to preheat the metal, then as it just turns molten, you open the third knob.  This blows in a stream of oxygen to blast the molten metal away, and is what differentiates the cutting torches from the welding torches.  You will often see a lever in place of a knob, depending on the make of torch.
Reply:Check around online for Victor's cutting guide:Here:  http://www.thermadyne.com/IM_Uploads...20guide_lo.pdfPressures for oxygen and acetylene depend on the cutting tip size and the thickness of what you're cutting.  For cutting material 1/4 - 1/2" thick, try 5 PSI Acetylene and 25 PSI oxygen.  These numbers are from memory, so they may not be perfect.  But you ought to be close.  A little checking reveals:See page 9-58 in the victor guide.Oh, read the whole guide and make sure you feel comfortable with what you're doing before you risk injuring yourself or catching anything on fire.  It's not rocket science, but acetylene deserves your respect.  It can be dangerous if you don't educate yourself properly.  Make sure you have a proper set of googles, gloves, and other safety gear.  I hope you've got a place suitable for working too.  OA cutting throws molten slag a long, long way, and it's amazing what and where fires can start...For the cutting torch oxygen valves...,..  Just open the one on the torch body and use the valve farther up the handle to set the flame to a neutral flame.  Check it again with the cutting lever depressed, as the extra oxygen in the cutting stream will throw off the gas mix.Be safe and enjoy...Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:The craftsman is a Harris and has a lifetime warranty from Harris...Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:the 8 psi is for welding... well, between 8-10 psi.  should it be higher for welding?for cutting, I was thinking I'll set the acetylene at 8psi and oxy at 30psi and see how that goes, unless you guys suggest different pressures.  the stuff tubing I'll be cutting will be 1/16 (2"x1") and 1/8 (2"x1") the torch i have have a knob and a lever.  so with all 3 knobs closed,  i turn on the Acetylene first, adjust oxygen, THEN turn on the third knob (by the lever)?  turn it on how much?
Reply:Don't stick anything inside your torch body parts, gas lines, or regulators that's flammable.  Pure Oxygen can causes things that don't burn to burn, and things that normally burn to explode!  Don't put any kind of grease, sealing tape, NOTHING, on the threads for your welding equipment.  DON'T put anything inside the fittings to try and clean them out; especially the oxygen regulator and fittings.  PLEASE read the welding guide at the link I gave in the earlier post...A little dirt on the outside of the tools is OK.  If you have any doubts about the tools, take them to a reputable welding supplier, like your local welding gas supplier, and have a pro check them out for you.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Originally Posted by lugweldThe craftsman is a Harris and has a lifetime warranty from Harris...
Reply:I'm not familiar with the 1050 Victor cutting head, but the 315 mixing barrel is pretty much standard. If they screw together you've got a cutting torch. Set the acetylene gauge to 7 psi, the oxygen to 40 psi and crack the acetylene valve the on the mixing barrel, the one on the left hand side. Light the torch. Turn the acetylene valve on the mixing barrel up till the flame "feathers", oxygen valve on the mixing barrel should be opened quite a bit, with the oxygen valve on the cutting head closed, when the torch was lit. After the acetylene flame is feathered, open the oxygen valve on the cutting head just until the six blue flames focus. Depress the cutting handle and adjust the six blue flames to focus again...now it's ready to cut steel.  The flat looking cutting tip fits the Victor cutting head (or a larger one?) and is called a "wash tip" or "scarfing tip" (different places call them different names) and is used to "wash" or "scarf" a weld (melt it down or out) so it can be fixed or re-welded, etc.Above procedure should work for the craftsman (Harris) torch as well. My problem is, with the #'s provided I don't think the cutting head and mixing barrel will screw together, will they? If so, you are in business!Last edited by gizzardgutz; 03-12-2009 at 09:57 PM.Reason: add more info/spellingOnly when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.                                         -Cree Indian ProverbSA 200 LincolnVictor Torches
Reply:As for cleaning a torch, a tip cleaner is what is used on the tip. Blow it out or use a wire brush, we never used any chemicals to clean a torch. NEVER use oil for a torch or regulator for ANY reason. Oil and oxygen causes a VIOLENT explosion. If oil is on what you have, a solvent that evaporates quickly can be used, but I'd let it dry very well before use. Any welding supply can fix your regulators, change your valves on your torches, etc.Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.                                         -Cree Indian ProverbSA 200 LincolnVictor Torches
Reply:cutting with  5 to 1 or 6 to 1 o/a ratio u wont be too wrong...
Reply:btw real nice equipment... the gauges must be set after the torch is lit,, with gas flowing...