Repairing Vintage Regulators

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Brand new here and my first post.I have a few vintage Oxygen Two Stage Regulators I would like to have repaired, and, I am hoping the good folks here might know of someone who does that sort of Work who I could send them off to.The Regulators are either audibly leaking ( andf thus wasting Gas somehting terrible ), or, the secondary Gauge starts climbing soon as the Jug Valve is opened, even though I have not tightened the Regulator adjustment from full out.I have not taken the Regulators apart yet to see if I can loacate the problem by inspection, but, I might.If anyone here works on Regulators, maybe a few pointers could guide me to try my hand at the repair myself?Thanks!PhilLas Vegas
Reply:Oxygen regs are not something you want to do yourself. It's extreemly critical that all the parts are 100% O2 clean. Even the oils from your hands can be an issue when in contact with 100% HP O2. Everything burns in the pressence of 100% O2 under the right conditions and in a HP reg you've got all the right conditions, especially if you add some contamination. A HP O2 fire isn't a "opps the regs on fire..." Its a "BANG, You're dead", kind of event in many cases.I've been trained to do O2 cleaning and I'd still send my regs out to be done. OAdoctor here rebuilds regs professionally. He can get you taken care of if the parts are still available..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:Hi DSW,Thanks for the Mentions!Makes sense to me that one would do well to avoid any traces of Oils or other Carbon or Organics or whatever inside an Oxygen Regulator.The ones I have are relatively early, and of obscure Make so I doubt anyone is going to have parts on hand.I really do need to just take one apart and see how they are made and built, and, to figure out what it is that went bad, if it is a Spring, some contamination or foreign matter on a Valve Seat or Ball Check or whatever it may be, or, a kinked or blown Diaphram.I do not think there could be too many variables to the matter of one which is leaking or behaving odd...but, having never seen the inside of one, I have no way to know.I can not imagine my accidentally leaving contaminating cumbustible 'Oils' or related to where the Regulator would explode or catch fire, but, I would be especially careful and use a clean setting and wear Surgical Latex Gloves and so on, of course.I will see if I can locate and contact AOdoctor.Thanks!PhilLas Vegas
Reply:I think Regulator and Torch Exchange is OAdoctor's busine name..  They are located in Loganville,  GA.
Reply:OAdoctor's website http://www.regulatortorchrepair.com/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:Thanks you guys!Funny how things go, my Occupation has involved Brazing for the last twenty odd years, and, so, I do a lot of Brazing on small items, sometimes medium sized items.I have really nice 'PUROX' Torch outfit ( several actually ) from the era when the Mixer Body was checkered, which I think stopped in the early to mid 1920s for Purox anyway...when they went to a ribbed Body or Fluted or whatever it was that followed.I have always wanted to learn to Gas Weld, but, never have tried it.Anyway, it just never felt right or looked right to have modern Regulators with the old Torch.It actually bothers me that I never did drag home one of the old Calcium Carbide Acetylene Generators to run the Torch on for the Acetylene leg...I used to find those once in a while, but, have not seen one in quite a while now.Would not be that hard to make one, but I always have so much to go it is hard to find time for extra projects.Anyway, I will likely try my Hand sometime soon to Gas Weld some Steel and then start a little Thread in the right section to ask some questions about it.I get asked all the time if I can Weld, and, people have small simple Jobs which need Welding, and, I ought to learn and maybe get an Arc Welder also for doing those things, so...lots to look forward to, lots to learn.Last edited by Oyeboten; 06-07-2011 at 01:33 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by OyebotenI have really nice 'PUROX' Torch outfit ( several actually ) from the era when the Mixer Body was checkered, which I think stopped in the early to mid 1920s for Purox anyway...when they went to a ribbed Body or Fluted or whatever it was that followed.Anyway, it just never felt right or looked right to have modern Regulators with the old Torch.
Reply:Funny you should mention that...when my Oxygen regulator went bad, I rummaged around here and found a pair of older "AIRCO" Regulators, and, the Oxygen one Tag says "Style No. 8456", and the matching Acetylene Regulator, the Tag is missing.So far so good with these two...dunno how old these are, but, they are good looking, and, they appear to work well.Nice to know these can be rebuilt if need be.The Acetylene Regulator has a sort of Button in the end which apparently pops out if it is time to renew the Seat.Lots to learn..!Being used to at least slightly hissing Regulators, I long since adopted the Habit of shutting it all down when turning off the Torch - I shut off the Torch, then re-open it's Valves, then shut off Both Jugs at their Main Valves, then, un-screw the Regulator's Adjuster all the way out.When going to start up again, I close off the Valves on the Torch, open each Jug Valve, screw in the Regulator's Adjuster to the pressure I am after, then, open the Acetylene Valve on the Torch, light her up, and, open the Oxygen Valve then to adjust the Flame.I used to just shut down the Torch, but, had too many times of going to start up again in a day or two, only to find that that big Jug of Oxygen I had just got swapped out for a full one, is now "Empty".Ouch...So...PhilLvLast edited by Oyeboten; 06-08-2011 at 05:38 AM.
Reply:Shutting down the cylinder valve is a fundamental safety precaution.Rexarc still make, brand new, the classic acetylene generator they have produced for many decades:http://www.rexarc.com/products.aspx?c=66Archive where you can download many very old welding and related books which are in the public domain:http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...iatype%3Atexts
Reply:Thanks farmall..!Will do...