Piecing together an oxy/acet rig-Questions

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Recently I got a good used Victor cutting torch from ebay.That's the only thing I've purchased so far.Looking around at regulators,there are so many different series,I'm not really sure what I need.Intended purpose is to fabricate metal parts for choppers-tabs,sissy bars,etc.I'd like to stay with Victor,and will only buy equipment made in America.If anyone could give me some advice on which regulators would be appropriate for my intended use,I'd appreciate it.
Reply:Get the biggest Acetylene you can stand to buy and drag around.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:Smith is USA made, Weldfabulous has a pretty good price on this , Smith Toughcut Welding Cutting Torch Kit Outfit MB55A-510  Price: $226.25http://www.weldfabulous.com/p-22060-...mb55a-510.aspxA lot less then Welders Supply, http://www.weldersupply.com/P/317/Sm...eteMediumDutyO    $359.00
Reply:Basically Regulators come in 2 types, Single Stage(cheaper) and Two Stage. Take the Torch body and either figure out which model/flow rate it is capable of. Then get Tips in the size you will typically use and get the flow rates for them. Start shopping for US made based on price knowing the above facts. Almost(not all) new Regulators will probably have US names on them but only be assembled here. It is, What it is! If shopping on Ebay, looking at older used equipment, then worst that will happen is the Seller will guarantee the Regulator doesn't leak and one month or year down the road, you will turn it on to find it leaking. When I was young, old timers would say drain the gasses down, relieve the pressure on the screw to prevent the diaphragm from taking a set which leads to premature failure. No one does this anymore, IMO.Single stage regulators work fine on a cutting torch as you can adjust for variances in delivery, most people don't notice a slight pressure drop. Two stage are/were typically used on Brazing/Welding torches as a slight pressure drop would cause the flame cone to move out of the desired range which would cause a change in the steel/iron being welded.If you primary objective is Cutting, secondary is occasional brazing a single stage regulator is fine! Someone will comment that you should go propane for strictly cutting. IMO not if you goal is small precision cuts where you do not want to grind too much to get it to fit. That said, I cut with propane almost exclusively, although I braze/weld with acetylene.
Reply:Thanks for the replies.I don't want to duplicate any parts,by buying an entire kit,as I already have the torch.Looking at that website and taking the model numbers from the regulators,I found a combo pack that looks like a good deal:http://www.weldfabulous.com/p-22057-...egulators.aspx$141.17 for both regulators-gonna bet that deal will be hard to beat.I wouldn't know how to figure out what the torch is capable of,but I will post some pics of it.Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:I'm sure those are good regulators and that is a decent price, but in the end it will likely be cheaper to just buy a kit and get the warranty. You're already talking $142 plus freight. A good T rated hose will likely be around $30, flashback arrestors another $40, goggles $10, striker another $4... you're already pushing $200 for a torch you don't know is any good and you don't have any extra tips. I think BD1's suggestion was a good one (although I've stuck with Victor myself) and just use the Ebay torch for a backup if it's compatible. I'm up to 3 handles with different tips on them and quick change connectors to switch around on the fly. Here's some more kits to check out. http://store.cyberweld.com/viwecuou.html    Having warranty on my last torch saved me a lot of money.... about $200 that you are trying to save.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:I would rather just buy a new set than go this route but we are where we are. Ibeda is the shizznit in flashback pro.
Reply:Does that model number say JT809? If you remove the tip and clean it, you should find numbers around the base that will tell us what kind of tip you have as well.Last edited by whtbaron; 01-17-2015 at 06:34 PM.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:The body is a J100C.The cutting attachment is a CA1260.It was purchased from an ebayer with great feedback over lots of transactions,so I will be surprised if it isn't functional.I'm not concerned that I may spend a bit more by piecing it together.Not gonna buy anything made overseas,even if I have to repair something domestically produced.Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:The tip says:Victor 0-3-101.Will I need an assortment of sizes,most likely?Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:you will need an assortment of sizes for the different thicknesses of metal.  Victor's site has the charts.  I got the knockoff's for around $5.00 each.  They seem to work well for the occasional user.Syncrowave 210HH140Victor O/A
Reply:I have a Smith 1500 series acetylene reg, used but like new, for sale. Also, I think I have a Victor oxygen reg, new in box, for sale. Let me know if interested. I was/am going to post them up here when I get time. But if you are really interested, I will put a push on that."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:So you've got the medium duty handle which isn't a bad place to start as long as everything is functioning properly. Once you get hoses, flashback arrestors and tanks, you'll want to submerge it in water under pressure and make sure the valves and connections aren't leaking. Look for bubbles out the centers of the valves (which would require new seals) and make sure both the levered valve and the ones at the top of the handle aren't leaking gas out the tip when they are supposed to be in the off position. If the tip hasn't been damaged, you can probably get by with a quick cleaning. You'll need a tip cleaner (another little item that would be in a kit that you will have to purchase separate) to check that none of the little holes in it aren't blocked. Go easy on the cleaner sizes and don't ream those holes out bigger than they were designed to be. Hopefully the PO was careful as well.  If you are new at this, check out some of the vids on this site and U tube on torch maintenance. That tip is rated to cut up to 5/8", so it will probably do fine for most of the light fabrication you would do with bikes. If anything, you might find yourself eventually looking for a light duty torch and smaller tips (or just smaller tips for this torch) for doing fine detail work. Here's a little extra reading for you.... http://victortechnologies.com/victor...&categoryID=25If you scroll down the page you will see your model listed. What you have is obviously older equipment, but if it's in good working order, that's really not a big negative....it could become an issue if you need parts though.Last edited by whtbaron; 01-18-2015 at 12:50 PM.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:I appreciate the detailed information.Some things,I already have,such as tip cleaners,goggles,etc.I'm not a total newb,but not a pro at metalworking,either.Worked construction for 25 years as an electrician,and sometimes welded split ring hangers on various structures for rigid conduit runs.Got tired of being jerked around by bike shops,and decided I'd never take anything to anybody again,so I took a welding class at the local community college,and got to do mig and tig,which I'd never done.So I got a Lincoln tig welder and have used it just a little bit,for welding tabs onto frames.I'm a long way from a pro,but I like it and plan on getting better at it all.It sucks having so much stuff in my garage-gotta build an outbuilding for a shop.Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:Scored a pair of Victor Medalist medium duty,unused,so that should be good,I'm thinking.Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:Sweet... I assume you are talking regulators. Don't cheap out on the hose... look for a decent name brand preferably T rated. I had some Chinese brand X hose here and I was tossing it in the garbage in less than 2 yrs. It was kept indoors and away from sunlight and oil and had very little use, but it just cracked and split apart anyway.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Yes they are regulators.With Made In USA  across the front.What does T rated mean?Not gonna skimp on the hose.Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:Memory isn't that good but "T" rated hose should be a slightly better grade(multi-gas?) which makes it Propane rated.
Reply:Yep... it gives you the option of using torches with propane or acetylene in the future, but more importantly most of the cheaper hoses are graded R (although it is quite possible to get good R rated hose as well for acetylene use only) so upgrading to T "usually" means you'll be getting good hose.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:I too have a 'pieced together' torch set, 1st was a 'Uniweld' set (early '70's) w/o cutting handle, little bitty regulators. (made in Florida, I dont know where they're made now) Guy gave me a set of huge 'Rego' gauges made in the 1940's. <- had them rebuilt through company I worked for then, had/have brass diaphrams, (parsons) man said they would last forever if I "didnt piss on 'em!' Urine is heck on brass. My ex-bro gave me a Victor 'J-10' or '15' Aircraft torch & 1 tip. It was compatible with the Uni-weld tips. Bought a Victor cutting handle new, about $60 bucks. Bought a Victor reg set at a yard sale $7.00. Found a Uniweld cutting handle for $15 bucks. The only thing that does NOT work now is the Victor gauges. The bro I found out later, was having trouble with the 'rubber' seals on the tip leaking. I bought 2 sets from the (then) L&V shop & the owner (a mutual friend) told me 'pull back the nut & lick the seals' before attaching the tip to the handle. I still have that second set of seals, never used for 40+ years. I found at a yard sale one of those aluminium 'Victor' wrenchs for regs tips, hoses, 'and' an old iron Rego branded wrench for the same purpose. Gave the victor wrench to another bro & kept the Rego. Bought a 'Harris' hi-volume propane regulator for (oh yes, I bought a 'rosebud tip also) silver soldering large copper tubing (2")I guess I was lucky in my buys as only the victor regs went bad, (acet only bad)-corne-What is the sound of one knee jerking?
Reply:Found an acceptable deal on an R hose set,Made in USA,so I got it.Will see how it does.Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:And got registered for Basic Lathe at a local community college.I'm stoked...Lincoln 225amp Tig welder
Reply:I bought a new Victor set.The only US made parts are the spark lighter and the hoses.The rest is from CHINA.And that's exactly why I got my stuff on the used market.Lincoln 225amp Tig welder