Smith Light Duty AC309 Cutting Attachment Valve Location: Poor!

admin

Seriously?  What were they thinking?  The forward facing valve is so close to the tip, you better be wearing gloves if you have a big tip in it.Its downright scary with just a #2 tip.So I was wondering, anyone else have this reaction to it?NOTE:  I've spent decades with my Victor J series torch with cutting attachment and while the Victor torch is significantly smaller/lighter than the Smith, its cutting attachment with the side mounted valve has no such issues.  Who would think that cutting valve location should be part of the criteria to choose a torch?  I do know that valve location of the handle is quite important for the aviation style and there are pros and cons regarding 90 and 180 degree opposed valves - the 180 is nice because you can lay it (while lit) on the edge of a work bench and the torch will not roll.
Reply:I have an ac309 on an aw1 torch and am baffled by several statementsOne is you say the J series torch is smaller but the aw1 and the j28/j27 are the same size handles. Maybe you were referring to the cutting attachment not the torch itself?Um, don't think they ment it for anything larger than a #3 tip.  Only rated for 3" of steel.  It's an aircraft torch so it really was designed for sheet steel and small bolt heads and such. Adjusting the flame isn't an issue unless your putting your whole knuckle around it??  I use my finger tips (with both my victors and smiths) and never a problem.  I never wear gloves with any torch anymore after I had a 1/2" glob if molten steel fall down the back of a glove and burn the piss out of the back of my hand. Also the valve on the bottom allows you to put your left hand around the torch body and point your left fore finger along side the cutting atachment.  I find this grip helps one naturally aim and hold things much more steady weather a pistol, golf club, or a torch. The victor knob doesn't allow this.  With the aw1 handle you have to cup your hand slightly to avoid the handle valves but even if you bump smith valves they are stiff enough not to move.  Are you really cutting 1" steel with your ac309??If I need to cut 1/2" to 1" steel I use my 100fc and ca1350 because the ac309 wasn't really ment for that.   (wish I had a mc509 and medium duty smith handle, I like the oxygen levers and better construction compared to the old victors and the new chicom victors are junk) If I need to cut 2+" (especially piercing thick plate) I use my fathers 21" victor cutting torch. The only area I have seen smith have a disadvantage over victors is tip availability(more shops carry victor tips) and in scrapping. Sticking a smith down in holes with dirty steel will overheat the tip seals and burn them out.
Reply:The Victor J-series handle (J-27 or 28) is much smaller than the Smith AW1/1a which gives the impression that the Smith is a bigger torch overall.When I adjust the Victor, I hold the handle in my right hand at the balance point which is at the hose connections.  Then I use my left hand to adjust the cutter side valve.  Nothing special here.With the Smith, I hold the torch a little ahead of the hose connections because the handle is so much longer and heavier.  And use my left hand, in front of the cutter valve to set it.  That puts the back of my right hand real close to the flame.  I did not mention that I bought this cutter new on eBay but it came with a #2 tip which I never bothered to check.  That is a pretty big tip and too big for scarfing sheet metal spot welds, so I put my Victor back on just to do the cutting.  I need to get the #00 tip for the Smith.I never thought of putting my right hand on top of the cutter reaching down with my thumb and forefinger to adjust and hold the torch.  That might work but I don't know what I'll do with my left hand.  While it may work, I'll get way off the balance point of the torch which I have found to be very bothersome.If I would put my left hand over the torch with my thumb and forefinger on the cutter valve, my pinky would be again pretty close to the tip.  So I don't think that would work.  I guess I could put my left hand on the bottom of the cutter with thumb/index on the valve where my pinky would be towards me.  That might work.But this all supports my opinion that the valve was improperly placed since it must be adjusted with specific hand positions and careful thought.NOTE:  I also like the layout of the MECO Aviator Jet cutter.
Reply:Just a followup:  The Victor J series handle is only the fraction the size of the AW1.  In fact with the cutting attachment installed, it looks comic:  big cutter w/short tiny handle.I'm going to start a new thread slamming the AC309 tip seal design.  Death waiting to happen.