Oxy/Acet. Cutting torch

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I have a small oxy/acet. tote outfit that I purchased in 1981.  It did not comewith a cutting torch.  I was recently given a cutting torch that looks like it willscrew into my welding handle.  I haven't tried it let.  My welding handle  is a Linde W-200.  The cutting torch that was given to me is a Purox CW-200.It looks to have a  4 stamped on the tip. My question: are these 2 pieces compatible with each other?  If so, how thick of mild steel can be cut with the #4 tip. Thanks in advance,JRF
Reply:If the pieces go go together then you have a match .  I never have seen two different models of torch even come close to being interchangeable if not so intended.   A number 4 tip is quite large.  Most torches I have used can cut over one inch thick with a # 4.   I prefer small tips for clean cuts.  For quarter inch usually that ends up as a number 1 or even a zero.  There are websites around that give charts showing the different torches and part numbers for tips and attachments.  Someone may have one bookmarked???
Reply:There is no mandatory standard that I know of, but then there are jillions of things I don't know about. Assuming NO standard you really need to go to a site with a chart or find a chart from your specific manufacturer. There are some recommended bore sizes per meterial thickness ranges but then there is the pressure/flow issue to hammer out also. Even if you had a victor set and went to a victor site for tips and settings you'd find out that many of us individuals have our own preferrences and settings that work for us. There are physics that can't be denied tho, small tips for thinner materials and big tips for thicker materials. Screw those up and you'll have a hard time ever getting the knack for cutting. My guess would be that a #4 in anybody's book is going to be big, dern big for GP and small tanks. Here's a good read. http://www.thefabricator.com/Article...cle.cfm?ID=739
Reply:I have been able to make very nice cuts using an old Air Liquide torch out to 6" bar stock using only a #4.  I run a 00 for up to 1/4", 0 for 1/2", 1 for 1" to 2", 2 for 2-3", 3 for 4-5" and 4 for 6" + (never cut anything over 6, but just give me an excuse!).MR
Reply:Howdy!  I don't have experience with cutting torch models per se' , but I have noticed many of the "economy models"  or in house brands use the same torch bodies, tips and such.  I am fairly confident, that the differences would be very noticeable for torchbody matching to cutting attachments.  You could check it for compatibility and leaks with simple compressed air also.  you know waht I mean?  if you have a sealed on/off air valve with pressure indicator lying around your shop, you can do a pressure test like plumbers do on water pipes before presurizing a house with water.  Hook a barbed fitting for the torch end and on the other end of a short air hose, the other end onto the pressure guage and on/off valve.  Pump it up to 100 PSI ish, and you'll know for sure weather your torch fit is safe or not. Maybee that'll help ease your mind.  Should be an affordable way of easing your conscience.  Brian Lee  Sparkeee24
Reply:I'm looking at buying a used linde W-200. I need your input what tips do I buy for it? 2 what is a fair price for A working outfit minus tanks? Is this a good torch? What are my welding Max sizes?
Reply:The W-200s are nice torches. Purox 4200 style tips fit, as Oxweld/Purox/Linde/L-tec are the same family.Select by the thickness you wish to cut. Pics would help including regulators. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...rFbFJg&cad=rjaThey go cheap. Does it have welding tips?
Reply:The W-200s are nice torches. Purox 4200 style tips fit, as Oxweld/Purox/Linde/L-tec are the same family.Select by the thickness you wish to cut. Pics would help including regulators. Manual download (Google is faster than digging in the ESAB archives directly):http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...rFbFJg&cad=rjaThey go cheap. Does it have welding tips? I could see around 80 bucks shipped as they are excellent torches but they don't have the fan base Victor does to drive up the market price.Last edited by farmall; 06-06-2011 at 11:35 PM.
Reply:Second post was supposed to be an edit, but I fat-fingered it and didn't look back until too late.
Reply:If you've got a "tote rig", you probably don't have the setup for using a cutting torch in the first place.Most of those "tote rigs" will not support the use of a cutting torch, especially one with a #4 tip.Check out the size of your acetylene tank and look at the flow rate for the torch in question.  7:1 used to be the standard but that's now been changed to 10:1.  In other words, your acetylene bottle capacity should be 10x the flow rate of the torch.For instance, a Smith #4 cutting tip uses 12 SCFH for preheat.  Minimum size acetylene bottle for this torch/tip would be 120 Cu Ft.  (12 SCFH x 10).Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by Sparkeee24  You could check it for compatibility and leaks with simple compressed air also.
Reply:Originally Posted by Sparkeee24Howdy!  I don't have experience with cutting torch models per se' , but I have noticed many of the "economy models"  or in house brands use the same torch bodies, tips and such.  I am fairly confident, that the differences would be very noticeable for torchbody matching to cutting attachments.  You could check it for compatibility and leaks with simple compressed air also.  you know waht I mean?  if you have a sealed on/off air valve with pressure indicator lying around your shop, you can do a pressure test like plumbers do on water pipes before presurizing a house with water.  Hook a barbed fitting for the torch end and on the other end of a short air hose, the other end onto the pressure guage and on/off valve.  Pump it up to 100 PSI ish, and you'll know for sure weather your torch fit is safe or not. Maybee that'll help ease your mind.  Should be an affordable way of easing your conscience.  Brian Lee  Sparkeee24
Reply:The original post is ancient, but I was responding to a piggyback post by Schimms. In case anyone reads the thread who has a tote outfit, you can buy regulator adapters to connect a BBQ propane jug or larger to your tote regulator(Search using Google "Western #320 Acetylene Adapter CGA 510 to CGA 200 MC" which will get you current prices on the Western 320 adapter to go from a large acetylene or propane cylinder to a tote tank MC regulator. About ten bucks.)and propane cutting tips to be able to cut without an overdraw hazard. Ensure your equipment is propane compatible. The Victor tote regulators per an email from their customer support are compatible.
Reply:i have used just about every type of dish soap to check for leaks in my o/a sets through the years like everyone else here. the other day i was talking with a welding instructor at the local college and he brought up and interesting point about soap tests on oxygen. he recommended using ivory because it is not made from an oil base soap. he said a lot of dish soaps now are being made from oil base compounds. sounded rather strange to me but who am i to argue about what i know not of. don't want to hijack the thread but figured since soap test was mentioned above i would throw it out there for you chemical experts to clear up.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:Old welding manuals specifically recommend Ivory soap.As for shop air, it IS possible to do the same thing one does prior to painting a car, which is bleed the tank, bleed the water separator, and have an end-of-line filter. If desired, firing a blowgun into a white tissue to verify no oil in the air is also an option. Not every shop air system is junk, and the LOW pressure oxygen outboard of the regulator is different from the HIGH pressure oxygen at the tank and high side of the regulator.Oil-free compressed air is legit per Victor manuals. It bears reminding that the air must be oil free, and that it can be quite easily.Torches accumulate levels of CARBON (hint, it burns under the right conditions) which are more than sufficient to ignite under HIGH pressure oxygen, yet do nothing under LOW pressure. Your torch doesn't explode if you open the oxygen valve to bleed it out, and the preheat oxygen often passes over a very carbon-encrusted mixer or injector (there is a reason many old injector torches have a plug for quick injector access and cleaning) down a carbon-encrusted pipe into a carbon-encrusted torch head. Nice, fluffy powder too. Last edited by farmall; 06-08-2011 at 02:52 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Sparkeee24Howdy!  I don't have experience with cutting torch models per se' , but I have noticed many of the "economy models"  or in house brands use the same torch bodies, tips and such.  I am fairly confident, that the differences would be very noticeable for torchbody matching to cutting attachments.  You could check it for compatibility and leaks with simple compressed air also.  you know waht I mean?  if you have a sealed on/off air valve with pressure indicator lying around your shop, you can do a pressure test like plumbers do on water pipes before presurizing a house with water.  Hook a barbed fitting for the torch end and on the other end of a short air hose, the other end onto the pressure guage and on/off valve.  Pump it up to 100 PSI ish, and you'll know for sure weather your torch fit is safe or not. Maybee that'll help ease your mind.  Should be an affordable way of easing your conscience.  Brian Lee  Sparkeee24
Reply:Originally Posted by jbmprodsi have used just about every type of dish soap to check for leaks in my o/a sets through the years like everyone else here. the other day i was talking with a welding instructor at the local college and he brought up and interesting point about soap tests on oxygen. he recommended using ivory because it is not made from an oil base soap. he said a lot of dish soaps now are being made from oil base compounds. sounded rather strange to me but who am i to argue about what i know not of. don't want to hijack the thread but figured since soap test was mentioned above i would throw it out there for you chemical experts to clear up.
Reply:Originally Posted by JRF61I have a small oxy/acet. tote outfit that I purchased in 1981.  It did not comewith a cutting torch.  I was recently given a cutting torch that looks like it willscrew into my welding handle.  I haven't tried it let.  My welding handle  is a Linde W-200.  The cutting torch that was given to me is a Purox CW-200.It looks to have a  4 stamped on the tip. My question: are these 2 pieces compatible with each other?  If so, how thick of mild steel can be cut with the #4 tip. Thanks in advance,JRF