Smith Versa Torch - Yes or No

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After a bunch of reading I think this may be what I need.I'm building a plane and need to do a small amount of 4130 steel welding and will also weld a small amount of 6061-T6 aluminum. I have never owned or used OA equipment and the ins and outs of the equipment and tanks has been confusing. Any advice is appreciated.I would like to acquire larger tanks, say mid size, later. Should I try to buy them new or used? I'm under the impression the gas seller will simply take my tanks and exchange out of their inventory whether my tanks are new or used. Correct?
Reply:why not a TIG welder? There's what a whole lot of ppl out there using TIG for building experimentals. What plane are ya building?
Reply:As far as the cylinders are concerned, you are correct most places just exchange the cylinders for ones they alread have filled. There are still some places that will take your cylinders and fill and return them, but usually you will need to drop them off and wait for them to get filled and returned.OA steel isn't that hard, but OA alum is signifigantly harder to do. I'd strongly suggest you see if you can find a local tech school that has a night class in welding that covers OA. It will make this much easier..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:Roger that, aluminum by torchlight is a real challenge. The big positive aspect of oxyacetylene welds is that the joints are slow heated and hopefully slow cooled, therefore they remain at a much lower internal stress level than other weld processes. My theory is that it relieves human stress levels also, like popping air bubble plastic. As for the Smith Versa Torch? I have no clue, lots of weldors here use Smith torches. I like Harris torches personally, simply out of familiarity. I do own a couple of Victor's as well which work just fine.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:The plane is a Mustang Aero MII and I am building from plans as opposed to buying kit parts and assembling. TIG would be be nice but is pricey and the OA is going to allow for, IMO more control over what the final condition of the weld is. Plus I don't have any OA equipment now and want to be able to cut metal and heat rusted auto parts, etc, etc. I'm not totally sold on the Versa Torch regulators but I am sure I want an A1WA torch or similar type from some other manufacturer. Also, the small Versa Torch bottles would be great for soldering copper plumbing fittings, (portability feature) but might be almost useless for anything else.Would I be better off buying a standard kit, say Smith Tough Cut or Am Classic or Victor Performer or similar and buy the A1WA torch separately?
Reply:I'd go for the Toughcut (they survive student abuse and are very well made), throw away the fecal goggles that come with it, and buy a tinted face shield instead.  TIG gloves are comfortable for gas welding.The handle is a handy size (CW5A) so you could try the included tip and buy other Smith tips (MW200 and MW400 Series) which fit. Buy the AW1A if you want, but I'd try the included handle first because they are light and comfortable. The Smith Toughcut hoses are light, contributing to ease of use.Get the CGA-510 regulator version, because besides fitting larger acetylene tanks it fits common BBQ propane jugs. Use adapters for the little tanks. Adapters are cheap.
Reply:I am currently pondering the Smith Versa-Torch aka: AW1A for my daily-use torch setup. The "aircraft-style" torches are certainly A LOT nicer to use with the more practical valve positioning and the lighter torch body in-hand weight. My Harris D-85 is like 22 ounces with no hose and no tips connected. I think the Smith AW1A is around 7 ounces!!! VERY VERY NICE.Another option I'm considering is the Meco Midget...it's "in the hand" weight is something like 6 ounces!!! Also, the tip size availability is MUCH MUCH better than the AW1A. The Meco can't cut, but, for super thin stuff (foil) all the way up to 1/2 inch (with the # 7 tip) it's considered by many folks (who are MUCH more knowledgable than myself) to be one of THE best torch designs. Check out http://www.tinmantech.com/Nice to see someone else out there interested in gas welding!!!-Tony Stark
Reply:Great information. I think I'm getting close to knowing what equipment I need to buy. Now for the cylinders.I'm thinking tanks in the 40CF range might be best but should I buy or rent and if I decide to buy should I consider used tanks. I lean toward buying but am open to suggestions. For that matter should I be thinking larger tanks. I won't be in the welding business but having a tank that doesn't run out during a job would be a plus.
Reply:I have a Meco midget and like it a lot and I just picked up a Smith AW1A but I haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Tinman"s tips are better than Meco's.The versa torch gets you the torch, tips, cutting attachment, bottles and regulators for about $500. that is cheaper than you can buy the components. You will want bigger bottles, the versa torch bottles won't last long. Smith 30 regulators are good regulators and I think you can change the fittings for other cylinders. Smith in general, makes nice equipment.If shipping to Canada wasn't so expensive I would have bought a versa torch already from one of the online sellers.
Reply:I ended up buying the Smith Tough Cut.The final choice was between the Tough Cut and the Victor Performer. Both are top drawer quality but the comments I read by users of both gave the edge to Smith. Now I need bottles and other accessories.Recommendations?
Reply:For your cart, get large diameter wheels. They roll over road hazards much better than little-bitty wheels. City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny