oxy/fuel newbie with some questions

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long time lurking, finally posting.I bought a complete setup from a lady I know - her husband passed away and she just wanted it out of her garage so I got it very cheap. I'm not sure of what I have here, so I'm hoping someone could give me some ideas.The only parts I know about are the regulators - a RegO acetylene regulator and a Craftsman oxygen regulator. Got a lot of tips, cutting and welding torches, tanks, a nice set of hoses (no cracks), and even 2 sets of goggles.The acetylene regulator was creeping a little bit (2-3psi) when I first tried it, and now it creeps a lot (scary).Since I don't want to blow up my garage, I figure it's trash.A local welding supply company wants to sell me a Harris regulator for a few bucks more than a rebuild - is this a decent enough brand?This same company said they'd exchange my cylinders minus an inspection fee since they have not been inspected in quite some time - provided the tanks pass. Why am I doing all this? I need a welder and torch for various garage work. I don't have 220 to the garage. Also, I'd just like to learn welding.The set:Lotsa parts:The cutting torch:The welding torch:My acetylene regulator (that doesn't regulate so well):A really crappy, porous, incomplete first weld that broke as soon as I hit it with a hammer:Did I throw away 100 bucks here? Should I rebuild my torches just to be safe? I note that my acetylene tank has a "knob" valve at the top - don't most use a wrench? Note that I'm not touching these torches again till I get a new regulator.EDIT: Oh, also, I replaced that extra-fine piece of twine that was restraining my cylinders with a length of chain, in case anyone thinks I'm really crazy. That twine was not my addition.Last edited by borzwazie; 08-30-2010 at 04:03 PM.
Reply:I'm a complete newbie myself so I won't pass judgment on any of your equipment but if you do decide to replace some of it keep an eye on Craigslist.  Every couple of days someone's selling O/A equipment and if you're willing to wait a few weeks you can probably find some replacements for a good price (this assumes your local CL has as much activity as mine, which is Boston).  Wait a week first to get a feel for what the prices are like and what's available.
Reply:maybe you can pm oa doctor about rebuilding the regulaters . you can also rebuid the torch also . thanks keith
Reply:Whoa, before you talk about rebuilding your torch or regulators, maybe we should discuss the problems you're having with them.  Yeah, the weld is bad news, but what's the problem you're having with the flame?I would get a pair of flashback arrestors on that setup asap, but that won't affect your weld quality, just safety.  That oxygen regulator looks like a craftsman.  If so, that would be a Harris two stage.  Very nice, I've got several, myself.  It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the acetylene regulator looks to be a two stage as well.As for the tank valve, some have knobs, some require wrenches.  MC tanks have CGA 200 connectors.  B tanks have CGA 520 connectors.  Both require a PrestOLite square key (tiny square).At my distributor, everything larger than an MC or B either has a CGA 300 and handwheel, with a threaded neckring for a safety cap, OR, a CGA 510 that requires a large square key, and has a build in valve protector (like you find on a barbecue tank).Its just a guess, but since CGA 510 is also the connector used for barbecue tanks, I'm thinking that to keep someone from connecting one of these to their barbecue, they don't have a handwheel, while the CGA 300's do.In any case, its never a good idea to use a cutting torch barefoot.
Reply:The regulators have a rubber diaphram and a spring. They may just need cleaning out, or they may need a new diaphram.  They will typically last a long time if the Oxy & Acty is turned off and the knob is turned out reducing tthe spring tension / pressure on the diaphram. In the old days you could buy a rebuild kit that consisted of a new diaphram and spring. Now days, they want you to buy the new regulator as they make more money.  If your not sure find someone that is experienced and take it to them to check them out.  If everythig operates safely; keep practicing and you will get better. By the way I still have a set that is over 30  years old and still going strong.
Reply:If you can't find someone 'Reliable' to fix it, I'd suck it up and just go buy the KIT.Either way, you SHOULD have FLASH-BACK ARRESTORS and you may as well just buy the entire kit.  Sure, it's a few more bucks, but you'll save about 50 of those bucks by purchasing everything together.  One compromise I'd NEVER make with a torch is SAFETY.  Of ALL the welding/brazing process' this is one that CAN and WILL Kill yer Azz....Having said that, I love my torch, but never really used it for welding... Mostly BRAZING although I suppose that's about as close to 'Welding' as you're going to get without actually 'doing it'.  Grab some Flux coated bronze rod (Low Fume Bronze) scrape off about 90% of the flux with a knife and then you'll have a fun time joining a bunch of different metals...  Copper to copper, Copper to steel, Steel to Steel, etc...Cheers,Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:Thank you for the replies!Whoa, before you talk about rebuilding your torch or regulators, maybe we should discuss the problems you're having with them. Yeah, the weld is bad news, but what's the problem you're having with the flame?
Reply:I should point out that I was originally just trying my first couple of OA welds here, and when I broke the welds, saw that they had very incomplete penetration, and were very porous. I had read that porosity was a sign of too much oxygen pressure, which led me to find I had been setting my regulators incorrectly (torch valves closed). Then I noticed the gauge creep on the acetylene. Since I knew that going over 15psi is a good way to get hurt, I stopped.
Reply:If I recall, a two stage regulator can be recognized by looking at the back of the adjuster screw assembly. The back side of a two stage reg will have a large protrusion hanging off of the back, while a single stage reg will just be flat across the back. There is more info at the following thread...http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=35206What I did when I got interested in using an old torch was this. The old torch at the shop had not seen the light of day in so many years that it had to be scoured of dust just to read the meter scales.  To use it then was just scary, think of Fire Marshall Bill..."Let me show ya somethin'." Anyway, I just took the entire torch and both regulators to the local welding supply and asked them if they knew what to do to fix them. They did, they kept it for the local technician to go through the whole thing and bring it back to specs. No problem, bill me, (I mean, the boss).  It has worked flawlessly since then. Whatever the local welding supply says needs to happen, do that! Oh, and learn to operate it safely, burning sucks. 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:Originally Posted by borzwazieI should point out that I was originally just trying my first couple of OA welds here, and when I broke the welds, saw that they had very incomplete penetration, and were very porous. I had read that porosity was a sign of too much oxygen pressure, which led me to find I had been setting my regulators incorrectly (torch valves closed). Then I noticed the gauge creep on the acetylene. Since I knew that going over 15psi is a good way to get hurt, I stopped.
Reply:Onother point that should be made here, regulator pressure does not change weld quality, or affect the flame. The torch valves control the volume of gas exiting the tip, you need just enough regulated pressure to assure enough is getting to the valve. Lower pressure make flame adjustment easier as the valves will be less touchy. Its not magic.
Reply:god may love fools and drunks, Emergency room and hospital billing department love fools and drunks even MORE!  ask how i know, put some shoes on.you're exactly where i was a year and a half ago, right down to the footwear, or lack thereof.  The more i read about OA the more they scare me, so i went the tig route.  Learning OA on your own is frustrating as f**k, i'm sure you discovered that already.  but once you got a great bead going, its very satisfying.  Need lots and lots of practice though.Not sure if your acetylene regulator is two stage, but your craftsman is single stage.  I have a set of the craftsman ones as well.
Reply:I really appreciate all the tips, thank you!I can assure you I didn't weld in bare feet  Soldering in shorts was a decent enough lesson long ago. I bought long leather welding gloves, and I wear a long-sleeve coat, workboots, and long pants and goggles. If the goggles I have have melted pits in the glass from welding, so much the better than melted pits in my eyes.I can't wait to get a new regulator, this is fun stuff.
Reply:I assumed you had shoes on when actually welding, but just had to laugh at the shot with your toes.  I missed the part about the creeping.  Oops.  Yeah, with a regulator that old, I wouldn't bother rebuilding it, but do save that CGA 300 to CGA 510 adaptor on the stem, and maybe the gauges too.Yes, that could be a flashback arrestor indeed.  I can't read what it says, but it is possible.  Looking closer, I think you have a matching one on your oxygen regulator.  Excellent!Harris, Smith, Victor, when it comes to regulators, they're all good.  Just forget the chinese stuff in HF.  The imports flutter a lot, and just can't support a stable flame.As for one vs two stage.  I notice a slight difference with my oxygen regulator being more stable.  Can't tell a difference with the acetylene, so you certainly don't need to replace the acetylene with a 2 stage.Here's how to tell the difference between a one and two stage regulator:Each stage of a regulator has a diaphragm, and a spring.  The spring is held in place by a bell shaped cover (with the diaphragm at the bottom of the bell), and the pressure on the spring comes from a bolt that threads into the top of this bell.  On a single stage regulator (and the 2nd stage of a 2 stage), that bolt has a nice T shaped handle (or knob, etc.)  On a two stage regulator, there will be a second bell shaped cover in the back (the large protrusion, instead of a relatively flat back) for the first stage.  On that Craftsman (Harris) regulator you have, the spring pressure is set by a set-screw in the hole.  You shouldn't need to adjust it though.  On some, the adjustment cannot even be made from the outside.Oh, one other thing I didn't see pictured.  You should have caps that screw onto the cylinder neck rings, to protect the valves in transport.  Good thing to get when you run them empty and exchange them.
Reply:Originally Posted by borzwazieI really appreciate all the tips, thank you!I can assure you I didn't weld in bare feet  Soldering in shorts was a decent enough lesson long ago. I bought long leather welding gloves, and I wear a long-sleeve coat, workboots, and long pants and goggles. If the goggles I have have melted pits in the glass from welding, so much the better than melted pits in my eyes.I can't wait to get a new regulator, this is fun stuff.
Reply:Well, to be honest I found out about the "tip in the puddle" problem the hard way already. Maybe you noticed the big welding pit on the left side of my first try there My old regulators do have setscrews on the back (the craftsman regulator has a label that says, to effect, "don't touch it, fool!")I'm looking into buying a regulator from OAdoctor.
Reply:Originally Posted by borzwazieThank you for the replies!I believe that small fitting on the bottom left of the regulator is a flashback suppressor - that's what the little sticker on it said, I think. I have read here that having 2 is a good idea, so that sounds like a cheap investment.aEDIT: I also PM'd OAdoctor, thanks for that suggestion.
Reply:I won a small cash award at work, so I sprung for a new Harris acetylene regulator, and practiced a bit more.This weld didn't break:Mild steel, about 5psi on both gases, no filler. Penetration could have been better - I should leave more of a gap between the two pieces I think.