Is my torch kit working correctly?

[Batmanacw]

I'm a complete newbie on oxy- acetylene. I bought a cheap cutting welding torch kit 20+ years ago and finally rented tanks a year or so ago.

For the steel I was cutting the recommended setting was 3-6 and 35 to 40 psi and a no 2 tip.

In the videos about cutting I watched they would open the acetylene half a turn and fully open the oxygen tank. Then they would open the lower oxygen adjuster all the way, leaving the upper oxygen closed. Then they would crack the acetylene and light the torch. Then increase the acetylene until the soot smoke started to decrease but not so far the flame would jump off the tip.

When i light my torch and increase the acetylene the soot never decreases. I had to turn up the acetylene to 11 to 12 psi to get the soot to reduce. No way the flame could lift off the tip.

I could not produce enough heat to start a cut at 3-6 psi. I could start a cut once I cranked the acetylene to 10 to 12 psi. 40 psi on the oxygen seemed fine.

I had a fair number of pops the instant the cut started and had to re-light the torch several times.

I'm thinking my old acetylene regulator might just not be working correctly. Maybe my torch isn't flowing enough. Maybe my flash back arrestor isn't working right.

 

[Batmanacw]

Torch cut.


Plasma



I know I'm doing something wrong with the torch.

 

[markba633csi]

The idea for cutting is to use acetylene and oxy flame only for preheating the edge of the material, then pulling the trigger should boost the oxy so that
mostly oxy does the cutting. When you let go of the trigger it should return to the preheat flame.
So if that's not happening it's either defective or isn't adjusted correctly
It's been a while since I used one

 

[sycle1]

The cuts looks too hot to me.
You may need to get some tip cleaners and clean the holes in your tip, each time it pops it can be metal getting inside the tip holes which can cause a flashback.
Clean tips always cut better.
That is from my memory so could be wrong.

 

[Batmanacw]

The cuts looks too hot to me.
You may need to get some tip cleaners and clean the holes in your tip, each time it pops it can be metal getting inside the tip holes which can cause a flashback.
Clean tips always cut better.
That is from my memory so could be wrong.

Brand new tip fresh out of the plastic wrapper.

 

[Batmanacw]

The idea for cutting is to use acetylene and oxy flame only for preheating the edge of the material, then pulling the trigger should boost the oxy so that
mostly oxy does the cutting. When you let go of the trigger it should return to the preheat flame.
So if that's not happening it's either defective or isn't adjusted correctly
It's been a while since I used one

The neutral flame is really easy to set properly. I don't know why I can't get enough heat to initiate a cut at the proper settings once I hit the oxygen lever.

 

[markba633csi]

Yes it should really blast so there may be something going on with your oxy regulator

 

[Iceberg86300]

Is that 1" steel you're cutting?

Have some photos of your touch & gas setup?

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[OTmachine]

When you apply the extra oxygen for cutting is the time to adjust your flame so that you have smooth blue cones coming out of the tip.

 

[Iceberg86300]

Think I'd open the acetylene bottle a little more as well. Yeah it's low pressure & you don't need to (and shouldn't) have it open very far so it's fast & easy to close if needed, but 1/2 turn may not be cutting it.

I'd go 1.5 turns just to take that out of the equation. Also, with gear sitting around for 20 years it may have connected enough dust to screw with stuff.

I asked about your torch setup b/c of the upper/lower O2 comment & then you don't say anything about adjusting the O2 for your preheat flame after the torch is lit.

Just want to confirm that you're hung up on the acetylene issue & didn't mention that you then adjusted the O2 for your preheat. (B/c you def need to do that! )

This is a halfway decent vid that shows the different preheat flames.

Give me a little bit & I'll upload a welding handbook that includes some in depth & practical oxy-fuel cutting info.

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