[WSS]

LP (propane) will break down the inside of your gas hose if you use a standard acetylene hose, it must take a while though. We used acet hose for years using LP and never had a problem. I believe it is a "R" grade hose as opposed to "T" grade (I may have that backward). The big downside is the longer preheat time using LP. You can do tricks to lower the sitting time like using heavy PH tips instead of machine torch tips. LP is much cheaper than acet too. Auto height control is not needed (IMHO) but you probably need a way to adjust the torch U/D while running to compensate for warped or warping plate. The screen set was a typical mach3 set (for CandCnc gear) but has a few different settings to allow the Z U/D button on the PN-200 while running. I know some guys have put a momentary toggle switch located at a easily reached spot with good results. Oxy/fuel cutting is not as finicky as plasma but does have a similar learning curve.

WSS

[jjellingson]

Opted for the moment to stay with acetylene, everything I have in the service truck is for acet. Today I did invest in a couple of new regulators, as the ones I have, have seen better days. To much abuse from rosebuds I think. I picked up the victor cutskil series and have to say I am not all that impressed with the settings, I guess they will get me by for awhile. I did order a new Victor 3 hose 310 torch for this set up. I still need to source at least one oxygen safe solenoid and have found the part number for asco 8262G202-n earlier in this thread but still not having any luck finding it on the website. Can any one out there recommend what solenoid I am really after? Does any know if acet regulators can be repaired if they have drawn to much acetone into them? I think thats what happens when you use a large rosebud and run the bottles out. WSS thanks for your taking time helping. I need to finish reading all of this thread, learning never stops.

[WSS]

Glad to help! Did you get a MT310-"A"? The reason I ask is it will have a acetylene mixer, which can do LP too (mapp as well) but a MT310-N will do only LP. Weird I know but that is the way the Victor torches work. I just replaced a MFA-10 rosebud. The old one was popping and making a sound like a moaning minnie then puffing a little black smoke LOL. If you decide to use LP, it will be just a tip change. Acetylene does a good job, so you should be covered which ever direction you try.

How thick are you looking to cut? When you get closer, PM me and I will send you the instructions to set up a new "oxy/fuel" profile/screen-set or talk to Tom (torchead) at CandCnc. I have them on my shop computer.

Remember, post some pics or it didn't happen!

WSS

PS, the solenoid sounds right, must be a ASCO redtop? The -n usually means for oxy service.

[jjellingson]

Evelyn, I believe I will be using a Victor MT310 3 hose torch, Oxy/acet for fuel and mostly material will be 1"-2" mild steel. Set up with one solenoid for pierce on a home built table. Running Mach3 and sheet cam.

WSS thanks for the help, When I get ready for the screen set I will pm you. I need to double check the torch with the LWS but I think it will be a MT310-A. I found a few valves on ebay but only one looks like it would work, a 3-way. Most listed have to low of a pressure for the pierce function, or they don't list the port size (SC8225B7V-N) or the pressure. I need to buy new to insure the thing is clean with pressure rating and the ports are correct.

Currently playing with a Victor MT-210 two hose, manually working the valve with pretty fair results. Now that I have an acetylene regulator that seems to be working correctly.
Thanks again for all the help

[jjellingson]

Tried to log on the usal way this morning and had repeated warnings about this site being a dangerous site for viruses and trojan's. I sucks people have to ruin good things such as this site. I will more than likely refrain from from using the site for awhile. I did log on through internet explorer and did not get any warnings. WSS again thank you for your help, you have been very kind with sharing knowledge.
John

[jjellingson]

Raymond, after seeing your replay in my email, I again tried to come to the site via Mozilla Firefox and it cuts me off with the warning, its a google advisory for some reason. I get right in with IE. Which is odd to me, as I use Macafee for proteciton. This seems to be a warning from google and I use firefox. Not sure what that means. Not trying to start a panic by any means, just saying be cautious. When one reads the google advisory it is alarming.

[jjellingson]

In the google custom search box on your page, type in google advisory and one will see what has been coming up on my firefox screen.

[WSS]

This happened before and it was a "false positive", it had to do with one of the advertisers here. The admin posted a thread about it and it explained what was happening.

IMHO, it is be friends w/google ($$) or get slammed.

WSS

[jjellingson]

Glad to hear that, I seemed to have spooked pretty easily. Not good when one is forced into the $$$ end of the business stick. Okay, I will not ramble on that.

The latest, I scored a 100psi, 3-way, asco 120v solenoid off ebay, I picked it up for 50.00+freight. I would think this should work for my pierce solenoid. I also double checked with LWS and in fact I can run propane with the MT310-A if I want, just change the tips. He contacted a Victor tech to double check. Warned me if I would be running larger tips to change to a propane regulator. explanation was acetylene has a smaller chamber due to being unstable at 15 psi and above, and I would need to draw more gas on larger tips with propane.

I did get to play around the other day with the MT210 with new regulators and was pretty happy with the results. I have much to learn. I have to shamefully admit that I pretty much developed the attitude, I know how to light a torch or pull the trigger on plasma. One finds out (what he knows) in a hurry when one sticks either one on a table.

[WSS]

Good news there. It is in fact a "A" torch. Very versatile. You can run a 5-GPN on acetylene regulator with no problems. Here is a pic of the same torch you have using a 5-GPN tip on three inch plate, you can use a #4 but I had a #5 handy and it cut clean.

WSS

[matttargett4]

Hi Guys,

Ive never really done much mechanised oxy fuel cutting before this week but my plasma has failed and ive been using the gas to make up for it and ive found a few things id like to ask about.

My torch is a 3 hose harris machine torch and i have a solenoid on the cut oxygen, im using vvc nozzles, i only have a 1/2 and 1 to hand at the moment.

I have my fuel (propane) pressure regulated at the bottle, my oxgen regulated to the cut pressure at the bottle and the preheat pressure is regulated on the machine.

When i set the pressures to those specified in the cut charts i was imagining turn all three taps full on would produce a cutting flame but it seems way rich on fuel so my first question is, how do i set the correct cutting flame?

Second, how high from the material for preheat, pierce and cut?

How do pro's know how long to preheat for? Clearly too long melts your part, too short no penetration, i also find it makes a considerable difference where the pierce is and how many pierces have already been made in the plate, can i account for this in any way?

Clearly the nozzles are made for a material thickness but like i said i have only big nozzles on hand and the thickest ive cut is 15mm, cut quality was pretty good but can i turn the gas down and use them sensibly on thinner material? I have foud when going down as thin as 8mm that i cant really increase the cut speed above the max speed in the chart even though the material is half the thickness of that in the chart.

How many people here are using water tables? I have one for the plamsa but its empty just now but i seem to get lots of warping, is that just because i need a smaller nozzle or is there something i need to do to work round it?

I ordered some smaller nozzles from the grand old us of a with my hypertherm plasma parts, they are much cheaper and i figured i had to pay one lot of shipping, trouble is the plasma parts are on back order so my angle grinder is taking a pounding!!

Matt

[WSS]

Hi Guys,

Ive never really done much mechanised oxy fuel cutting before this week but my plasma has failed and ive been using the gas to make up for it and ive found a few things id like to ask about.

My torch is a 3 hose harris machine torch and i have a solenoid on the cut oxygen, im using vvc nozzles, i only have a 1/2 and 1 to hand at the moment.

I have my fuel (propane) pressure regulated at the bottle, my oxgen regulated to the cut pressure at the bottle and the preheat pressure is regulated on the machine.

When i set the pressures to those specified in the cut charts i was imagining turn all three taps full on would produce a cutting flame but it seems way rich on fuel so my first question is, how do i set the correct cutting flame?

Second, how high from the material for preheat, pierce and cut?

How do pro's know how long to preheat for? Clearly too long melts your part, too short no penetration, i also find it makes a considerable difference where the pierce is and how many pierces have already been made in the plate, can i account for this in any way?

Clearly the nozzles are made for a material thickness but like i said i have only big nozzles on hand and the thickest ive cut is 15mm, cut quality was pretty good but can i turn the gas down and use them sensibly on thinner material? I have foud when going down as thin as 8mm that i cant really increase the cut speed above the max speed in the chart even though the material is half the thickness of that in the chart.

How many people here are using water tables? I have one for the plamsa but its empty just now but i seem to get lots of warping, is that just because i need a smaller nozzle or is there something i need to do to work round it?

I ordered some smaller nozzles from the grand old us of a with my hypertherm plasma parts, they are much cheaper and i figured i had to pay one lot of shipping, trouble is the plasma parts are on back order so my angle grinder is taking a pounding!!

Matt

Matt, it has been a while since I have used a Harris torch but I believe the VVC tips are hi-speed machine type. They will have a smaller cut oxy orifice and use higher pressure, this will allow the higher speed.

To touch on the ipm question, oxy tips rely on the orifice size and psi to cut a specific range of sizes. An example would be a tip that is sized for 2"-3" plate that cuts at 10 to 7 ipm will not cut 1" plate at 18 ipm like a tip sized for 1" would, you might squeeze 12 or 13ipm out of the 2-3" tip but not much more, this due to the orifice size. Often though it is the best you can do because it is "what is on hand". The best bet is to have a few sizes of each size plate you cut on hand. A oxy/fuel tip will last a long time if you have pierce heights and delays set right.

Use a cut chart for your torch and tip combo to get close and fine tune from there. Getting the elusive "neutral flame" is experience. I remeber as a kid both my dad and grandfather hollering at me to get it "balanced" or "neutral" and not really knowing what they were saying but nodding OK. It is the point were the outer blue flame is A) not hissing and short but B) not long and whispy. Once pressures are set (free flow measured as close to the torch as possible) adjust the flame with the torch valves only. If you are running flashback protection, you may need more psi.

For knowing the right preheat delay amount, I will quote a comment made by Millman52: It is when the sparkles start to run across the plate. If you watch close to the outer PH flame, you will see the metal turn red and give up and blow away across the top of the plate in tiny sparkle looking balls, that is ready for pierce.

Hope that helps, look back further in the thread and there is a pdf made by esab that really gives some insight to oxy/fuel cutting. If you can't find it, I can re-post or send it to you, worth the read.

WSS

[scrambled]

I know this does not help, but I have a erase able white board next to my flame cutter. I just keep track of what works with goo cut quality. Lots of trial and error, but these numbers work every time with my machine (victor torch).


Steve


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[theoperator]

(Pierce Time) On a 6" plate using a #4 harris tip FR @ 6 Oxy cut ramp 5 sec preheat delay @ 5 sec after pierce...

My question is since my feed rate is so slow anyways do i put any pierce time in for piercing? I remember burny 5 ALL Manual adjustments, pierce time was minimal .8 or 1 with cut ramp set to the slowest possible..

Also my boss wants me to use 4 torches (its not omni flow) this is going to get messy no matter what i do ..getting my boxing gloves on......