Oxy / Propylene Torch

[White Lincoln]

Today's topic: "Have you used an Oxy / Propylene or Propane torch with any success?

I was making a new valve wrench for my water shut off valve. Using 3ft long rebar, I flux welded the T for a handle and cut a piece of 5/16" thick chain link in half to use as the end of the wrench. Turns out it was a bit small and did not fit over the valve. I have an oxy / propane torch set (inherited), but need the gasses and was thinking of heating the 5/16" chain piece and bending it open some.

I even thought of using the torch to weld some items when the flux welder won't do the job. I read some articles about the oxy / prop torch and it seems to have mixed reviews as to what it can do.

So, before I buy the gasses, I thought I would see what you all's experience with the torch might be.

Thanks!

 

[dDUBb]

Today's topic: "Have you used an Oxy / Propylene or Propane torch with any success?

Oxy-Acetylene gas welding and braze welding with Acetylene.

Learned from one of my instructors .. his hands were shaky as fuck but as soon as he picked up that torch it was like a surgeon ( all while he explained how he built Intel's infrastructure in the early 80s. )

What was the question ?

 

[White Lincoln]

( all while he explained how he built Intel's infrastructure in the early 80s. )

What was the question ?

Awesome. Some people make a difference in this world.

What was the question ?

LOL... "never mind" as Emily Litella would say....

So, DA me realized I could take a large, thick pry bar and pound the u shape open more. That worked great!

Oxy-Acetylene gas welding and braze welding with Acetylene.

"If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard."

Fiddler on the Roof

 

[dDUBb]

Never seen the fiddler on the roof.

Oxy propane burns almost as hot as oxy Acetylene .. usually metal is heated until its red hot to make a bend. Same with welding; when the metal is red hot the appropriate welding rod can be fed and worked into the molten pool to make a weld. Molten metal follows the heat. The downside is that gas doesnt last long unless you have big bottles or a bank of tanks.



The school i am working at right now has a small weld bay - this is for the auto body repair portion of the shop.

As for the T handle; my employer has several "home made" varieties in different lengths and sizes, but its basically what you made except with a section of square tube steel welded on the end.

 

[White Lincoln]

That is impressive dDubd... I don't expect to get much welding done with these small tanks, but the dang valve set has been sitting in my drawer for 20 years? YIKES! Now that I am learning to weld, might as well break it out and see what the tool can do.

When we bought the house some 30 years ago, there was a T-handled wrench for the shut-off valve in the garage. I used it to turn the water on and off over the years, but it was pain because it only fit over one part of the valve and always fell of when trying to turn the valve. Over the years, I painted it and added covers on the handles, but the other day I thought to myself "I have rebar, a welder and some time.... I will make a BETTER ONE!

So, I made this:


The one on the left is the original one that came with the house. The one on the right is the one I just made using rebar and a piece of 5/16" chain link with one end cut off.

I made the fork bigger so it would fit OVER the valve and not keep falling off.



I need to get some tubing for the handle on the new one:







This is the type of water shut-off valve the wrench is used on. There are other valves around the house and they are about 18-24" deep in the ground. The old wrench would only fit over one of the 1/4 handles of the valve, the new one fits over the whole valve.

"Why didn't I think of doing this 30 years ago?" Ugh..... "Cause I just started welding again after some 40 years."

 

[massacre]

Welding and brazing are not the same process.
Welding is getting a puddle to form in the base metal, then adding filler material (welding rod) to the molten puddle in order to fuse the metal.
Brazing does not form a puddle in the base metal, the metal is heated, but not enough to form a puddle, brazing rod (bronze or brass) is melted onto the base metal to "stick" it together.

I've used MAPP gas to braise, or use my TIG machine to TIG braze with silicon bronze rod.

 

[dDUBb]

Welding and brazing are not the same process.
Welding is getting a puddle to form in the base metal, then adding filler material (welding rod) to the molten puddle in order to fuse the metal.
Brazing does not form a puddle in the base metal, the metal is heated, but not enough to form a puddle, brazing rod (bronze or brass) is melted onto the base metal to "stick" it together.

I've used MAPP gas to braise, or use my TIG machine to TIG braise with silicon bronze rod.

Technically; no, brazing is not actually a "Weld process", just that it differs from soldering in Cohesion vs. Adhesion to "stick" together. I braze with 15% Silver / Copper rod to stick copper pipes together.

Otherwise, the oxy setup is pretty versatile as far as its ability to cut, heat, solder, braze, and weld.

 

[White Lincoln]

Thank you for your input in this matter. As I have said in other posts, I hope others read this stuff cause it is good information for anyone that works on cars. If you work on cars long enough, you will come across the need to weld something (or brazing) sooner or later.

So, when I use my flux welder, I am melting two metals together to create a bond, where as bronzing is like when I use a soldering iron to melt lead over my broken eye glass piece and hoping it covers enough area to create a tight cover or "sleave" if you will, around the two pieces. Or bronzing is like soldering wire as it does not melt the two metals (wire and board metal), but rather coats it to bond the two pieces.

I found something else to weld, my POS adjustable rolling stand for my table saw (from HF). The base leg won't stay tightly connected to the leg of the stand. I got to thinking the other night... "I could weld that together and it will NEVER come off again (unless I do a really shitty weld).

Thanks again for sharing what you know, it is very educational.

 

[Grog6]

I have two pieces of tungsten I'd like to weld together, to make a smaller BFH.

 

[gunn]

Oxy-Acetylene gas welding and braze welding with Acetylene.

Learned from one of my instructors .. his hands were shaky as fuck but as soon as he picked up that torch it was like a surgeon ( all while he explained how he built Intel's infrastructure in the early 80s. )

What was the question ?

Did he wear an onion on his belt, because that was the style at the time?

 

[White Lincoln]

I have two pieces of tungsten I'd like to weld together, to make a smaller BFH.

you need to "getterdone" grog....

 

[dDUBb]

TIG braise with silicon bronze rod.

Braising is a cooking process.

where as bronzing is like when I use a soldering iron to melt lead over my broken eye glass piece and hoping it covers enough area to create a tight cover or "sleave" if you will, around the two pieces.

More or less .. bronzing is a coating application - like dipping your kids baby shoes in copper or applying a spray tan on your body.

Anything with pure lead is usually just called "leading"

Did he wear an onion on his belt, because that was the style at the time?

I believe somebody would get their ass kicked for saying something like that.



This is the kind of belt buckle you would find an old school fitter wearing. They would weld a bunch of pipes together in a pattern, then cut a section and maybe even polish the face.

 

[massacre]

Braising is a cooking process.

Yup, i do quite a bit of braising, as well as brazing lmao.
I spelled it correctly every other time except the last time. Good catch.

 

[White Lincoln]

Well, the bug continues... I have these Harbor Fright adjustable roller stands for woodworking. I have had them for a long time, but always got pissed cause the leg to foot connection was a real piss-poor design as well as the locking handle for adjusting the height. One handle broke, the feet always get lose and wobble... etc, etc.

I got out the touch and WELDED IT! No more BS with the piss-poor design for all parts. I welded the legs to the feet and I welded bolts on where the locking handle goes. I also made my own handles from scrap upper intake manifold bolts from my Cougar. A little more paint and they are DONE! No more BS.

This is the beginning of my double layer weld of the leg to the foot:



This is before I made the handle and welded on a nut:



This is after the welded nut and hand-made handle: (the nut on the handle is a locking nut)



Another coat of paint and it will be ready for use:



I received my Grand Marquis headlights today... maybe I should weld those in place as well...