In article ,
Jon Elson wrote:

David Malicky wrote:
I'm looking to get a torch and tanks for brazing and cutting for home
shop use. Though it's all I've used before, I'd like to avoid
acetylene if possible--from what I've read in the archives, the
alternatives are safer, they cut cleaner, and I don't need to gas weld
(been there and prefer brazing). But I don't know what the
compatibility is as far as equipment goes. I can find dozens of
oxy-acet torch sets (best deal is the Victor Advantage II set thru
Sam's club for $132, I think), but little for oxy-mapp/propylene.
There is a Harris set specifically for oxy-propylene, but it's $200+.
I understand oxy-mapp/propylene may need larger and/or special
tips--what sizes would I need to braze 1/16" to 1/4", and cut 1/8" to
1/2" (the Victor set comes w/ 0s for each)? How about compatibility
of the rubber hoses, seals, regulators...? Any guidance appreciated.

I have used MAPP, and now get "Propylene" the generic substitute
from the local gas supplier. MAPP is a trademark.

MAPP/Propylene is much easier to handle, it is stored as a liquid,
instead of a gas adsorbed on Acetone-saturated packing. Some people
say you can't weld with MAPP, I think it is possible, and the gas
supplier has a flyer describing how to set the flame properly
(it does look a little different than Ox/Acetylene). Although
the peak temperature is slightly lower, the caloric output per
gram of fuel/gas is quite a bit higher than Ox/Acetylene, so it is
supposed to actually provide more heat to the work.

I have not used it for cutting (way too expensive on the Oxygen)
but it will heat steel to orange-yellow temperatures, for bending,
forming, etc. It works quite well for brazing, and I have done
quite a bit of brazing with it.

I have a cheap Victor or Harris knock-off torch set, and use it with
no modifications at all. Hoses, tips, regulators, torch handle
and valves, etc. are all the original parts.

Jon


As far as my knowledge goes, (And someone *please* check me if I'm wrong
here - I've worked almost exclusively with acetylene) all three are
"intercompatible" - Meaning parts/hoses/fittings/etc for one are just
fine with either of the others. If they posed a hazard to each other's
equipment, I'd be amazed if the fittings from one would work on another
- Different thread pitch or handedness, male vs. female on the fittings,
inside thread vs outside thread, which side of the connection is which
thread/hand/male/etc and so on, like other gasses have, to prevent
interconnection in incompatible or inappropriate configurations.

Try hooking a CO2 tank to an O2 manifold, as a ferinstance - Unless
somebody's mis-filling or modifying tanks, you shouldn't be able to get
it to happen without some level of cobbling it together that shouldn't
ever be attempted in the first place, since the fittings are (or at
least, they're *supposed* to be...) physically incompatible with each
other.

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