Bob Engelhardt wrote:
wrote:
Sure the boiler is cast? ...
Oh, yes.
A 10 lb sledge works wonders on cast fittings and radiators,
though(bathtubs, too).
I'm tempted to try (I have a 12 pounder), but I expect that it will be
much more work. Not to mention the little fragments that are wannabe
shrapnel.
Not sure why a cutting torch would be less
safe than a plasma cutter, you've still got very hot particles flying
around, the fire hazard is going to be about the same.
I think it's more the gas itself that he doesn't want around. If it
were up to me, we would use a gas torch.
You're going
to have to have a hefty power supply for a plasma cutter, plus air or
a gas bottle. ...
We still have the electric service, and compressors.
Thanks,
Bob
I'd suggest that the O/A cutting torch is the safer route than plasma
cutting. If you simply use a 100' O/A hose set and the appropriate check
valves and flashback arrestors there should be no risk.
A key item to consider is that the plasma cutter melts and blows away
the metal in tiny particles, while the O/A cutting torch burns the metal
with the extra O2, so the end results and mess are quite a bit
different. I'm not positive, but I think that the plasma would release
more dangerous gasses and vapors vs. the O/A since the O/A would be
oxidizing things more completely. The Plasma also involves relatively
high voltages and significant UV radiation. In either case you need
people stationed on fire watch with extinguishers ready.