O/A torches
 

Hello.
I bought a used arc welder today which included a box with assorted
stuff. One of the things in the box was Victor O/A torch with cutting
head and regulators.

I'd like to get it running but am wondering how safe it would be. Do
I need to get it checked out by a service center first, or will any
problems be immediately detectable (and I dont mean a firey death)
when they are hooked up?
TIA !

Art wrote:
Hello.
I bought a used arc welder today which included a box with assorted
stuff. One of the things in the box was Victor O/A torch with cutting
head and regulators.

I'd like to get it running but am wondering how safe it would be. Do
I need to get it checked out by a service center first, or will any
problems be immediately detectable (and I dont mean a firey death)
when they are hooked up?
TIA !

Hook 'er up, see how things go. You might check the o-rings between the
head and body, sometimes they go bad.. other than that, if there's a
problem you'll notice it and be able to decide if you want someone to
repair it or if you'll just live with it.

John

Art wrote:

Hello.
I bought a used arc welder today which included a box with assorted
stuff. One of the things in the box was Victor O/A torch with cutting
head and regulators.

I'd like to get it running but am wondering how safe it would be. Do
I need to get it checked out by a service center first, or will any
problems be immediately detectable (and I dont mean a firey death)
when they are hooked up?
TIA !

Hook it up and fire it up. If the torch goes pop pop it's got dirt in the
valves. If you can't cut straight with it then the regulators may need work.

Be *sure* when you first start out to momentarily crack the tank valve to blow
out any crud, *then* put on the regulators, and put the hose onto the regulators
and again briefly blow out the hoses, and only then put on your torch. Old O/A
stuff can have a bunch of dirt and grit in it which you do not want to blow into
your torch. Oh, and a set of flashback arrestors (inline check valves) installed
on your torch will add a level of safety too. - GWE

On Wed, 15 Jun 2005 17:33:44 -0400, JohnM wrote:

Art wrote:
Hello.
I bought a used arc welder today which included a box with assorted
stuff. One of the things in the box was Victor O/A torch with cutting
head and regulators.

I'd like to get it running but am wondering how safe it would be. Do
I need to get it checked out by a service center first, or will any
problems be immediately detectable (and I dont mean a firey death)
when they are hooked up?
TIA !

Hook 'er up, see how things go. You might check the o-rings between the
head and body, sometimes they go bad.. other than that, if there's a
problem you'll notice it and be able to decide if you want someone to
repair it or if you'll just live with it.

John
A visual inspection first to see if any o-rings are cracked or
missing. Make sure no oil or grease is present. Especially the oxygen
side. If everything looks OK screw to the cylinders. Open valves
S-L-O-W-L-Y. Check for leaks with soapy water. DON'T stand in front of
the regulators when opening the valves. If the reg fails on the oxygen
tank it could fly apart straight at you. After all that checks out set
the regs and try the torch.
ERS

Art wrote:

the box was Victor O/A torch with cutting head and regulators.

I would let the regulators service before using them. You don't know how
old they are, what happended to them and how many spiders sit inside.

The torch is no problem. If it works, it works.

Just my 2 cent.

Nick
--
Motormodelle / Engine Models
http://www.motor-manufaktur.de
todays SPAMfeed: 

Art wrote:
Hello.
I bought a used arc welder today which included a box with assorted
stuff. One of the things in the box was Victor O/A torch with cutting
head and regulators.

I'd like to get it running but am wondering how safe it would be. Do
I need to get it checked out by a service center first, or will any
problems be immediately detectable (and I dont mean a firey death)
when they are hooked up?
TIA !

A spray bottle of soapy water on the various connections should help
you spot most potential problems after hooking things up. A lot
depends on the condition of the various parts. If the regulators look
like they've been used for soccer practice and the torch handle and
tips look like they've been dipped in asphalt, you might want to let a
pro go through the works. Another thing to look for is checked and
cracked hoses. If it was at an auction, the set might just have been
removed off the tanks and chucked in a box if the tanks were
rented/leased. If there wasn't any dust on the bits, like they'd been
sitting on a shelf somewhere, the outfit was probably removed from
service and should be fine.

I bought a Victor outfit at auction, was from a gun shop going out of
business. Everything worked fine except the twin hoses were old and
checked, replaced them without even hooking them up, the #2 tip was
worn to the point where the flame was irregular and about #3-sized and
the acetylene regulator tank fitting had a nick on the plug. All items
I got off the shelf at the local weld supply for a reasonable amount.
Other than that, the regulators looked like new, the torch handle had
some handling nicks but was in good shape. I figure the acetylene
regulator picked up the nick during the auction setup and viewing,
everything was just tossed loose in a box. The nick I found with the
soapy water spray while purging the works and checking things out.
Wasn't large, but it leaked.

One thing I've found is that the kit regulators are fine for the medium
and large-sized tips but they don't work as well for the small ones
because they don't regulate low pressure and flows very well. Seems to
be a problem with most of the kits. So if you like to work with the
small tips, like #0 and below, you might want to scare up some better
regulators.

Stan