Oxyfuel (paging Mogman!)

[doobin]

So I want to get myself a setup for basic cutting and heating. Propane is cheap, right? And cuts well with a 'turbo' nozzle or somesuch? Or should I use a modern fuel gas blend from one of the big suppliers? Not too keen on Acetylene, don't think I need it as nto welding with it plus it scares me a bit

Is a basic kit off eBay a good starting point? What are the best nozzles to use for cutting and for heating?

 

[Left hooker]

We hardly use the acetylene now days propane a lot cheeper especially if just heating up or bending stuff

 

[wee_gus]

I use oxy and propane and keep bottles in the van for when I’m on site!

 

[Quattromike]

all depends on how much you are going to be using it. cheapest if used regular is to hire the bottlers from air products or the like and just pay for the refill when required. if not used regular it may make sense to purchase the hobby gas size cylinders to use. may be more expensive initially but you don't have the ongoing hire costs to worry about.

 

[Mogman]

I have a little set of bottles acetylene/oxygen for gas welding that I can lift into my van on my own
But use oxy/propane for everything else can cut thin plate less than 1mm just use a small nozzle and angle the gun into the plate with the oxy turned right down (or I just pull the trigger slightly) and the biggest stuff I’ve cut so far is a 12” shaft
But regularly cut 1-2” plate
Get propane from anywhere will last a very long time as for oxy your local scrap yard may do you a deal that’s where all my oxy comes from but can use a couple of bottles a day cutting big stuff

 

[Mogman]

So I want to get myself a setup for basic cutting and heating. Propane is cheap, right? And cuts well with a 'turbo' nozzle or somesuch? Or should I use a modern fuel gas blend from one of the big suppliers? Not too keen on Acetylene, don't think I need it as nto welding with it plus it scares me a bit

Is a basic kit off eBay a good starting point? What are the best nozzles to use for cutting and for heating?

Never heard of a ‘turbo’ nozzle I just use a two piece one https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=o...AUIESgB&biw=1024&bih=657#imgrc=NUSzm2Ruq-lIWM:
As for getting the equipment I get mine from a local welding supplies Maybe a bit dearer but will be up to the job

 

[Gez_lewis]

Dearest part is getting oxygen, box seem to be a rip off! Local place does air products refills at a reasonable price so not to bad.
It gets used more than you'd think tho.

 

[Shovelhands]

Dearest part is getting oxygen, box seem to be a rip off! Local place does air products refills at a reasonable price so not to bad.
It gets used more than you'd think tho.

I’m sure AirProducts have tagged their bottles now, like BOC, so you can’t get away without having them on contract.
BOC are a bunch of robbing barstewards!

 

[Mark]

For nearly as long as we have been in business now, 40 years we have used boc that all change this week never knew how much we were been robbed. Been changed over 38 pound or so for a refill of oxygen new company is 9 pound 6 bottles of oxygen on contract hire last year was nearly 900 pound.

 

[Shovelhands]

For nearly as long as we have been in business now, 40 years we have used boc that all change this week never knew how much we were been robbed. Been changed over 38 pound or so for a refill of oxygen new company is 9 pound 6 bottles of oxygen on contract hire last year was nearly 900 pound.

Who are you using for Oxy now, if you don’t mind me asking? As when my BOC bottles are gone, I will want something else. I honestly don’t use much now, plasma has taken over much of the cutting jobs, but it’s one of those things you just can’t be without in the workshop!

 

[Mark]

Changed over to a company called sig gas, getting what they call Titan bottles come with regulators fitted to them all u need is quick release couplings with they are going to supply me with some. 8.75 a refill and 8.12 a month rental

 

[V8Druid]

Was a B OC agent for 15+ years and yes they are a ****ing rip off .... even the agents pay through the nose .... and that was after 'serious' words with them !!
Used to do a lot on the QT .... book to myself and flog on .... but all changed when they started to bar code the cylinders, just before i packed in.
I'm just about out, of what I cwtched (good Welsh word for yers ) aside then and am in need of a new source ..... The Sigas have been around a long time and weren't ever much different to B OC
Looks like that's changed though ..... the refill cost is excellent, if that's a full size W cylinder ??? .... rental is still on a par with B OC though

there is an outfit called SGS, which do rent free cylinders and I've been making inquiries with recently, but don't do DA
www.sgsgases.co.uk
they do W size cylinders, - Oxy / argo / etc., but struggling to find anyone round here that stocks them .... the next size down - Y size - are a dear way of buying oxy, etc. ..... Propane's alright-ish for cutting, but can't gas weld with it .... TBH you won't beat DA for heat

 

[V8Druid]

Never heard of a ‘turbo’ nozzle I just use a two piece one https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=o...AUIESgB&biw=1024&bih=657#imgrc=NUSzm2Ruq-lIWM:
As for getting the equipment I get mine from a local welding supplies Maybe a bit dearer but will be up to the job

Me neither Paul ...... standard PNM nozzle for an NM cutting torch ..... damned sight easier to keep clean than a one piece ANM DA nozzle

 

[Quattromike]

Am I right in saying BOC is part of Airliquid now?
We've priced many over the years and for us Air products has always been best for cost. It all depends on where and who your local stockist is.

 

[Scoff]

My oxygen and welding gas is on contract with air products via a local ag engineering firm,great because I can get a replacement bottle 24/7 365yes bottles are numbered now.

Also have a bottle of boc oxy I fill on a friends account,as always theirs a way round the barcode collar on the bottle.

 

[V8Druid]

Am I right in saying BOC is part of Airliquid now?
We've priced many over the years and for us Air products has always been best for cost. It all depends on where and who your local stockist is.

Air Liquide were trying to buy B OC in 2009/10 but the deal was stopped by the Monopolies & Mergers Commission ..... AL have been in the UK since 2004 but don't have a huge presence and very limited number of industrial gases agencies .....

I tried to get an agency for AP, to run alongside my B OC agency .... neither of 'em were very happy about the idea though ... B OC less than AP ... my area was predominantly serviced by B OC, but AP were making inroads at the time and have given them a severe kicking in the last few years

I used to do about two or three truck loads of cylinders a month ... never get rich doing it for sure .... s**t rates for doing it, but as a user it meant i never ran out of gas myself
as a user it was one delivery a week ... as an agent I could have a delivery every day ....
no way would i have entertained doing it, if I hadn't been a user ... far too time consuming and incidental sales were very limited, most of the time .....

and you met some right tossers / idiots / people you'd rather not darkened yer doorstep/take your eyes off ....... plenty of nice ones too though

 

[V8Druid]

My oxygen and welding gas is on contract with air products via a local ag engineering firm,great because I can get a replacement bottle 24/7 365yes bottles are numbered now.

Also have a bottle of boc oxy I fill on a friends account,as always theirs a way round the barcode collar on the bottle.

they're agents for AP are they Scoff .... or they 'sub-letting'

yeh the placcy collars are easy enough to pop off/on ..... as long as the neck is the right size .. and the agent is 'friendly'

 

[Scoff]

they're agents for AP are they Scoff .... or they 'sub-letting'

yeh the placcy collars are easy enough to pop off/on ..... as long as the neck is the right size .. and the agent is 'friendly'

They're sub letting really,I pay the rental in January,I probably use more than they do,he's half a dozen others renting off him.


Lad who does a bit of welding for me took a bottle back forgetting the plastic collar took it back day after with the correct one.

 

[Adam]

My AP bottles may be sub-let of the same chap....