Welding Tips and Tricks

I saw this video of the explosive power of acetylene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Qp2Lvrliw

A few years ago in Vancouver, my brother heard the same thing outside of his apartment.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.1350088

Yup.

My plasma cutter might not do heating and brazing like an Oxy Acet kit can, but it doesn't do exploding, either.



Kym

Explosive range of acetylene is from 3 to 83% in air.
As they used to say in the cold war, one flash and your ash.
Handy stuff but you dont want a leak.

ex framie wrote:Explosive range of acetylene is from 3 to 83% in air.
As they used to say in the cold war, one flash and your ash.
Handy stuff but you dont want a leak.

I used to own an Oxy kit but the ongoing rental on the cylinders was a killer. Seems those cylinders can be a killer in more ways than one!

I think it would be pretty easy in the day-to-day slog of working as, say, a plumber to get a little bit lax and overlook safe cylinder loading/handling. Boom!


Kym

And let's not forget the dangers of pure O2 under pressure especially in the presence of hydrocarbons..

I still use acetylene. It's a great welding gas.

Years ago, my acetylene regulator failed, while welding in a warehouse.
I looked over and saw 10 feet of flame rolling upward from the tank.
I reached over and grabbed a pail of water and threw it at the cylinder.
Problem solved. The flames went out and I replaced the regulator.

PS: The gasoline that you feed your car with, is just as dangerous.
I prefer using my MultiPlaz. Welding with water as a fuel is so cool!

MosquitoMoto wrote:Yup.

My plasma cutter might not do heating and brazing like an Oxy Acet kit can, but it doesn't do exploding, either.



Kym

Gratuitous Simpsons Quote: "And then I go and spoil it all by doing something stupid like explode you..." S.B Terwilliger.

weldin mike 27 wrote:

MosquitoMoto wrote:Yup.

My plasma cutter might not do heating and brazing like an Oxy Acet kit can, but it doesn't do exploding, either.



Kym

Gratuitous Simpsons Quote: "And then I go and spoil it all by doing something stupid like explode you..." S.B Terwilliger.

I love a Simpsons quote!


Kym

I'm glad. They are providing me a lot of laughter at the moment, via Facebook

Sent from my ZTE T83 using Tapatalk

I damn near blew up a building with a plasma cutter...

(Okay, it wasn't the machine, itself... It was one "combustible" I failed to clear from behind the cut.)

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:I damn near blew up a building with a plasma cutter...

(Okay, it wasn't the machine, itself... It was one "combustible" I failed to clear from behind the cut.)

Steve S

Yeah, just about all workshop equipment has the potential to be dangerous, no doubt about it. Because Oxy Acet is something I would seldom use, and here in Australia there's no way of getting around cylinder rental (to my knowledge) it is one of those things that just makes no sense for a hobby welder.

Plasma...well, I already had air compressors, so once I was set up for plasma all I needed were consumables, and they are cheap and easy to find.

I'd propose that Oxy Acet is no more dangerous in use than plasma, but I reckon in transport and storage Oxy Acet is a little more hazardous. As I mentioned before, in the hurry of everyday life I can easily see how a tradie might get sloppy with handling or loading of cylinders and that gets dangerous fast.

Ironic that one of Oxy Acet's greatest advantages is in its portability, yet it is in transporting the cylinders that there is potential for kabooms.

Mind you, none of this would put me off owning/using an Oxy kit. What puts me off is the cost!



Kym

A place I do some work part time at has a OA unit that scares me to point I will never use it and they know I refuse to use it. The regulators are old never been rebuilt the gauges don't work, hoses have little spider cracks the entire length. The employees that use it have no safety training using it. They open up acetylene all the way on tank. Open up oxygen fast standing right in front of regulator. When their done using it they turn it off at torch then close valves on tanks. The gas is still In the lines they don't bleed the system. It has no flash back arrestors on it or check valves. One of the mechanics was using it and torch was whistling like crazy I yelled at him to shut it down. He got pissy with me telling him to shut it off. Then he tells me it does then when he uses it sometimes. He doesn't know how to adjust it properly and won't listen tried to explain or get him to read up on it. He says he does it like his dad taught him and he never had a problem. Tried to get owner to read about dangers of OA and update system plus get safety training for employees. My suggestions on the matter falls on death ears he does it the way they did it on a farm. Says they never blew a regulator out on farm. The nozzles are plugged with carbon on cutting torch they don't bother to clean it. it's just a hazard period. Its to the point I leave the shop when they drag it out, they won't listen and I don't want to get hurt from there ignorance. I admit I have a basic knowledge of OA and don't feel real comfortable with using it on the knowledge I do have.

An accident waiting to happen eh DM?

That sounds nasty.

I have no problem at all using a well-maintained Oxy kit, but I must say that it's comforting to know that at the moment the only gas cylinder I have in my workshop is good old inert Argon. I know that in the right (wrong) conditions Argon too can be dangerous, but it doesn't go kaboom.



Kym

One time I was filling up a propane tank for my forklift at my old job and the nozzle split from the tank, it swung around and hit my arm (nearly breaking it) and continued to spray and flail until it hit the ground and turned off. Somehow I didn't get any propane on me and walked away with a bruised arm for a couple weeks. Super lucky but also very scary and still haunts me to this day.

The current method of storing and transporting acetylene in a pressurized cylinder is effective and safe, as long as you follow the instructions, ie bottle upright at ALL times and the equipment used with it is fit for purpose and serviceable.
However ignorance, complacency, laziness or a better idiotave caused incidents that have given an undeserved reputation.
Use it as intended, be trained on how to use it with serviceable and suitable equipment, you wont have issues.

Dirtmidget,
I cant blame you for getting out of the blast range.
Have you approached your boss regarding the problems, that being the poor condition of the equipment and lack of training for the current users?
Point out a new oxy system and training is cheaper than an ohs investigation and dead or burned workers.

ex framie[b] wrote:Point out a new oxy system and training is cheaper than an ohsa investigation and dead or burned workers[/b].

Wise words

ex framie wrote: Have you approached your boss regarding the problems, that being the poor condition of the equipment and lack of training for the current users?
Point out a new oxy system and training is cheaper than an ohs investigation and dead or burned workers.

Thee owner is the boss and he sees it as costing money to update or replace because it currently works in his mind. Plus it's the way they always did it. Sure you have ran in to the those type of people who think "this is how we always did it" or "its worked that way for years, why change it" When in reality they been doing it wrong for 30-40 yrs because they where taught by someone who really wasn't trained properly also who did it wrong. unfortunately until something happens they are not gonna fix or train anyone. You wouldn't believe some of things they do to save money.

Guess I should add the torch whistling mechanic, doesn't believe in using eye protection while using torch. Then he sees a spots for awhile. So that will prolly give you an idea of the mentally of workers. My job is to come in and diagnosis stuff they can't figure out or fix there screw ups.

The solution that comes to mind is to lay out the hoses and "accidentally" do a burnout on them with the forklift....

"Must replace" trumps "Should replace".

It's also easier to get forgiveness than permission.

Steve S

Oh yeah. I "lost" the brass adjustment screw to the acetylene regulator that my boss didn't want to replace. It wouldn't adjust down below 15 PSI. Once that happened it got replaced.

I once saw a guy have the torch handle blow up in his stomach. He got a burn about the size of a beer can. A few torch head brands have life time warranties. And its not to expensive to just replace the hole rig. Being cheap gets people hurt. I have never been paid enough to get hurt to make him rich.

And be careful with those pressure cookers ! And slippery shower stalls ! And angle grinders too !
A wire wheel can fly off the bench grinder, go through your eye and penetrate your brainz( small target).
Stupid kills.

Antorcha wrote:And be careful with those pressure cookers ! And slippery shower stalls ! And angle grinders too !
A wire wheel can fly off the bench grinder, go through your eye and penetrate your brainz( small target).
Stupid kills.

Yeah, that's helpful...

There are people new to the craft that don't know why acetylene should be kept upright. There are people who've never seen a grinding disk explode and hospitalize a man (I have). There are people with no awareness of the air around them, who should be warned about carbon monoxide.

What's obvious to you or me is not obvious to everyone.

Steve S

Antorcha wrote:And be careful with those pressure cookers ! And slippery shower stalls ! And angle grinders too !
A wire wheel can fly off the bench grinder, go through your eye and penetrate your brainz( small target).
Stupid kills.

Yep at times people need to be told that. Guys at that shop should be afraid of bench grinder too. They replaced the grinder wheels at some point and took off side shields and didn't put them back on. Which of course now they grind on the side of the wheels. The guards on grinder are gone only has one tool rest that is dangling. The stand vibrates around so they stand on it trying to keep from it moving. They never been taught to do ring test on wheels just put it on and go with it is what they do. What makes it bad they all got away with so far. In the summer they hire young farm kids that pick up some of these same bad habits. Why because they see some other yahoo getting buy with it. That Yahoo tells them they don't need that stuff and that stuff just makes the job harder cause it's in the way when grinding. They all think there invincible until they get hurt.

Oh by the way the grinder sits right along the OA unit.
The company has managed to install cameras everywhere because they fear employees might be slacking off for a few minutes here and there so the boss watches them work. Its pretty pathetic. Forget safety expense worry more about bottom dollar or that an employee maybe screwing off for 5 to 10 mins a day.

That will help the oh&s investigation immensely.