What size of bottles?

[Hobby welder]

So, i have a Harris oxy-acetylene torch set, has everything except the bottles. And i would like to get an 80 cf oxygen and a #3 size airgas bottle (v75 i think). Now i actually plan to do a lot of O/A welding and cutting. Are they to small or the right size?

[usmcpop]

With the 1/7 withdrawal rate (some recommend 1/10), a small Acet bottle will limit you to thin metal. Get a tip chart that shows the CFH used for various tips and thicknesses and use that as a guide.

We have about a 200 CF bottle which is good for cutting to about 2" and welding to about 3/8".

[Blacksmith]

Another alternative for cutting would be to buy a propane cutting tip and use propane. You can't weld with propane, but there's no restrictionon withdrawl rates. A lot of burners and scrappers use propane.

[canoecruiser]

If you're going to do a lot of cutting you will use way more oxygen than acetylene. An 80 cf bottle is far too small to have them drain off at about the same rate with a 75 acet. I use a B acetylene (40cf) and an 80 oxygen which is the largest my gas supplier sells for an owner bottle. My O/A is 95% cutting use. The plasma cutter doesn't travel well.

If you work in a shop setting it could be even more; in a past life I was in a company that did on-site work and we went through lots of oxygen. Turns out on Monday mornings the crews would throw a small O/A rig in the back of the 1-tons and pass the cutting handle through the passenger window and hit off it going down the road. Works wonders for taking the sting out of hangovers. The owners were WTF are we using so much? Finally just swapped out the 60cf for 80's. Some things you just can't fight.

Not saying you'll have that problem....

[urch55]

I am using propane 20 and 30 pound cylinders, the oxygen size I have is 125 and 150 cf bottles. That is a great combination for me and even tho it don't allow me to weld, I can still braze with it when need be. But I do 98% cutting/heating with it anyway.









Cutting Torch.jpg

[monckywrench]

Turns out on Monday mornings the crews would throw a small O/A rig in the back of the 1-tons and pass the cutting handle through the passenger window and hit off it going down the road. Works wonders for taking the sting out of hangovers.

I will not comment on aircrew and maintainers switching regulators to "100%" and "Test Mask" on the morning after, "back in The Day".
Pressure-Demand-Oxygen-System-aircraft.jpg

[Rockinptom]

I have an 80 and a number 3 bottles and they do me just fine, I dont use them unless I have to but the will last a good while. I plan on upgrading to the next size up some day .......If you are planning on using them everyday I would say to get the biggest ones that they have. Just my opinion

[ozarkie]

I will not comment on aircrew and maintainers switching regulators to "100%" and "Test Mask" on the morning after, "back in The Day".
Pressure-Demand-Oxygen-System-aircraft.jpg

I recall some TAC pilots stashing "bailout bottles" and masks in their lockers for use while suiting up

[monckywrench]

"TAC Trained Killers" represent, yo!

[Charles Brown]

Is a 130 CuFt Acetylene bottle (8" diameter, 30" tall to the neck) a good match for a 251 CuFt Oxygen bottle (Size 5, also known as size K)?

[usmcpop]

Is a 130 CuFt Acetylene bottle (8" diameter, 30" tall to the neck) a good match for a 251 CuFt Oxygen bottle (Size 5, also known as size K)?

It depends whether you are mostly heating/welding/brazing or mostly cutting, the latter using a LOT of Oxygen. 2:1 O:A isn't a bad match.

[Roger]

Best to have 2 sets of gas bottles one set in use and 2nd set standby. This lets you use most all of gas in bottles and not worry about running out. Keep a little gas pressure in empty gas bottles to help keep out contaminates.

[SidecarFlip]

I will not comment on aircrew and maintainers switching regulators to "100%" and "Test Mask" on the morning after, "back in The Day".
Pressure-Demand-Oxygen-System-aircraft.jpg

Is that like enjoying a Reddi-Whip can with no Reddi-Whip?

[Charles Brown]

Best to have 2 sets of gas bottles one set in use and 2nd set standby. This lets you use most all of gas in bottles and not worry about running out. Keep a little gas pressure in empty gas bottles to help keep out contaminates.

Roger, I can understand how having double sets of bottles MIGHT keep one from worrying about running out... provided the second set was indeed full.

How does having a second set of bottles help use most all of the gas in the first set of bottles?

Is it a psychological or trip efficiency matter of when running out of O, but still having some A left, one can just replace the O without going to the gas supply house, because if going to the trouble to take the trip to the gas supply house, one might as well replace the A, even though there is more A left than O?

[Roger]

Sure I can use all of the gas without having standing by replacement gas. I would then have more than 1hour round trip during business hours to get more Acetylene or O2. One gas always runs out before the other. Just refill that cylinder or both is easy. You pay the same regardless of amount left in cylinder. Maybe you don't worry about running out because that doesn't matter to you. When my truck is refilled I only pay for gallons of gasoline add to tank but they would love to charge me for 20 gallons full tank $80.00 when I only added 10 gallons. Maybe that doesn't matter to you when gas dealer does that for 1/2 full gas cylinder. Don't carrying these Acetylene and O2 gas cylinders inside of your car if you care about your life.