What types of professionals use cutting torches?

Welders, carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, auto body workers, and metal sculptors commonly use cutting torches.

What gases are used in a cutting torch?

Pure oxygen is used for the cutting jet, mixed with acetylene or propane for preheating.

What is the maximum temperature of an oxyacetylene flame?

An oxyacetylene flame burns at around 5800°F.

What safety precautions should be taken when using a cutting torch?

Always wear safety glasses, keep flammable materials away, and have a fire extinguisher handy.

How do you adjust the flame on a cutting torch?

Adjust the acetylene and oxygen valves to achieve a neutral flame where both gases are consumed.

What should you do if the cutting torch is leaking?

Close the bottle valve and check the pressure gauges; use soapy water to find the leak.

How do you maintain a cutting torch?

Keep the cutting tip clean, check for leaks, and ensure proper gas pressure settings.

What is the difference between cutting tips for acetylene and propane?

Acetylene tips are one-piece, while propane tips are two-piece to accommodate the slower burn rate.

What should you do if the slag sticks to the cut?

Use a chipping hammer to remove slag and ensure the cutting jet is functioning properly.

How can you make a bevel cut with a torch?

Angle the torch to create a bevel and leave a flat landing for welding.

Steve Bleile oxyacetylene torch cutting

00:45:11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JvC4gU6Ujk

Summary

TLDRThe video is a detailed tutorial on using a cutting torch, highlighting its applications in various trades. It explains the chemistry of cutting, the types of gases used, and the importance of safety measures. The presenter demonstrates how to set up the equipment, adjust the flame, and execute clean cuts on different metal thicknesses. Troubleshooting tips for common issues and maintenance of the torch are also discussed, emphasizing the need for practice and attention to detail in achieving successful cuts.

Takeaways

🔧 Understanding the types of gases used in cutting torches.
🔥 Safety is paramount when using cutting torches.
⚙️ Proper setup of equipment is crucial for effective cutting.
🧪 The chemistry behind cutting involves oxidation.
🛠️ Regular maintenance of the cutting tip ensures clean cuts.
📏 Adjusting the flame to a neutral state is essential.
🧯 Always have a fire extinguisher nearby when cutting.
🧼 Keep the cutting tip clean to avoid issues.
📐 Use straight edges for accurate cuts.
✋ Practice is key to mastering cutting techniques.

Timeline

00:00:00 - 00:05:00
Introduction to cutting torches and their applications in various trades, emphasizing the importance of mastering their use for versatility.
00:05:00 - 00:10:00
Overview of cutting torch components, including oxygen and fuel gas bottles, safety precautions, and the significance of proper handling to prevent accidents.
00:10:00 - 00:15:00
Detailed explanation of the cutting torch mechanism, focusing on oxidation and the formation of slag, and how it affects cutting different metals.
00:15:00 - 00:20:00
Safety measures when using cutting torches, including the importance of maintaining a clean workspace and wearing protective gear to prevent injuries.
00:20:00 - 00:25:00
Description of the equipment setup, including the types of gas bottles, regulators, and hoses, and the importance of securing them properly during use.
00:25:00 - 00:30:00
Explanation of cutting tips and their specifications, including the differences between acetylene and propane tips, and the importance of using the correct tip size for different metal thicknesses.
00:30:00 - 00:35:00
Instructions on how to light and adjust the torch for optimal cutting, emphasizing the need for a neutral flame and proper gas flow to ensure effective cuts.
00:35:00 - 00:40:00
Demonstration of cutting techniques, including how to maintain a steady hand, the importance of preheating, and tips for making clean cuts on various metal types.
00:40:00 - 00:45:11
Final tips on maintaining equipment, troubleshooting common cutting issues, and ensuring safety practices are followed throughout the cutting process.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

What types of professionals use cutting torches?
Welders, carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, auto body workers, and metal sculptors commonly use cutting torches.
What gases are used in a cutting torch?
Pure oxygen is used for the cutting jet, mixed with acetylene or propane for preheating.
What is the maximum temperature of an oxyacetylene flame?
An oxyacetylene flame burns at around 5800°F.
What safety precautions should be taken when using a cutting torch?
Always wear safety glasses, keep flammable materials away, and have a fire extinguisher handy.
How do you adjust the flame on a cutting torch?
Adjust the acetylene and oxygen valves to achieve a neutral flame where both gases are consumed.
What should you do if the cutting torch is leaking?
Close the bottle valve and check the pressure gauges; use soapy water to find the leak.
How do you maintain a cutting torch?
Keep the cutting tip clean, check for leaks, and ensure proper gas pressure settings.
What is the difference between cutting tips for acetylene and propane?
Acetylene tips are one-piece, while propane tips are two-piece to accommodate the slower burn rate.
What should you do if the slag sticks to the cut?
Use a chipping hammer to remove slag and ensure the cutting jet is functioning properly.
How can you make a bevel cut with a torch?
Angle the torch to create a bevel and leave a flat landing for welding.

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Subtitles

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[Music]
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[Music]
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[Music]
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[Music]
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[Music]
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hi my name is Steve blle and I'm a
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welder cutting torches like this are
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common in many types of shops and on
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construction sites besides welders
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Carpenters plumbers mechanics auto body
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and metal sculptors all find an occasion
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to use a cutting torch and the better
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you learn to handle this the more
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versatile it becomes we'll be using a
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standard cutting torch pure oxygen is
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used for The Cutting Jet and it's also
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mixed with either acetylene propane or
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some other commercial fuel gas to
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provide the preheat
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Flames an oxyacetylene mixture burns the
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hottest somewhere around 5800 de and
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that's what we'll be using for our
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demonstration ations many shops and
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individuals prefer propane because it's
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less expensive and available just about
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anywhere oxy-propane Burns around 5,300
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de which is plenty hot but the rate of
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burn is slower so it takes just a little
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longer to preheat before a cut either
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oxy acetylene or oxy-propane works well
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for torch
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cutting I'd like to describe how a
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cutting torch works and this is as much
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of a chemistry lesson as it is cutting
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instruction when oxygen comes in contact
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with metal there's a chemical reaction
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called oxidation rusting is an example
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of a slow oxidation process oxygen
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molecules in the air combine with
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molecules of the metal to form an iron
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oxide which is the rust when metal is
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heated to cherry red around 1, 1800° and
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pure oxygen is introduced the process
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speeds up and you get rapid oxidation or
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combustion
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that's what the cutting torch does it
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actually burns the metal producing a
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form of iron oxide we call slag now the
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reason you can make a clean controlled
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cut on carbon steel is that the oxides
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produced from this Burning process have
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a lower melting temperature than the
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metal itself and the force of The
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Cutting jet blows the molten oxides
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through the cut before the metal can
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melt on some metals like cast iron
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stainless steel and aluminum the oxides
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that are created from burning have a
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higher melting temperature than the
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metal so the metal itself is melting
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before the oxides can be blown away you
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can get these Metals hot enough just to
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melt all the way through but it's
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difficult to make a clean cut now before
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we get started I need to mention safety
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everything we'll be working with is
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extremely hot and the potential for
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injury to yourself to other people and
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the property is always present in shops
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or construction sites there's safety
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programs to help protect you but safety
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is every individual's
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responsibility you need to pay attention
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to what's going on around you and try to
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anticipate what will happen as a result
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of what you do these torches are hot
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enough to burn just about anything so
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when it's lit be careful where you aim
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it the mol slag blown from the cut can
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easily start a fire so keep your work
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area clean move any flammable materials
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like solvents paints or fuels away from
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where you'd be cutting pay special
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attention to piles of sawdust Rags or
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paper these can start smoldering and you
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may not notice it always keep a fire
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extinguisher for all classes of fire
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handy and know how to use it frayed
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clothing will catch on fire and avoid
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clothing made of synthetic materials
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synthetics melt to your skin if they're
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burned we leather boots or some some
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other protective Footwear and always
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wear safety glasses it is totally
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uncomfortable to take a hot piece of
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metal in the eye and it's not a whole
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lot more fun when the eye doctor has to
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dig it out there isn't any way for
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anybody to cover every safety
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situation safety is an attitude when you
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make working safely the number one
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priority you'll do fine okay let's take
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a look at the equipment we'll be
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using here we have an acetylene torch
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set up these bottles come in different
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sizes and typically oxygen bottles are
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painted green and acetylene is Painted
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Black even though acetylene is highly
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flammable oxygen bottles are by far the
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more dangerous this is a high press
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bottle filled over 2,000 lb per square
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inch if the valve is damaged or broken
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this bottle is out of here like a rocket
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and anything that's in front of it is
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gone too you need to protect the valve
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so whenever this bottle is not in use
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and the regulator's off or you intend to
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move the bottle you need to use the
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protective valve cover even when the
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bottle's
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empty acetylene gas is unstable at
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pressures over 15 lbs per square inch so
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acetone is used inside the bottle as a
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stabilizer as the acetylene is being
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filled it's absorbed by the acetone and
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these bottles need to be straight up and
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down when in use
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now whether these bottles are in a
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portable bottle cart or up against the
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wall they need to be chained up securely
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this is real important you don't want to
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be able to pull them over with the hoses
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or knock them over also these bottles
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are regulated by the Department of
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Transportation and need to be straight
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up and down and chained securely when
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transported this is the oxygen regulator
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and before you mount The Regulators
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stand behind the valve opening and crack
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the valve to blow out any dirt or
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moisture the high pressure gauge reads
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up to 4,000 lb per square in and
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measures the pressure inside the bottle
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the low press gauge measures the working
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pressure coming out of the regulator and
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this is the regulator adjuster screwed
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in or clockwise increases the pressure
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and screwed out decreases the
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pressure the high press gauge on the
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acetylene regulator only reads up to 400
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lb per square in
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and here again that measures the
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pressure inside the bottle the working
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pressure gauge is marked at 15 lb
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remember the cylene is unstable at
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pressures over 15 lbs the pressure
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adjuster is the same screwed in to
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increase the pressure screwed out to
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decrease the pressure also the fittings
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on the fuel gas regulator are notched to
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indicate left-handed thread all the
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fittings on the fuel gas side of this
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equipment are notched with left-handed
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threads to avoid mixing the equipment
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and getting an oxy fuel gas mixture
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where you don't expect it generally
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you'll have a red hose for acetylene and
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a green hose for oxygen qu in is a
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standard hose size for normal cutting
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situations and a section of 316 hose is
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often added at the torch end the smaller
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hose is a little more flexible and
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easier to deal with in awkward
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situations if you cut or burn these
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hoses you can get repair parts at a
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welding supply store and most have a
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crimping tool they'll let you use to
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install the new
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ferals right here I've installed
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flashback protectors in case fire does
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head back down the torch these stop it
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right here and keep it out of the hoses
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and
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Regulators this is a standard torch body
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you have the main oxygen and acetylene
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valves these are stainless ball seat
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valves so when you close these don't
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overtighten them if you reath down on
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these you may ruin the seats and the
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valves will leak we'll be using a
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regular 90° cutting head they also come
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with a head at a 45° angle which I've
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used for beveling heavy steel and they
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come straight for special applications
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for General use the 90° cutting head is
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the most convenient this is the oxygen
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adjustment valve for the preheat flames
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and here's the oxygen cutting jet
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lever now the oxygen and acetylene
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aren't mixed in the torch body they're
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mixed up here in the head so there's two
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O-rings in this connection to seal the
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passageways when you install The Cutting
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head just hand tighten the nut don't use
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a wrench or you can crush the O-rings
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causing this connection to leak and I
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like to line up the cutting head with
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the torch body
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valves it's a little more convenient to
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make the
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adjustments now all the equipment we've
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looked at so far can be used with either
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acetylene or
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propane we set up on an acetylene bottle
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but the same fuel gas regulator can be
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used on a common propane tank the only
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piece of equipment that's different
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depending on the fuel gas you use is the
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cutting tip and acetylene cutting tip is
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a one piece tip there's four to six
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small orifices around the outside for
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the preheat flames and the larger Center
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hole is the oxygen cutting jet orifice a
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cutting tip used with propane is a
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two-piece tip
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the grooves on the inner piece are for
00:10:01
the preheat Flames because the rate of
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burn for propane is slower you need a
00:10:07
bit more preheat flame now these tips
00:10:10
come in different sizes so let's take a
00:10:12
look at a cutting
00:10:15
chart the commonly used cutting tips
00:10:17
start at Triple L for Metals an eighth
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of an inch thick up to a number three
00:10:22
for Metals 2 in thick notice that the
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same acetylene pressure 3 to 5 lbs is
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used on on all the smaller tips and even
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the large tip only uses 4 to 8 lb the
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oxygen pressure varies from 20 lbs to 45
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lbs the thicker the metal the more
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pressure you need to get all the way
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through we'll be demonstrating on some
00:10:45
38 flat bar using a single lot tip with
00:10:49
5 lbs acetylene and 25 lb oxygen to make
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good Cuts you need to pay attention to
00:10:56
the tip size and pressure settings and
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cutting tip charts like this are
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available at welding supply stores now
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if you don't have the exact size tip you
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can still cut the metal in my shop I
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often use a single L tip to make small
00:11:10
cuts on a lot of different thickness
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Metals but if you're setting up to cut a
00:11:14
lot of one thickness or you're going
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after the thicker Metals the right siiz
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tip will definitely do a better job now
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these tips seal to The Cutting head on
00:11:25
this back surface so you want to protect
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this from getting ni are scratched if
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you do get a leak there the torch will
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make a steady popping
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sound and you need to replace the tip
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besides the torch outfit you'll need
00:11:45
some cutting goggles and this style fits
00:11:47
over safety glasses the number five
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filter lens is standard and I use clear
00:11:53
plastic lenses in front and in back to
00:11:55
protect the filter lens you need a
00:11:58
striker
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some tip cleaners and a chipping hammer
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you do want some good leather gloves cuz
00:12:06
this will be hot and when you're cutting
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metal that's dirty rusted or painted
00:12:10
keep a wire brush handy okay let's load
00:12:14
the system adjust the regulators and
00:12:17
light the
00:12:19
torch before the bottles are open we
00:12:21
need to make sure the valves on the
00:12:22
torch are closed we'll be adjusting the
00:12:25
preheat flame with the oxygen valve on
00:12:27
The Cutting head and the main acetylene
00:12:29
valve and right now we want both of
00:12:32
these closed the oxygen supplies both
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The Cutting jet and the preheat flame so
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the main oxygen valve is open all the
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way and we'll leave that open now
00:12:43
whenever you open bottles especially
00:12:45
high pressure bottles Like Oxygen you
00:12:47
want to stand behind the valve and
00:12:49
regulator just in case something does
00:12:51
come apart open the valve slowly so the
00:12:55
pressure doesn't Hammer the internal
00:12:57
diaphragms of the regulator
00:12:59
oxygen bottles are open all the way this
00:13:02
valve has two seats one to close the
00:13:05
bottle and the other to seal the valve
00:13:07
stem when the bottle's open so oxygen
00:13:10
bottles are open all the
00:13:12
way always use a bottle wrench to open
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the acetylene not a crescent wrench or
00:13:17
app pliers these bottles are only open a
00:13:20
quarter to half a turn and leave the
00:13:23
ranch in place if something does happen
00:13:26
and you need to shut the bottle down in
00:13:27
a hurry you don't want to have to look
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for something to do it with now we'll
00:13:32
make a cut on some 3/8 flat bar using a
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single lot tip so we want 5 lb acetylene
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and 25 lb oxygen you get a more accurate
00:13:42
reading when you adjust the regulator
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with a torch valve open so I'll open the
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main acetylene valve on the torch and
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screw the acetylene adjuster in to get 5
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lbs then close the torch valve again do
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the same with the oxygen open the torch
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valve screw in the adjuster to get 25
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lb and close the valve on the
00:14:12
torch now occasionally you need to check
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the system for leaks oxygen and
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acetylene are too expensive to let float
00:14:20
away and if the acetylene is leaking
00:14:23
sooner or later it will catch on
00:14:26
fire a simple way to check for leaks is
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to close the bottle
00:14:31
valve and watch the pressure gauges if
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they stay the same you're probably all
00:14:36
right if they bleed off you have a leak
00:14:40
and you can find it with a liquid leak
00:14:42
detector like soapy water all right the
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pressures are adjusted we don't have any
00:14:47
leaks let's light and adjust the
00:14:51
torch lighting and adjusting the torch
00:14:54
is simple but it's one more important
00:14:56
step to making good cuts there's two
00:14:59
things we need to consider here first
00:15:02
these cutting tips are designed to
00:15:04
operate with a certain amount of gas
00:15:06
flow that helps keep the tip from
00:15:08
overheating the amount of float also
00:15:11
determines the size of the
00:15:13
flame second we want the correct
00:15:15
relationship between the amount of
00:15:17
oxygen and acetylene we'll adjust the
00:15:20
gases to a neutral flame where both the
00:15:22
oxygen and acetylene are totally
00:15:25
consumed by the
00:15:26
flame if you're not familiar with the
00:15:28
Gest the torch a simple way is to open
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the main acetylene valve about a eighth
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of a turn and light
00:15:36
it slowly out of cylene until the flame
00:15:40
just about quits producing the soot or
00:15:43
smoke also notice how the flame has
00:15:46
started to feather out on the end this
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should be pretty close to the right
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amount of gas flow and Flame
00:15:53
size once the acetylene is adjusted
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slowly open the oxygen valve on the
00:15:58
torch head
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and the preheat Flames will
00:16:01
appear keep adding oxygen slowly until
00:16:04
the long flame comes together with the
00:16:06
preheat Flames to form sharp
00:16:10
cones this is a neutral flame and how we
00:16:13
want the torch
00:16:15
adjusted a neutral flame produces carbon
00:16:17
dioxide that purges air away from the
00:16:20
heated metal and keeps it from oxidizing
00:16:23
or burning until you push the oxygen
00:16:25
cutting jet lever if you don't add
00:16:28
enough oxygen the preheat Flames won't
00:16:30
sharpen up this is called a reducing
00:16:33
flame and there's an excess of acetylene
00:16:35
that will slow down the cut and mess up
00:16:37
the oxygen cutting jet if you add too
00:16:40
much oxygen you get an oxidizing flame
00:16:44
notice how the preheat Flames thin out
00:16:47
and the increased rushing noise of the
00:16:48
torch while this flame is a little
00:16:51
hotter the excess oxygen will burn the
00:16:54
surface of the metal and may actually
00:16:56
slow down the progress of the cut I'll
00:16:59
reduce the oxygen a
00:17:01
little when you have a neutral flame
00:17:04
push the oxygen cutting jet lever all
00:17:06
the way if the preheat Flames change you
00:17:10
can readjust the oxygen a little to
00:17:12
sharpen them up to shut the torch off
00:17:16
close the acetylene first then the
00:17:19
oxygen this way the oxygen snuffs out
00:17:22
the flame if you do it backwards you may
00:17:26
get fire going back down the torch or
00:17:28
end up with a little flame at the tip if
00:17:31
your acetylene valves leaking this is
00:17:33
easy to remember the fuel gas always
00:17:36
comes first you turn it on First and you
00:17:39
turn it off
00:17:40
first now while you're making the final
00:17:43
adjustments you can adjust the flame a
00:17:46
little bigger or a little smaller
00:17:49
depending on the situation but you can't
00:17:51
get too radical if the flame is too
00:17:54
small it'll take forever to get the
00:17:56
metal preheated and you may not have
00:17:59
enough heat to sustain the cut the flame
00:18:02
may also pop
00:18:04
out if you try for too big a flame you
00:18:07
may not be able to adjust the preheat
00:18:09
Flames properly but whatever the size
00:18:12
tip or flame always adjust it to a
00:18:16
neutral
00:18:17
flame also when you push the oxygen
00:18:20
cutting jet lever you may have to
00:18:22
readjust the flame a little bit if the
00:18:25
flame changes a lot check to make sure
00:18:28
that the main oxygen valve is open all
00:18:31
the way check the oxygen pressure
00:18:33
setting on the regulator and make sure
00:18:36
there's enough oxygen left in the
00:18:38
bottle now when you're first lighting
00:18:40
the torch the soot that acetylene
00:18:43
produces is like grease once you're
00:18:46
familiar with what the flame should look
00:18:48
like you can add a little oxygen before
00:18:51
you light the
00:18:52
torch open the acetylene about a eighth
00:18:55
of a turn and give it a little oxygen
00:19:02
then make your final
00:19:07
adjustments adding a little oxygen
00:19:10
before you light it just helps to
00:19:11
eliminate all that soot from floating
00:19:14
around if you're using propane instead
00:19:17
of acetylene adjust the torch the same
00:19:20
way you won't get to sit and smoke but
00:19:23
keep the flame from jumping away from
00:19:25
the tip then slowly add oxygen to get
00:19:28
get a neutral flame notice that there's
00:19:31
a lot more preheat flame with a propane
00:19:34
tip now I've got a piece of 38 flat bar
00:19:37
here so let's try to make a cut if you
00:19:41
ever have to cut close to concrete or in
00:19:43
the dirt be careful when concrete or
00:19:46
Stones get hot they pop sending pieces
00:19:49
flying in every direction also before
00:19:53
you do any kind of torch cutting you
00:19:55
need to know where the Sparks are going
00:19:58
okay let's give this a try
00:20:38
looks like I got lucky on this one so
00:20:40
let's take a look at it and figure out
00:20:42
how to do
00:20:44
that the cut is fairly straight and
00:20:47
smooth and there isn't much slag on the
00:20:49
bottom
00:20:50
side first of all you need to take your
00:20:53
time relax and make sure everything's
00:20:57
right before you start
00:20:59
this was new metal so it was clean and I
00:21:02
had a straight line for a guide I can't
00:21:05
tell you how many times someone has
00:21:07
drawn a line for me to cut that was so
00:21:10
crooked I had to ask them if they wanted
00:21:12
to cut that crooked or if they wanted it
00:21:14
cut straight give yourself a chance to
00:21:17
make a straight cut by drawing a
00:21:20
straight line and when you sharpen your
00:21:22
soap stone try leaving one side flat so
00:21:25
it rides right against the straight edge
00:21:30
now you want to rest your arm on the
00:21:32
table or the work so you can be steady
00:21:35
you need to get comfortable that's like
00:21:38
the number one rule for welders get
00:21:41
comfortable try holding the torch gently
00:21:43
between your thumb and forefinger right
00:21:46
at this
00:21:47
point now you can cut in either
00:21:50
direction but if you're right-handed
00:21:53
you'll find it's easier to cut from
00:21:55
right to left and if you're left-handed
00:21:57
it's opposite
00:21:59
heat the edge of the metal till it's
00:22:01
cherry red but you don't want it to melt
00:22:05
before you push the oxygen cutting jet
00:22:07
lever make sure you're right on the edge
00:22:09
or even back away from the metal a
00:22:11
little and move into it if that oxygen
00:22:14
cutting jet can't get all the way
00:22:16
through molten metal will come right
00:22:18
back up and contaminate the tip or even
00:22:21
hit you in the face when you push the
00:22:23
cutting jet lever push it all the way in
00:22:27
keep the preheat Flame FL up off the
00:22:29
metal a 16th to an eighth of an inch or
00:22:32
about 3 mm and try not to move the torch
00:22:35
head up and down have the torch nearly
00:22:38
perpendicular to the metal and move with
00:22:41
a steady smooth progression across the
00:22:44
cut ideally you want to move as fast as
00:22:48
you can and still have the oxygen
00:22:50
cutting jet go all the way
00:22:52
through the slot made when cutting is
00:22:55
called the curve the front edge is sort
00:22:57
of half around and while you're cutting
00:23:00
you want to watch right here and keep
00:23:03
this spot against the cut line when
00:23:06
you're done let off The Cutting jet
00:23:08
lever and turn off the
00:23:10
torch let's put this all together and
00:23:13
watch it one more time
00:23:31
now this really is simple but I've seen
00:23:33
people make some rough Cuts so let's
00:23:36
take a look at a few things that might
00:23:37
help you
00:23:39
out probably the number one reason for
00:23:42
not making a good cut is a dirty tip any
00:23:46
contamination on the face or cutting jet
00:23:49
orifice will cause the oxygen jet to
00:23:52
swirl slowing down the progress widening
00:23:55
the curve and gouging into the sides of
00:23:58
the curve keep some tip cleaners handy
00:24:01
and use the file looking thing to dress
00:24:03
up the face clean the preheat orifices
00:24:07
so the Flames will sharpen up and you
00:24:10
absolutely need to keep the cutting jet
00:24:12
orifice clean in the long run you'll
00:24:16
save time by taking a few moments to
00:24:18
keep your tip clean and I clean the
00:24:21
cutting jet orifice after every four or
00:24:23
five cuts cuz it's easier to keep it
00:24:26
clean than to let it get too messed up
00:24:28
and have to fix
00:24:30
it you want the metal as clean as
00:24:33
possible any impurities on the surface
00:24:35
will take heat away from the cut slowing
00:24:39
down the progress in a shop most of the
00:24:42
metal will be new but when you start
00:24:44
making repairs or modifications use a
00:24:48
wire brush to clean dirty or rusted
00:24:50
metal and paint can be burned with a
00:24:53
torch then brushed
00:24:56
off check the bottom side to any
00:24:59
contaminants on the bottom may stop the
00:25:01
oxygen cutting jet from getting all the
00:25:03
way through if the preheat Flames are
00:25:06
adjusted too big or you have an
00:25:09
oxidizing Flame the top edge of the
00:25:11
curve can burn and meld
00:25:14
away if there's not enough oxygen
00:25:17
pressure The Cutting jet may not get all
00:25:19
the way through and too much oxygen
00:25:23
pressure can cause the curve to widen at
00:25:25
the
00:25:27
bottom now with torch cutting like this
00:25:30
we're actually burning the metal and
00:25:33
slag is the oxides formed by this
00:25:35
Burning process ideally the slag should
00:25:39
blow through the cut if the metal gets
00:25:42
hot enough the slag will stick to the
00:25:45
bottom
00:25:46
Edge you want the cut to progress
00:25:49
smoothly that's why you need a clean tip
00:25:52
clean metal and the torch and Regulators
00:25:55
adjusted properly when the prog press
00:25:58
slows down for any reason the metal
00:26:01
heats up and the slag will stick now
00:26:05
this happens to everybody you can't
00:26:07
always make a perfect cut generally the
00:26:11
slide comes off easily using a chipping
00:26:13
hammer and hitting it back towards the
00:26:16
edge if you're not cutting all the way
00:26:19
through first check to make sure nothing
00:26:22
is on the bottom side of the metal if
00:26:25
that's okay you may not have enough
00:26:27
oxygen pressure
00:26:28
or you're trying to move too fast
00:26:32
instead of the slag blowing through you
00:26:34
can see it coming right back up in the
00:26:36
curve kind of making a mess of things
00:26:39
when this happens you can't just back up
00:26:42
and start over because that slag melts
00:26:45
before the metal and you won't be able
00:26:47
to get all the way through one thing you
00:26:50
can try is to back up to where the cut
00:26:52
is good preheat one edge of the curve
00:26:55
and cut the metal right alongside of the
00:26:57
first first cut you will end up with
00:27:00
some grinding to clean it up but you can
00:27:03
get going again not cutting through
00:27:06
takes some time to fix and you're way
00:27:08
better off avoiding it if the cut just
00:27:11
stops while you're moving along check
00:27:14
the preheat Flames to make sure you have
00:27:16
enough heat to sustain the cut but most
00:27:19
likely you're moving too fast as long as
00:27:22
you were cutting all the way through you
00:27:25
can restart right where you stopped
00:27:28
there's probably a little slag on the
00:27:30
bottom side where the cut stopped so
00:27:32
when you preheat again make sure the
00:27:34
metal gets plenty hot and always let off
00:27:37
The Cutting jet lever to preheat the
00:27:39
metal if that slag on the bottom side
00:27:42
isn't hot enough The Cutting jet may not
00:27:45
get through and it can gouge out the
00:27:47
bottom of the
00:27:48
curve now when you're making long cuts
00:27:51
you can't make the whole cut in one shot
00:27:55
you'll have to stop and reposition
00:27:57
yourself
00:27:58
you can restart right in the
00:28:01
curve if one piece is not going to be
00:28:04
used you can start on that edge move up
00:28:07
to the cut and keep on
00:28:09
going on finished cuts that need to be
00:28:13
polished out you can cut away from the
00:28:15
line a little reposition yourself and
00:28:19
restart in the cutout this way you can
00:28:22
be sure not to leave gouges where you
00:28:24
begin again there's always a chance of
00:28:27
gouging in into the sides of the curve
00:28:29
when restarting so try to keep the stops
00:28:32
and starts to a minimum earlier we made
00:28:36
a straight cut on some 3/8 flat bar
00:28:39
let's take a look at some other cutting
00:28:43
situations when you start trying to cut
00:28:45
thicker metal everything is a little
00:28:47
more critical it's not that it's any
00:28:50
harder to cut but rather that if you
00:28:52
mess up it's a whole lot more difficult
00:28:54
to fix definitely use the right tips ex
00:28:58
size and gas pressures clean the metal
00:29:01
and have a good cut line you want to
00:29:03
have the torch head straight up and down
00:29:06
in both directions and sometimes I'll
00:29:08
even have someone watch from this
00:29:10
direction to make sure I don't tip the
00:29:12
torch out and make the cut at an angle
00:29:15
you don't need to get the whole side red
00:29:17
hot just the top Edge then rotate the
00:29:21
tip back a little to catch the corner
00:29:23
push the cutting jet lever rotate the
00:29:26
tip straight up and down again and start
00:29:35
moving this is inch and a/4 metal using
00:29:38
a number one tip with 5 lb acetylene and
00:29:41
40 lb oxygen you want to go slow enough
00:29:44
so the cutting jet has time to go all
00:29:46
the way through too slow is better than
00:29:49
too fast you might have some slag stick
00:29:52
to the metal but that's a whole lot
00:29:54
better than losing the cut the thicker
00:29:56
the metal the more you need to take your
00:29:59
time and be ready you'll be a lot
00:30:01
happier with yourself if you do it right
00:30:03
the first time when you're cutting
00:30:06
thinner gauge Metals the problem you run
00:30:09
into is that the metal gets so hot from
00:30:11
the preheat flame that the slag sticks
00:30:14
in the curf and kind of welds the metal
00:30:16
back together if you're using a triple
00:30:19
out tip you can make a pretty good cut
00:30:22
but more often than not these cuts are
00:30:24
made with a tip that's too big try
00:30:26
holding the torch at a a steep angle in
00:30:29
the direction of the cut and go fast
00:30:41
M keep moving if you hesitate it all the
00:30:45
metal will glue itself back together now
00:30:48
anytime you put heat to gauge metals
00:30:50
they will warp especially on larger
00:30:53
pieces if this will affect the project
00:30:55
you're working on you can have the piece
00:30:58
pieces sheared to
00:30:59
size all the cuts we've made so far have
00:31:02
been in the flat position if you're
00:31:04
cutting across or horizontally
00:31:07
everything works about the same for a
00:31:10
vertical cut you can either cut uphill
00:31:13
or
00:31:14
downhill on thinner metal you get a
00:31:17
nicer cut traveling down because the
00:31:20
Heat's rising and you're cutting into
00:31:21
cooler metal on thicker Metals I like to
00:31:25
cut up because the metals being preheat
00:31:28
it a little also if the slag isn't
00:31:31
blowing clear it's running down on the
00:31:33
back side and you're cutting up into
00:31:35
clean metal one of the biggest factors
00:31:38
in determining whether you cut up or
00:31:41
down will be where you can position
00:31:43
yourself to see the cut
00:31:45
line to help in making straight cuts you
00:31:48
can use a straight edge and there are a
00:31:51
lot of different styles of homemade or
00:31:53
shopmade straight edges this is a piece
00:31:55
of 1-in pipe welded to a ice grip you
00:31:59
can clamp it on a piece of flat bar rest
00:32:02
the tip against the pipe and make the
00:32:04
cut a straight edge helps hold the torch
00:32:07
steady and let you concentrate more on a
00:32:09
smooth travel speed I like to use a
00:32:12
piece of 1-in pipe with a/2 in round
00:32:15
stock handle it's easy to move around
00:32:17
and good for awkward cutting positions
00:32:20
this one does take a little getting used
00:32:22
to because you only get to hold the
00:32:24
torch with one
00:32:25
hand this is a magnetic brass straight
00:32:28
edge for cutting plate magnets hold it
00:32:31
in place along the cut line and you can
00:32:33
make longer Cuts without
00:32:36
stopping these straight edges are handy
00:32:39
but they don't automatically guarantee a
00:32:41
good cut before you can use these
00:32:44
effectively you need to know how to
00:32:46
handle the
00:32:47
torch now when you're preparing metal
00:32:50
for weld joints you'll sometimes need to
00:32:52
Bevel The Edge on metal that's 38 of an
00:32:56
inch or less you can just grind the
00:32:58
bevel on thicker Metals it's easier to
00:33:01
cut the bevel with a
00:33:02
torch bevels are generally around a 30°
00:33:06
angle and ideally the top Edge should be
00:33:09
straight you also want to leave a flat
00:33:12
spot called a landing on the bottom Edge
00:33:15
when you're welding the top Edge acts as
00:33:18
a guide to keep the finished weld bead
00:33:20
straight and the landing helps carry the
00:33:22
heat so you don't burn the bottom edges
00:33:25
away before you start you can draw a
00:33:28
line as a
00:33:29
guide angle the torch so you're not
00:33:32
cutting through the bottom corner
00:33:34
because a lot of the heat is just
00:33:36
blowing off the edge the cut speed will
00:33:38
be slower if the cut stops let off The
00:33:42
Cutting J lever jump out to the edge
00:33:45
preheat cut back to the line and keep on
00:33:49
going using a straight edge to Bevel
00:33:51
helps keep the torch steady on long
00:33:54
bevels cut out to the edge reposition
00:33:57
yourself cut back into the line and go
00:34:01
again you'll probably get slags sticking
00:34:04
to the bottom Edge because of the slower
00:34:06
travel speed but it comes off
00:34:09
easily another situation you'll run into
00:34:12
is making a cut where you don't have an
00:34:14
edge to start on like making a cutout
00:34:17
for a pipe to go through start inside
00:34:20
the cutout and preheat a little more
00:34:23
than you would on the edge ease The
00:34:25
Cutting jet lever on and start moving M
00:34:27
the tip the slag will come up in the
00:34:30
curve until you're all the way through
00:34:33
then move up to the line and make the
00:34:39
cut by moving the tip on the start the
00:34:42
slag won't jump up and contaminate the
00:34:44
tip and if it does take a few seconds to
00:34:47
clean the tip occasionally you get in
00:34:50
the position where you need to save both
00:34:52
the inside and outside pieces so you'll
00:34:55
have to start right on the cut line
00:34:58
here again preheat a little hotter Ease
00:35:01
on The Cutting Jet and move the tip when
00:35:04
you're all the way through cut back just
00:35:07
a little then go on to make the
00:35:10
cut you're able to cut back through the
00:35:13
slag because everything is still hot
00:35:15
from preheating for the start by cutting
00:35:18
back a little you'll have a relatively
00:35:20
clean place to finish if you leave that
00:35:24
mess when you come all the way around to
00:35:26
finish and the cutting jet hits the cold
00:35:28
slag it'll probably gouge into the sides
00:35:31
of the
00:35:32
curve now cutting torches like this
00:35:35
don't like to cut through two pieces of
00:35:37
metal at one time sometimes you'll get
00:35:40
lucky but most of the time the second
00:35:42
piece won't get hot enough stopping the
00:35:45
cutting jet from getting through and the
00:35:47
slag comes back up in the
00:35:50
curve the best you can do is to angle
00:35:52
the torch and wallow through the top
00:35:54
piece blowing out the slag until you can
00:35:57
preheat the bottom one and this is never
00:36:07
pretty when you're through the first
00:36:09
piece and preheating the second one you
00:36:12
need to be careful the tip doesn't get
00:36:14
so hot that it
00:36:15
melts besides cutting flat bar a plate
00:36:19
sooner or later you want to cut some
00:36:20
solid round stock or rebar these don't
00:36:23
have an edge to start on and keep in
00:36:26
mind how thick this is so you can adjust
00:36:28
the oxygen pressure to get all the way
00:36:31
through get the metal good and hot
00:36:34
rotate the tip back a little push the
00:36:36
cutting Jad lever rotate the tip
00:36:39
straight up and down and cut it
00:36:42
off if you're cutting rebar the higher
00:36:45
ridges will get hot faster and give you
00:36:47
a quicker
00:36:49
start when you're cutting pipe you want
00:36:52
to keep the tip of the torch pointed at
00:36:54
the center of the pipe use a pipe wrap
00:36:57
to draw a line for a square cut if you
00:37:01
can spin the pipe try starting on the
00:37:03
side and cut to the top the cut line is
00:37:07
easy to see and the torch is in a
00:37:09
comfortable
00:37:17
position slag will probably stick to the
00:37:20
inside especially on thinner wall pipe
00:37:23
but you can make a good square cut even
00:37:27
if I'm not able to roll the pipe I still
00:37:29
usually start on the bottom and cut to
00:37:31
the top mainly because I can see the cut
00:37:34
line
00:37:35
better when you're fabricating in the
00:37:38
field or making repairs you may need to
00:37:41
burn a bolt hole I like to make cross
00:37:44
lines for a reference to help keep it
00:37:46
round you don't have an edge to start on
00:37:49
so get the metal hot Ease on The Cutting
00:37:52
Jet and move the tip when you're all the
00:37:55
way through Circle the torch making the
00:37:58
hole a little bigger every time using
00:38:01
the cross lines to keep the hole
00:38:03
centered and
00:38:05
[Music]
00:38:15
round you'll probably end up with some
00:38:17
slag on the bottom side but with
00:38:19
practice you'll be able to drill some
00:38:21
pretty nice holes with a torch for
00:38:24
bigger holes or if you need to cut round
00:38:27
pie pieces you can use a circle
00:38:29
burner the torch fits into it and
00:38:32
there's an adjustable point that you put
00:38:34
in a center punch mark on the metal
00:38:37
preheat fairly hot and ease into the
00:38:40
start keeping the tip moving cut back a
00:38:43
little then just pivot it
00:38:52
around if you have several holes to cut
00:38:56
this saves layout time and all the holes
00:38:58
are
00:38:59
identical in making repairs you may also
00:39:02
run into the situation where you have to
00:39:05
cut apart a t joint you can cut just
00:39:08
above the
00:39:12
[Applause]
00:39:17
weld then start slicing It Off
00:39:29
[Applause]
00:39:33
when you get close to the base you start
00:39:36
washing off the metal back the torch
00:39:39
away and ease off The Cutting jet lever
00:39:41
to slow down the cutting jet watch the
00:39:44
back side of the cut stream to make sure
00:39:46
it's not gouging into the base metal
00:39:52
[Applause]
00:40:00
you can get pretty close washing that
00:40:02
metal off and it saves on the grinding
00:40:05
time in repairs or mechanick you may run
00:40:08
into nuts and bolts that are rusted on
00:40:11
so hard that you have to cut them off on
00:40:14
a bol head don't go for the whole thing
00:40:16
at one time start at the top and Slice
00:40:20
It Off
00:40:29
when you get to the bottom ease off The
00:40:31
Cutting Jet and wash it off taking care
00:40:34
of not the gouge into the base metal on
00:40:36
the back side of the cut
00:40:45
[Applause]
00:40:59
small nuts that are rusted on can be cut
00:41:01
off the same way the whole thing will
00:41:04
get hot enough to slice through both the
00:41:06
nut and the bolt on larger nuts you
00:41:09
won't be able to get all the way through
00:41:12
an easy way to get this off is to cut
00:41:14
right alongside the
00:41:25
bowl jump to the other side and do the
00:41:28
[Applause]
00:41:40
same then you use a hammer to knock the
00:41:42
pieces
00:41:45
off now some of the bigger bolts are
00:41:48
expensive or you may not have another
00:41:50
one available so you can cut the nut off
00:41:53
and leave the threads to reuse the bolt
00:41:56
it works about the same way as cutting
00:41:58
the nut off only make the first cut away
00:42:01
from the bowl a little then wash it
00:42:03
[Applause]
00:42:07
off as soon as the threads pop through
00:42:10
you have to quit or you'll Nick the
00:42:12
threads
00:42:18
[Applause]
00:42:27
[Applause]
00:42:40
I guarantee that when you do that for
00:42:41
somebody you'll fool them into thinking
00:42:43
you know what you're doing with a
00:42:45
cutting torch now we've been washing
00:42:47
metal off with a regular cutting tip
00:42:50
this is a scarfing tip the tip is angled
00:42:53
so the oxygen cutting jet is parallel to
00:42:55
the metal this helps to keep from
00:42:57
gouging into the metal on the back side
00:43:00
The Cutting orifice is also larger to
00:43:03
slow down and spread out the cutting jet
00:43:06
this tip can be used to remove weld from
00:43:08
a joint where both pieces are going to
00:43:10
be saved and to gouge out a bevel while
00:43:13
making
00:43:15
repairs well that's about it I hope I've
00:43:18
given you some ideas on how to handle a
00:43:20
torch you really won't know it though
00:43:23
until you do it and see it for yourself
00:43:25
at the end of your own cutting torch
00:43:28
remember keep your tip clean get
00:43:31
comfortable before you start and
00:43:33
concentrate on the cut while it's
00:43:35
happening know where your Sparks are
00:43:37
going and look up occasionally to check
00:43:40
for fire there's one more thing we need
00:43:42
to do
00:43:45
yet when you're finished like rolling up
00:43:47
at the end of the day you want to bleed
00:43:49
the pressure off the system close both
00:43:52
bottle valves
00:44:00
and starting with the acetylene open the
00:44:02
main torch valve when all the pressure
00:44:06
bleeds off screw the regulator adjuster
00:44:08
out so the next time the bottles are
00:44:10
open the internal diaphragms don't get
00:44:13
hammered and there's not a lot of
00:44:14
friction inside the regulator from The
00:44:16
Surge of gas close the torch valve and
00:44:20
bleed the oxygen the same way
00:44:32
and you're finished have fun with this
00:44:35
and above all else keep Safety First
00:44:41
[Music]
00:44:58
n
00:45:02
[Music]