Oxy Acetylene Welding Question

[7th Kahuna]

I am an absolute welding novice (as in never tried it) but have the opportunity to pick up an Oxy Acetylene torch set (tanks included) for what seems to be about half the going rate (estate sale). I would appreciate anyone's opinion as to whether it would be a good investment and any pitfalls to be aware of in purchasing it used. It is older equipment and probably hasn't been used in more than 10 years. The gentleman was in his late 90's.

I don't do much metal work, but I could see it being one of those things you pass up and then see a use for the following week.

I have been thinking about picking up a MIG unit for a while but this opportunity just dropped into my lap.

Thanks.

 

[SteveCh]

I took a night course at a local junior college in welding, about half was devoted to cutting and welding with acetylene, the other half electric.

It was worth tons to me though the fee was about $40 plus some personal gear [gloves, hammer, glasses, etc., stuff you'll need anyway].

Highly recommended.

Anyhow, to the rest of your question. If the price is right, sounds good. I have a pair of pretty old tanks, never had an issue. If the rest of the things are in good shape, no problem. The torch/handle set-up will have some tiny O-rings that may be cracked and are easily replaceable.

As to using the set-up, I do sporadically. However, when I need it, I need it. It's one of those things that can save the day and come in really, really handy. You will find a number of chores to do with it that you never thought of, once you have it. I can go for several months without firing mine up, then I'll use it three days in a row.

 

[1982fxr]

I've asked this question and so have others, about a novice buying used/unknown torch sets. The collective opinion always seems to be that torches have too steep a learning curve for a rookie who knows nothing (myself included) to buy an unknown set in an unknown condition.

Seems like sound advice to me. I would look for a set currently in use and being sold by an owner who can tell you about it and use it in front of you. That's just how I look at it for myself, as I don't have a torch yet either.

 

[APEowner]

It sounds like the price leaves you room to address this if it's a problem but be aware that hoses can dry rot and should be replaced as soon as any signs of checking occur. As you might imagine a leaky hose is a major safety issue. As SteveCh said you may need to replace some o-rings as well. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about age. My setup is almost 30 years old now (that's depressing, I bought it new) and works as good as new. I always exchange tanks at refill time so I don't get stuck with a need for re-certification.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

To be Honest,, telling a novice to go buy some unknown torch would be like telling a third grader to drive the school bus......

There is too much that you do not know.... Take a welding class (welding supply or community college) or learn from someone who has been properly trained.....

I won't get into tank leases or ownership, flashback arrestors, hose and torch condition, regulators and proper operating pressure, proper transportation and securement of tanks...

 

[Alchymist]

Buy the dang things, set them aside, then take the classes, then evaluate and use them.

 

[7th Kahuna]

Buy the dang things, set them aside, then take the classes, then evaluate and use them.

That was kind of my thought. I know a guy who welded pipelines for a major utility, now retired. Thought I might go talk to him and see if he wanted to take on a student.

In any case, from what I have seen, the pieces are worth more than the price even if I had to trash part of it. That said, there are two to choose from so the more I know going in, the better off I may be. I wasn't planning to weld up a car frame next week.

 

[7th Kahuna]

Getting back to my original question, part referred to conditional issues and components and part referred to the technology. I know gas welding is an older technology. Is it primarily the the domain of old timers and structural steel guys or is it just as relevant today as electric welding and a worthwhile place for a novice to be investing time and money?

From what I have read, the answer seems to be yes. But then I talked to a guy the other day who was all about MIG and TIG and couldn't see any point in me learning anything other than MIG to start out. I was curious to see what a group as diverse as this would have to say.

 

[Roots]

Getting back to my original question, part referred to conditional issues and components and part referred to the technology. I know gas welding is an older technology. Is it primarily the the domain of old timers and structural steel guys or is it just as relevant today as electric welding and a worthwhile place for a novice to be investing time and money?

From what I have read, the answer seems to be yes. But then I talked to a guy the other day who was all about MIG and TIG and couldn't see any point in me learning anything other than MIG to start out. I was curious to see what a group as diverse as this would have to say.

Gas welding is a dying art, in heavy industry it seems to really only still be prevalent in some pipe work. Many gas setups tend to now primarily be used just for cutting, there's also a big push to phase out acetylene for various forms of propane. As it's cheaper, faster, more efficient, and significantly safer. If you do keep it, change out the hoses. It might also be worthwhile to take the regulators, check valves, flashback arrestor, etc. into a welders supply house to be checked out.

 

[APEowner]

I have both a MIG and a TIG with stick capabilities and I still gas weld on occasion. I also braze, heat cut and anneal with the torches. In addition once you learn to gas weld then all the other process come pretty quickly.

 

[HMCFab9]

If the price is right... buy it.
As far as using them to weld..... if you want to for your own personal stuff, that's ok. Realistically, very few people or industries have any use for welding that way.
It would be nice to have a cutting torch though. (if you have a use for it)
The other problem is: were the tanks bought or leased? If they were leased, the lease is probably up. If he bought them, you may need a way to prove that they are your tanks when you go to fill them. Some places will not fill a tank unless you prove ownership.

 

[TwoInch]

learning gas welding will put you ahead of the curve if and when you go to electric welding of any sort.

while gas welding is not as common as it used to be, it is still relevant, and very useful. i say buy it up if the price is right, and find a buddy who know his ****, or take it to a torch repair joint, and have them tune it up and look it over.

do you know what brand handle the torch is? that would be my deciding factor really. there are some that are outdated, and possibly might cost a bunch to find parts.

all in all, i enjoy gas welding more than other types generally, even if its less efficient. its definitely fun.

 

[7th Kahuna]

do you know what brand handle the torch is? that would be my deciding factor really. there are some that are outdated, and possibly might cost a bunch to find parts.

Thanks TwoInch and everyone else for the input. As I mentioned, there are two set-ups there. I didn't happen to notice the names as I wasn't in the market as that particular moment. Are there names you might especially recommend (or recommend against) just off the top of your head?

 

[7th Kahuna]

If the price is right... buy it.
As far as using them to weld..... if you want to for your own personal stuff, that's ok. Realistically, very few people or industries have any use for welding that way.
It would be nice to have a cutting torch though. (if you have a use for it)
The other problem is: were the tanks bought or leased? If they were leased, the lease is probably up. If he bought them, you may need a way to prove that they are your tanks when you go to fill them. Some places will not fill a tank unless you prove ownership.

I would expect to pay less than $100 for the full set-up including tips, tanks, gauges, and cart. I am glad to know about the tanks. I assume if they were leased there would be some sort of identification on them, of course the lack of such ID would hardly be proof of ownership.

 

[rodm1]

It would have to be cheep cheep for me. You might end up with nothing to show for it.

 

[Zeke]

I would not buy anything in the way of gas welding unless there is gas in the tanks and you can test the gauges. They can be rebuilt, but if they are not something special, it's not worth it.

I will address the comment about a class being half welding and half cutting: it should be one third of each and one third safety. Don't do anything with oxy/act welding equipment w/o familiarizing yourself with the safety aspects. Actually, there are enough safety videos on YouTube to more or less satisfy the requirement.

Here are the things that can be wrong:
Acetylene bottle turned on its side and then the valve opened. Destroys the gauge.
O rings in the torch and tips. You'll get some hellacious flashes if they leak.
Seals and rings in the gauges.
Old hoses. Should replace anyway.
Lease bottles, can't get them filled in most cases, not all.
Out of date bottles need to be tested. Not that expensive, but it still adds a couple of twenties for a fill.

Having a gas setup is nice for cutting and heating. You really can't beat it for some projects. I mean I roughed out a railroad rail for an anvil with the cutting torch. I can't see trying that with a grinder or saw of any kind.

 

[7th Kahuna]

^^ Thanks for chiming in Zeke. Didn't you used to teach welding? Seem to remember you saying that at some point. I did check out some of the videos on YouTube just to get an initial feel. One of the guys made quite a point about inspecting hoses and testing all the fittings with soapy water. (I was listening . . . ).

How long does a full bottle last on average? (These are not the short bottles I see new today.) If there were enough gas, it might be worth it just to be able to learn.

 

[Zeke]

^^ Thanks for chiming in Zeke. Didn't you used to teach welding? Seem to remember you saying that at some point. I did check out some of the videos on YouTube just to get an initial feel. One of the guys made quite a point about inspecting hoses and testing all the fittings with soapy water. (I was listening . . . ).

How long does a full bottle last on average? (These are not the short bottles I see new today.) If there were enough gas, it might be worth it just to be able to learn.

No, I never taught welding, but I have gone to school and I'm repeating what I learned. You would have to work all week really going at it to run through a bottle. Cutting does use up the O2 faster. A lot of it depends on what size tip is used and how long you can stand there blazing away. I'd be surprised that if you're not doing demolition work with the torch that you'd have it lit more than 15 minutes out of any hour.

If that.

 

[7th Kahuna]

^^ Funny, could have sworn it was you. In any case, when I go back later this week I'll have to check out the gauges and in the process, check the fill of the bottles.

 

[Bret888]

learning gas welding will put you ahead of the curve if and when you go to electric welding of any sort.

while gas welding is not as common as it used to be, it is still relevant, and very useful. i say buy it up if the price is right, and find a buddy who know his ****, or take it to a torch repair joint, and have them tune it up and look it over.

do you know what brand handle the torch is? that would be my deciding factor really. there are some that are outdated, and possibly might cost a bunch to find parts.

all in all, i enjoy gas welding more than other types generally, even if its less efficient. its definitely fun.

That sums it up for me, as well. I don't do production work, usually repair jobs, that may need weld, braze, bend, forge, cut or whatever, the oxy/acetalene is the most versatile thing out there.

 

[sloppy]

I would expect to pay less than $100 for the full set-up including tips, tanks, gauges, and cart. I am glad to know about the tanks. I assume if they were leased there would be some sort of identification on them, of course the lack of such ID would hardly be proof of ownership.

For a $100 bucks its a no brainer.. You should buy them. You can flip them all day long on craigslist and make money at that price.. Locally I see complete setups just like that selling for $300 in the same exact unknown condition..

 

[TwoInch]

Thanks TwoInch and everyone else for the input. As I mentioned, there are two set-ups there. I didn't happen to notice the names as I wasn't in the market as that particular moment. Are there names you might especially recommend (or recommend against) just off the top of your head?

torch names to look for would be

Victor, great customer support and part readily available locally anywhere. i think even the HF torch stuff is victor compatible.

Harris, another top quality, readily available locally(usually) and some of their offerings are victor compatible

Smith, generally considered top top quality, less available, around me anyways it seems. im not super familiar with them, but they are highly regarded.

my personal favorite torch handles and systems are Concoa, which is an AirCo style torch. generally accepted as "outdated" and not popular locally. parts are harder to come by, have to order the stuff usually. i like the valves, handle layout, and the smaller diameter corn cob style handles too.

as a beginner, i always recommend starting with a victor(or victor style copy), they are tried true, and very available locally anywhere in the USA. there are other quality brands, such as Purox, Oxyweld, UniWeld, Goss, ESAB, ETC...

im assuming these are going to be old models, like 20-30+ years old, so likely to be an AirCo, Smith, Harris, etc... shoot for something other than AirCo in my opinion for parts availabilty, and general quality/usability