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Oxy-acetylene torch on oxy-propane ?

A woman I know is looking to buy a new torch for oxy-propane use for localised heating of glass. She currently has an old oxy-acetylene torch and is using it with oxy-propane which seems to work OK but the torch seems to be obsolete and tips not available and she only has a 2 tip, when tried with my OA torch a 5 or 7 worked much better for the task. Many torches are available cheaply for OA and some can be gotten with OP mixers.

My question is what benefit does using a mixer designed for OP use have against using a OA mixer for OP.

TIA Dave

Reply to
David Billington
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Ive got an old Prestolite torch I could stick in an envelope..only one tip though Gunner

Reply to
Gunner

In Seattle the most common torch used for glass work is a Harris. They have the highest throughput of gas of any handpiece.

I believe this is the one.

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Run it with 3/8" hoses and a high output regulator.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Thanks Ernie,

For me many of the pages on the Harris site don't display a lot of the pictures and the 43-2 is one of them but searching elsewhere has shown the type of torch. It would appear much larger than is necessary at the moment. Some other searching on the Harris site has turned up

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and
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which gives an explanation of the mixer types. From those details it would seem that the standard mixer used in an OA torch is fine on the OP set-up being used as both gases are provided to the torch from high pressure regulators so not requiring the F type mixer.

Do you get involved in Pilchuck as this torch use is glassblowing related.

I also noted that the Harris tip numbering system may be different to that I am used to in the UK. At least with my old BOC torch, I still use the same tips, I read the tip number is the nominal flow in CFH on OA. I know from testing at the studio with my torch that a 5 and 7 work well on OP and I have a selection to 18.

Reply to
David Billington

No but I am good friends with the owner of the only Torch and Regulator repair shop in Seattle. He is the one who told me about the Harris hand piece.

All manufacturers use different number systems for their tips.

Personally I prefer Victor since they have the best valves in the business.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

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