Scrap cutting torches

We find ourselves cutting a fair amount of scrap stuff, thick and thin, small and big.

Things like this, for example:

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I am looking for some opinions as to what is the most perfect gas cutting rig, from the standpoint of cost and performance. Someone told me that the best is a long cutting torch that burns propane.

Opinions? Brands etc?

i
Reply to
Ignoramus28895
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Ignoramus28895 fired this volley in news:Iemdncf4CYkj6nrSnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

'Had a guy come and salvage three old Conex boxes that had rusted too far for us to use as magazines. 40' "high cube"... 8x40x101"

He had an old Victor about three feet long with a huge cutting tip. He ran oxy-propane, and cut the hell out of those three boxes; in about three working days, he had all of them reduced to 6x10 scraps that fit his trailer.

LLoyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

OK, thanks Lloyd...

Reply to
Ignoramus28895

Oxygen-gasoline is very good for such things. There are multiple makes.

Petrogen is kind of expensive when new though:

But the savings on acetylene adds up fast, and the oxy-gasoline torch is far more capable than any acetylene torch for cutting.

Don't know what this costs:

There are lots of non-US makes. I've read articles that say that

3rd-world shipbreakers use oxy-gasoline.

Joe Gwinn

Reply to
Joseph Gwinn

Several large local scrapyards run prop_air cutting torches - a big propane tank on the the old pettibone, and a big air tank charged by the engine driven compressor.

Reply to
clare

As a child, my cousins cut up steel to make prepared grade for the price improvement. They used a BIG torch, propane and an air compressor. I tried it and couldn't make it work well. Must be a trick to it.

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

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How thick & how portable does it need to be? If not too thick/portable, plasma might be cost effective (avoid buying gases). But there is the up-front cost. And doing-the-numbers might be hard: how would you figure the cost of cutting a unit area with gas and with plasma?

Reply to
Bob Engelhardt

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Either air/propane or for thicker stuff oxy/propane. Most scrapyards have both on hand. Both equipped with long cutting heads so you can cut well away from you without needing to climb on stuff.

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Reply to
Steve W.

All the scrap yards I have been to use 4 foot cutting torches running number 6 tips on propane. They run from manifolds of bottles for the gas supplies of propane and oxygen. Use 3/8" T-grade hoses.

Propane is an excellent cutting fuel as long as you crank the flame UP. For extensive cutting either go to a rack of oxygen cylinders or a liquid oxygen rig.

The racks are supplied with 8, 16, 32, or 64 bottles, and can be crane lifted, or forklifted as a unit. The bottles are all connected so you have one gang connector for the whole rack.

Liquid oxygen systems are only efficient if used quickly, as the bottle is bleeding off constantly.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

The local yard cuts up large oil field castings that went wrong or large large gears. They have an on-site LOX machine and feed tanks for the large lance.

The guy in a space suit - all metal - and massive gloves.

He would have a hole with paper and oil. Light it with a propane torch and toss it aside.

Pick up the lance, tested the LOX (valve at the end of the lance) and swing it into the fire - trying to and igniting the lance.

I'd like to say it was front loaded with magnesium which got white hot fast. Then adding LOX and singing it onto steel. It would slice nicely - some catches with the massive flow of cut metal. A crane would lift the work high and drop it - and the torch when to work on what wasn't broken into a certain size.

They got to sell the 'free' scrap back to the foundry. The cost of busines was balanced well - free metal, spend money on it - delivery it and get paid.

I got to watch while checking out the lot for metal to buy.

Mart> >

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

I would never be able to do that!!

i
Reply to
Ignoramus25088

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