Harris cutting torch?

All that you wrote is basically why I stick to Victor anymore. I also like older Airco cutting torches and also Smith torches for brazing or soldering, but Victor stuff is just really well known and easy to match up to.

I have worked at places that used Harris torches and I liked them fine.

Good luck, and don't forget to keep your eyes open for a 14" cold saw. I was just down in Costa Mesa checking out Leigh's cute little 10" saw, too small for me but otherwise looked like a gem.

Grant

Gunner wrote:

commits suicide"

You in So Cal? And you didnt call??

Gunner

commits suicide"

"Liberalism is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide"

- James Burnham

Sears torches were and I believe still are made by Harris.

Dan

commits suicide"

That's a heckuva deal. Can't see the torch but I'd guess it to be a Harris, don't remember seeing a Craftsman torch that wasn't.

John

commits suicide"

This may not have been such a great deal after all....sigh...

The low side Acetylene gauge doesnt work. However the regulator does work, with no leaks. I really dont much like not having a low side gage... about $13 when I decide to replace the gage..

At rest..with no flow from the torch..the oxy low side gauge starts rising..indicating a likely blown diaphram About $35 for a regulator rebuild. Hopefuly Ive a good one in my Welding Stuff...cringe..

When I took the oxy tank in yesterday...they told me it was out of date..and I had to pay an additional $25 for a hydro when they swapped tanks (first time Sims-Orange ever did that to me..damnit) and after I got back to my RV and put it all together to see if it would actually work..test the gauges and so forth..the hose barb on the acetylene gauge connection promptly busted off inside the farrel.. Fortunately there is enough barb sticking out to allow me to stick the hose back on and secure it with a hose clamp. The Prestolite acy tank is also out of date..but appears to be nearly full.

It actually does make a nice hot small flame from the brazing tip (which desperately needs cleaning). On the other hand...after taking the torch into a welding supply shop and trying the usual Harris fittings..they are too big. So this may be a special handle and may be hard to find a cutting attachment for.

Sigh...I may not have gotten such a good deal after all...shrug...win some, lose some..break even on some...

Gunner

"Liberalism is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide"

- James Burnham

Something I can do, or is it rebuild shop only thingy? Ive actually never had one apart before.

Gunner

commits suicide"

"Liberalism is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide"

- James Burnham

No. It's a worn seat. Much cheaper to fix than a blown diaphragm.

commits suicide"

That depends. On older Smith regulators they actually came with extra seats, and it was trivial to install them. Sourcing the part may also be difficult - you may wind up getting it rebuilt. $35 to rebuild a regulator is a screaming deal anyway.

GWE

And $25 for a tank hydro seems very reasonable too. My welding supply isn't anywhere near as agreeable as that..

Can you post a pic of the torch, Gunner?

John

Not Necessarily... I only pay $12 for hydro on fire extinguishers and CO2 tanks.

But this is the shop (Pioneer Fire Protection in Van Nuys CA) that owns their own Hydrotest tank and does the tests themselves, plus they take in a lot of subbed-out Hydro work from the other area shops. The trick is locating the shop in your region that actually does the work you need.

Whenever you go to a middle-man you have to pay them a cut of the action. Then they have to save up a batch and one of the parties has to have them delivered and returned, and you pay for that time/mileage or the shipping costs.

The big Welding Supply chains shouldn't charge too much more than that, unless they're gouging...

Because most of the regional filling depots they use are large enough operations to have a Hydro tank and an operator on staff, no "sending them out"... Whenever you send a customer-owned tank in for a fill, it's no big deal or expense to route it through the Hydro station with the rest of the bottles that are due for test.

-->--

Hey Bruce..I need about 150 feet of 4x4 or larger raceway/ gutter

Im redoing the entire electrical system of a growning machine shop

Got any good sources?

Gunner

"Liberalism is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide"

- James Burnham

My first thought - Bernards Brothers by Van Nuys Airport - 16123 Cohasset. (818) 787-9303 They pull lots of old switchgear out of old buildings, they might take the gutters too. But if they don't have a buyer, they'll probably scrap it for the steel value, since it takes up a lot of storage room for the money they'll get for it. You might have to 'place an order' and see when they come across more.

They definitely would pull out plug-in or plain busway (the stuff with the insulated bus-bars inside) and the tap boxes for it, if this is the kind of shop that "rearranges the deck chairs" often as they move in and out machinery.

Apex Surplus in Sun Valley might have some, but it's not really their thing. Though it is a good excuse to go over there and wander in their Stacks O' Stuff.

-->--

Thanks. A local electrical shop in Costa Mesa quoted me right at $995.00 for 150' of 4" gutter. By the time I add in unistrut, 1/4-20 all thread and hangers...etc etc..its gonna be expensive even before lay in the first length of cable.

The other thought was running 3" emt, with a 12x12x6 box every 20 feet, all laying on Unistrut, but it costs nearly as much as the gutter route.

I dont need plug-in, though it would be damned nice...once they get a machine set..its rare..really rare they ever move it.

Currently they are running 300 amps of shop on a 200 amp service... and need another 400 amps. They are working with Con Ed to redo the incoming and once its in..Ive got to go in at night, make my magic, and start pulling machines off the old crap and putting them on the new services, then remove the old crap, lay up new air, etc etc

Gunner

The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence, and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years . It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints, and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

The regulator issue has been solved for the most part..Reliable Tool had their yard sale Saturday.

I bought (15) assorted oxy and acy regulators..conditions unknown, along with 2 complete torches, and a bunch of handles and so forth.

$30

Last night I started checking them out..out of the 4 acy regulators..2 were blown out..diaphrams, one had a bad leak in the high side gage, replaced it with one from the blown units and the other was perfect.

The oxy regulators were nearly all good, except for 1 with a blown diaphram and a couple leaking gauges. Some wierd fittings on a couple of the others. A couple had medical gas flow gauges..but Ive made up 2 complete sets, wrapped em in bubble wrap and put em in my welding storage cabinet for the future.

The handles are a bit more problematic..the BIG Craftsman cutting rig has a bad Cut valve, several are odd brands with brazing heads and there is one normal sized Harris handle that is the normal Harris size. Knob has been busted off the Oxy valve, but thats an easy fix with a bit of brass and a set screw. More than enough shaft to put a knob on.

Ive got a Harris cutting head, but no tip for it. Its about the same size base as the 315 Victor..but tip diamter is smaller where it goes through the nut. Its a perfect fit on the Eutectics handle Ive had kicking around for years. Chrome and unused. So I guess we know where Eutectics got their torches from...chuckle.

There is a beautiful little National Torch Co. handle..about the size of the Victor j100 (Junior)..but I cant find anything to fit it. Shrug..

I bought other Stuff at the yard sale too...including some Hypertherm consumbables Ive absolutely no use for..see other post. Ill be going through the stuff for a couple weekends.

Bought a wooden box with a bunch of Oster pipe threader dies in boxes..took out the top layer..the remainder appears to be Geometric dies..whoo hoo! About 50lbs of threading dies... I only bought it for the Oster dies for my electric pipe threader..didnt bother to look under the top level until I got home last night. $10

Gunner

The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence, and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years . It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints, and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

Okay, so I'm late and catching up, but Gunner wrote on Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:55:15 GMT in rec.crafts.metalworking :

Sounds like somebody had a good time!

I'm packing up tools and stuff at my friends, finding all manner of scrap I can sell. Stuff I had set aside for "projects later on." Well, now it is later on, and selling it off as scrap means I can make it into gas money!

pyotr

-- pyotr filipivich "Quemadmoeum gladuis neminem occidit, occidentis telum est. " Lucius Annaeus Seneca, circa 45 AD (A sword is never a killer, it is a tool in the killer's hands.)

Dude!

There was a time when I bought nearly every old torch and accessory offered on ebay.

I'll wager a pint of beer to a quart of burnt motor oil that I have a usable Harris cutting torch head.

Could you send me a pic of your torch handle? It might be helpful if it had an extended tape measure in the picture.

If I can find one I'll send it to you. You can send me the surprise doo-dad of your choice, in return.

Vern> I just picked up a A/O set from an Ebay auction ( 120099124418 ) and

commits suicide"

Gunner,

I just found what may (or may not) be the critter you need. But it doesn't say Harris on it. My wife is shooting a digital pic of it I could send to you.

The threaded cap appears to be 3/4". It has three tubes stacked in line vertically. I have some other torch heads I haven't located yet that have three tubes set in a triangle pattern. And I can't remember which is which.

But I seem to remember this is a Harris head.

be appeciated.

commits suicide"

Point yur rat here and tell me if this might be the critter you seek.

Ill have to measure the thread diameter and see what size it is. Since the Reliable Tool yard sale last weekend..I now have (2) Harris handles.. the one marked Sears is smaller and a smaller diameter than the latest one, which has the O2 knob broken off..but still turnes freely and seals well and has a 1/4" stuff standing proud. Easy to make up a new knob.

Thanks!

Gunner

commits suicide"

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Lazarus Long