oxy torch pops

Could be.

Could also be a bad seal (the popping can blow those, making things get even worse over time, to the point of actually being dangerous rather than just annoying) between the tip and the mix chamber, or too much, too little, or unbalanced (Oxy way high, acet way low, or vice-versa) pressure on either or both gas supplies.

Go for the "simple" cure first: Clean your tip if you suspect it's dirty. If that doesn't clear it up, disassemble the tip and check the seals. If those are good, it's time to start playing with how your gas pressures are set.

It can be caused by too low a gas flow for the tip that you are using. The gas must exit the tip at a greater velocity than the propagation speed of the flame. If the velocity is too low then the flame will enter the tip and explode.

Pete.

I tend to light a torch with the fuel turned way up. I hate the black squigglies.

I then ease on the Ox and off the fuel.

An underlying cause for your popping could be an over tightening of the valves when shutting off the torch making it hard to turn the oxygen on in a smooth movement. With a torch in good repair it only takes light finger pressure to close the valves.

I can't count the number of torches I've seen turned into (repairable) junk by people who think the valves need cranked on to be closed.

most of the time it is the pressures not set correctly... you got to play with it..... or it could be a dirty tip..... keep cleaning it and adjust the pressures....

Peter Reilley wrote: clip) So what causes that popping that makes it difficult to keep the torch lit when I first turn on the oxygen (clip) ^^^^^^^^^ Don't ask me why, but I have also seen this happen if there is leakage where the tip connects to the torch butt. Could be a broken (or missing) O-ring, or a ding on one of the seating surfaces.

If it happens only with a certain tip, that pretty well tells you to look at the connection on THAT tip. If it happens with all your tips, then look at the torch butt. And, of course, it very likely is the way you are setting the gas pressures. The flame can be turned up until the flame separates from the tip, and then backed off some. Then you KNOW you are not running too little gas.

This used to happen to me frequently until I accidentally found that if I let the tip heat up for 10-30 seconds before turning on the oxygen, the problem disappeared.

HTH ... Rick