online source for Victor O-rings?

Perhaps it's like immunizations: $0.25 for the ring, $2.75 for liability.

Small Parts Inc.,

sells viton O-rings. It looks like they go by ID, OD and material thickness, and like they charge a buck per five rings.

Of course, you're here on the coast where any injury is Someone Else's Problem, so if you use one of them and there's a problem with the torch you'll be liable instead of Victor.

Be aware that the o-rings on a gas torch have to be rated for use with a particular gas. Use an o-ring made of material that interacts with the gas and it can decompose, combust, or both at once when you least expect it. Better dust off your liability insurance policy and read it carefully if you are planning to resell these torches.

MSC

Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

OK, I measured them. The pair for the 100 and J-100 handles (these use the same O-rings) measure:

small ring: ID = 4mm OD = 6mm large ring: ID = 8mm OD = 10mm

These O-rings do appear to be significantly thinner than the standard sizes available from MSC or smallparts. I *might* be able to use slightly smaller and thicker O-rings, and stretch them a little, which would tend to make them thinner.

Haven't measured the O-rings for the larger 300 series handle yet.

Grant

Wayne Cook wrote:

are more expensive in low quantity. Nitrile or Buna N will be fine with acetylene, not sure about oxygen. For more info such as sizes and gas compatibility check out the o-ring guide, book 5700 from Parker.

are also correct that you could stretch the o-rings to reduce the cross section but at that percent reduction you will find the o-ring age very rapidly. For regular o-rings you can't beat Mcmaster for convenience.

I walked up to Tacoma Screw and got a 1/8-1/4 and 1/4-3/8 nitrile set and tried them. They were tougher to install, looked only very slightly bigger once installed, and worked fine in operation, no pops or leaks. These are 1/16" thickness, very standard and cheap O-rings. (If you aren't from this area, Tacoma Screw is a local industrial supplier, also very convenient.)

I don't know about aging when stretched. I'm beginning to suspect that Victor handles should be stored disconnected to keep the O-rings on whatever is installed from taking a flat set. Thanks for the tip on the Parker lit, I'll check it out. Now I just wish I knew if the original Victor O-rings were nitrile, Buna-N or Viton, they all look identical. Down where the tip meets the handle, roughly where you hold the torch, often with no glove on, it doesn't get hot so the only question is do they break down with oxygen, acetylene, or one of the LP gases like propane.

GWE

Buna N will not work. BTDT. They last about a week. Don't know about nitrile but looking at the specs and figuring that it was oxygen (both o-rings are exposed to oxygen while only one to the acetylene and both went bad at the same time) that did them in and looking at ozone resistance I went with Viton when I ordered mine for my Purox torch. I got 100 of them from MSC several years ago (more than a lifetime supply but the smallest quantity they sold them in).

Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

Try AOP.

There is one in Auburn WA, 800-282-2672. If anybody can fix you up with oddball seals or o-rings, they will.

Yup, I've finished my research. Viton in size 006 and 010 will fit and work OK for Victor 100 and J-100 handles. Thanks everyone. In case you want to see a picture of a crappy O-ring I took off a torch, see the pic:

That one was flattened, cracked, and splitting. Incidentally, the tip still worked OK, go figger.

Grant

Somewhere in Kirkland there is a bearing supplier, and they always carry o-rings of all kinds, and all the information you need to select which one is proper for your application.

I recently was going quail hunting, so got out my Remington 1100 to oil it up and check it. Something fell out on the floor. A piece of an O ring.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

So, I called around. No local gun shops had any. When they did, they were $8 per copy.

I bought six on ebay for $5.

What makes a one inch O ring worth $8?

If I sent one to these guys, do you think they could match it up?

Steve

Fix you up ---Oh yes, but you would have to buy about 3 lifetime supplies. AOP has a minimum. Not sure what it is now, used to be $25. Remington 1100 o-ring. 2-022 is the size. You can probably get a nitrile one at any industrial/automotive supply store. The black "teflon" ones from Brownells don't impress me much. I am currently using ones from AOP. 75 durometer viton. PN is 2-022V75BR I've been double ringing my competition gun--the viton closest to the muzzle with a hard teflon under it. When you are running through 30 rounds in as many seconds, it's a wee bit hard on the o-rings!

When I used to sell guns, we had a factory Benelli tape. It showed the Benelli would fire five times before the first shell hit the ground.

Pretty amazing.

Don't really know how that applies to hunting, but pretty amazing.

Steve

Ditto that. I've always gone to bearing houses like Motion Industries, also for work. When I tell them I need 5 or 10, they'll either sell them cheap or give them to me (unless they're Kalrez, which I won't use unless all else fails). We do enough business that they will give stuff like that away or charge my business card to avoid the paperwork.

Pete Keillor

Yup, I've finished my research. Viton in size 006 and 010 will fit and work OK for Victor 100 and J-100 handles. Thanks everyone. In case you want to see a picture of a crappy O-ring I took off a torch, see the pic:

That one was flattened, cracked, and splitting. Incidentally, the tip still worked OK, go figger.

Grant

FOLLOWUP: Victor apparently uses Hypalon - chlorosulfonated polyethylene - O-rings according to an old "Welding, Cutting & Heating Guide" (ca. 1969). - GWE

Interesting and good info to have. I must say though that the Viton rings are holding up just fine for me. I don't think I've replaced one in several years now that I've gone to them. The Buta-N rings wouldn't last a month when I tried them.

Wayne, you must think like I do. Do you know what size Viton rings you order?

GWE

Not off the top of my head. I use Purox torches and parts are hard for me to find. Thus I ordered a package of each size from MSC years ago. With 100 in a pack it's going to be a long time before I need any more.