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Practical answers on choosing nozzles, mixers and heating necks, and using and maintaining this style of heavy-duty gas welding and cutting torch.
Welding nozzles are chosen by the thickness of the material. TWI explains that the torch takes interchangeable nozzles so the flame intensity can be matched to the work, and a chart relates material thickness, nozzle size and welding speed. Thicker material needs a larger nozzle, and the gas pressures are set to suit the nozzle's flow rate.Nozzle numbering is not standard from one maker to another, so use the chart for the nozzles you actually have, and check which mixer and torch style they are made for. Our team can help you choose if you are unsure which size suits your job.
Follow the maker's lighting-up procedure. HSE says to purge the hoses before lighting to clear any potentially explosive gas mixture, use a spark igniter, and light the gas quickly after turning it on. Do not use a match or other flame, and point the torch away from yourself, other people and the hoses.Valve order and flame setting differ between fuel gases and torches, so use the instructions supplied with yours. Anyone new to oxy/fuel equipment should be shown how to purge, light and shut down before using it.
Heating nozzles are used for preheating, straightening, bending and similar work where you want a broad, high heat input rather than a cutting jet. A superheating or heating neck, together with a mixer made for the fuel gas, carries the gas to a larger heating nozzle. Some sizes are designed for acetylene and others for propane.HSE describes copper heating nozzles used with a propane mixer and heating neck, with a typical working distance of around 50 mm for maximum heat input. Always use a nozzle, neck and mixer that are made to work together, and check the maker's instructions.
Generally no. Gas welding of steel is normally done with acetylene. One maker's technical paper explains that burning acetylene in oxygen creates a reducing zone that helps keep the steel surface clean, while propane does not, so propane is usually not suitable for gas welding.Propane is widely used for heating and for cutting with the correct nozzles, and can be used for brazing. If you want to change fuel gas, you will need the mixer and nozzles made for that gas, and regulators and hoses suitable for it. Check the torch manual before changing anything.