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Straight answers to the questions people ask most when choosing and using gas cutting nozzles.
Cutting nozzles are sized for the thickness of steel you cut. The nozzle size sets how much oxygen and fuel gas flows, so a bigger nozzle suits thicker plate and a smaller one suits thin sheet. Each maker publishes a chart relating nozzle size to thickness and giving the oxygen and fuel gas pressures to use, and you should work from the chart for your own nozzle type.A nozzle that is too large wastes gas and gives a wide, rough cut, and one that is too small cannot cut cleanly through the plate. Choose for the thickness you cut most, and use a different nozzle for much thicker or thinner jobs.
Not unless the maker says so. Nozzles are designed for a particular fuel gas, because the gases burn differently and need a different flame design and different amounts of oxygen. Propane and natural gas nozzles are not simply acetylene nozzles with different settings, and they have their own arrangement of preheat holes.Using a nozzle with the wrong fuel gas gives a poor flame, slow preheating and a ragged cut, and can be unsafe. Choose a nozzle marked for the fuel gas you use, and check on the torch data plate and in its manual that the torch is designed for that gas too.
Nozzles are made to fit particular torches. The seat, the thread or nut, and the way the gases are fed all vary, so the nozzle must match the torch type and the maker's range. Torches also differ in how they handle the gases: injector (low-pressure) torches draw the fuel gas in using the oxygen flow, while positive-pressure torches are fed both gases at working pressure, and nozzles for one are not necessarily right for the other. Nozzle-mix designs combine the gases in the nozzle itself.Check the torch maker's list of nozzles for your model, or the markings on your existing nozzle, before you buy. If you are unsure, our team can help you identify the right one.
Common causes are the wrong nozzle size for the plate, a worn or dirty nozzle, the wrong gas pressures, a travel speed that is too fast or too slow, and holding the nozzle too close to or too far from the plate. Rust, scale and paint on the plate can also upset the cut.Clean the nozzle first, then check the pressures against the maker's chart and adjust your speed. Heavy slag on the underside often means you are moving too slowly or have too much heat, while sparks flying up from the top instead of through the plate usually mean the cut is not going right through, because you are moving too fast or using too little oxygen.