Posted by David Sherman on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 11:20:04 :
In Reply to: John, If you pruchase Oxy/Acet posted by Paul (in NY) on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 10:46:00 :
Good torch sets are very cheap in pawn shops and second-hand stores these days. You can't beat a good old American Victor set. The bottles (tanks) will generally cost way more than a very good used torch set, so if you can find a torch for sale with bottles (make sure they're owned, not rented), buy it. I paid $200 for my old Victor set at a yard sale, with bottles and cart included.
I agree about going to a welding shop rather than a generic tool store for parts and advice. When I got my first torch set ($35 including the tool box) it was one of those very few tools where I immediately thought "how did I ever live without this?". An oxyacetylene torch doesn't weld as fast as an arc or cut as smoothly as plasma, but it's more versatile than any of the more modern "specialists". It'll cut through railroad iron or fender. It'll cut off rusted bolts, or heat them so they can be unscrewed. It'll harden and temper tools, and even carburize the surface if you want. It helps with simple "blacksmithing", like bending U-bolts and various hooks. With selective heating, it'll put an arc in beams and channels. It'll weld steel in all different orientations with no spatter. It's too slow and expensive for production use, but it's hard to beat for repairs. It's still the only tool to use for brazing.
One of the best things, though, is that it's portable and doesn't need electricity. You can take it to the job without a trailer or a generator.