Cutting with a regular O/A torch

[Wargs]

Can anyone tell me where I can get information on cutting and welding steel PROPERLY - gas settings, tips to use, etc. - with a regular O/A torch with two-stage regulators.
I got a barely-used oxy-acetylene outfit with three welding tips, a cutting torch and a soldering tip (rosebud?). I tried cutting a piece of 20 GA. steel and it made a gap you could drive a truck in!
I realise I can't weld 20GA. with this set-up. Thanks.

Regards, Dave

[LaLaMan]

Local welding supply may have some really good charts that they give out for free. Victor or Harris have a nice little book that I picked up at the local Welco.

[Wray Schelin]

Can anyone tell me where I can get information on cutting and welding steel PROPERLY - gas settings, tips to use, etc. - with a regular O/A torch with two-stage regulators.
I got a barely-used oxy-acetylene outfit with three welding tips, a cutting torch and a soldering tip (rosebud?). I tried cutting a piece of 20 GA. steel and it made a gap you could drive a truck in!
I realise I can't weld 20GA. with this set-up. Thanks.

Regards, Dave

Hi Dave,

You have come to the best place for help in learning how to use your torch. The best thing to do is send in a picture of the torch so we can see what you want to use . You can make superb welds in 20 gage with a torch if you have the right tip and technique.

Cutting 20 gage will be best achieved with an electric shear. Harbor Freight sells an excellent electric shear for $30.00.

Wray

[Dutchette]

Hi Dave, You probably don`t want to cut thin sheetmetal with a torch as it will never be clean enough to weld to without grinding. Each torch tip is for a specific thickness of steel and the pressures are very important also.You can do a decent cut in thinner metal by tipping the torch in the direction of the cut and moving quickly. For the thin sheetmetal you can do a lot nicer with good tin snips. Dutch

[denniswang]

http://www.opetrol.com

[Dutch Comstock]

Hi Dave.What you have to get for your torch are the proper size tip for what you are cutting.Most torch sets come with a tip that is for 1/2 to 1 inch steel. Your gage settings will be 4 to 5 on the acetalene side and from 10 to 20 lbs on the oxygen side depending on the thickness of the metal.You can also lay the torch side ways for cutting thin stuff.Like anything it is only using the proper sizes of equipment and lots of practice.
Also for what we are doing the torch is very crude and leaves a lot of clean up work and like Wray said you can buy the harbor freight electric shear very reasonable. Dutch