Gasoline torches

>>1026707
>2016
>torch welding

Why not just stick?

>>1026708
I am considering that too. Oxy-fuel systems are still good for cutting and for dropping intense, concentrated heat where you want it, though.

>>1026707
>Oxy-fuel welding systems can cost upwards of $1500+ .
They can also be bought for a couple of hundred dollars.
>>1026711
>Oxy-fuel systems are still good for cutting and for dropping intense, concentrated heat where you want it
Buy a standard hose, regulator, and torch set.
Rent oxygen bottle from supplier or buy in-date oxygen bottle and have it filled or refilled.
Buy propane cylinder for use as fuel.
Propane works great as a cutting fuel and is cheaper than acetylene.
Best results obtained if you change cutting tip to oxy/propane tip. (different diameter holes)

>>1026708
>Why not just stick?
gas torch welding does work better and faster than other types, for a few specialized things.
the places that do high-end restoration work on aluminum (vintage) aircraft and cars all use oxy-acetylene torches

gas torch welding is best to learn for art use/restoration welding, but it's a waste of time if you want to find a normal welding job

>oxy-gasoline torches
these are only for cutting, the gasoline burns too dirty for welding anything
they work very well for cutting tho--the gasoline is way cheaper than any compressed-gas fuel, and it burns hotter than hell with oxygen

disclaimer: i am not, nor have i ever been, a professional welder

>>1026974
what exactly are you trying to do? oxy acetylene isnt cheap for a nice setup, like anon said go propane, its cheap, hotter than gasoline, and available everywhere

>>1026936
or a few o2 concentrators

>>1026708
>why the fuck aren't you using this truck tire to hammer in that nail?

Right tool for the job.

>>1026976
>what exactly are you trying to do? oxy acetylene isnt cheap for a nice setup, like anon said go propane, its cheap, hotter than gasoline, and available everywhere
The only "welding" tanks I've seen like in OP's photo were for oxy-gasoline cutting torches. So I assumed it was that.
....
It looks like a 20-lb propane tank, but the 20-lb (now 15-lb!) tanks in the US now all have flow restrictors and you can't get enough gas out of them to weld very well. You have to step up to a 30-lb tank.

You can't weld a given metal with just any fuel you want; sometimes there are chemical reactions that prevent using certain types of fuels.
For one example: you can torch weld aluminum with hydrogen just fine--but you can't weld carbon steel with hydrogen, as it causes hydrogen embrittlement.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement
Likewise, other metals can't be welded with propane, MAPP or other fuels.
As it happens, oxy-acetylene works on a lot of different metals--but it is not always the best choice.

The main use of oxy-propane I've heard of was in glass-working.
Welding shops sell propane tanks so I guess it's used for something, but I dunno what.

>>1027031
>Welding shops sell propane tanks so I guess it's used for something, but I dunno what.
For cutting.
>>1026936
>Propane works great as a cutting fuel and is cheaper than acetylene.

>>1026707
>/diy/:
>Oxy-fuel welding systems can cost upwards of $1500+ .

Fucking stop. I collect and rebuild welding and cutting torches and regulators so I know better than that.

OPs question was phrased wrongly and too general.

OP, answer:

What is YOUR use case? What do you want to do? Fuck all the generalist bullshit. Anyone wanting to know that can go to the excellent Weldingweb and Miller forums.

What, PRECISELY, do YOU want to do with a torch? I can answer your question, especially if you live in the US.

Here's a starter set you can keep for decades. Smith make outstanding torches. This isn't the Lifetime series but these inexpensive kits survive welding student abuse well. I had a fleet of them at the toolroom I worked.

https://www.amazon.com/Torch-Oxy-Acetylene-Tough-Cut-Outfit/dp/B001AP13AU

Modern acetylene regulators are compatible with LP fuel (the internal soft parts are what matter) too unless you buy junk. Smith are not junk.

If you buy the Acetylene kit with a CGA-510 fitting (learn your CGA numbers!) it will screw to an LP cylinder. You can't crank it above max acetylene output GAUGE pressure because acetylene can only be used as a gas at much lower pressures, but you won't need to.

You then buy an LP cutting tip or tips for your torch. You can use both gases with one outfit safely. There's plenty of material on how to cut with either and how to properly size tips.

Study torch pressure charts etc. There's a lot of reading but it's totally worth it.

Make friends with your local welding supply. You'll get oxygen and misc other stuff from them, and acetylene if you use that. They can cut you price breaks so ask them what they'll do on a Smith Toughcut with a CGA-510 cylinder fitting.

The key reason for that fitting is you can get cheap adapters to use smaller acetylene cylinders too. Acetylene cylinders evolved during the gaslight era and the small ones will still fit a Model T Ford!

Buy a face SHIELD. Visit your LWS (Local Welding Supply, this term is kind of internet standard) to see what's available.

I don't lease cylinders because most of a cylinder life is spent sitting, not in use, and the money adds up. You might lease briefly while hunting cylinders to buy. See Weldingweb threads on cylinders for how to score them. Cylinders are exchanged, not typically refilled, so a used cylinder which passes inspection and is of a brand your LWS will exchange is fine.

You can buy smallish cylinders but they are really for mobility. You can normally exchange cylinders up or down in size, up usually requiring a fee, if your needs change.

Don't buy shit offshore torch kits unless you want to die. I've seen MANY seal failures and they use shit O-rings which dry out and crumble. I have US made torches from the 1930s whose seals are still good and pass overpressure tests. When I get an Asian shite torch or regulator in an auction lot I destroy it.

Read the stickies and the threads. Info for every experience level of weldor lives here"

http://weldingweb.com/forumdisplay.php?2-MIG-TIG-Stick-And-Oxy-Fuel-Welding

RIP Irish Fixit, he was a bro and did great training videos:

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?63275-How-to-use-a-cutting-torch

>>1026708
Try welding glass with stick.

Some folks like Victor, and they are excellent too plus tips are everywhere. (I stock up online for lower prices, especially Ebay.)

Victor are widely cloned. Airgas sell Radnor clones which IIRC may even be made by Victor. Nothing wrong with those.

ESAB just got bought by the Victor parent company. I love their gear but most non-hardcore industrial torches are discontinued. Parts and tips are available for the old stuff. If you score any Oxweld/Purox/Linde/L-tec see weldingweb.

Airco/Concoa are very limited in variety and rebuild parts. Noobs should avoid and there isn't great reason for anyone else to buy them, though the stainless steel head cutting torches are kinda neat. Koike bought some Airco patents but unless you are in Japan or someone give you one, no need to bother.

Last best maker standing IMO are Smith, but Victor will do anything you want and both will outlive you.

>>1027168
See the tinmantech website and check some of his Ferrari body restos for fap fodder.

>>1027031
>Welding shops sell propane tanks so I guess it's used for something, but I dunno what.

Most very heavy duty cutting and demolition cutting is done with propane. The heaviest duty cutting torches don't use acetylene.

What does OP want to weld?

What power is available? 220 preferred.

>>1026707
I've seen those systems for far less. But i always wonder of well perform for welding.
There is also oxy-butane and oxy-metane, but those reach lower temperatures.
A friend wanted to buy one, but between a TIG and oxy-gasoline, probably the tig is more useful for what he does (weldin from 1 to 6mm steel, mostly bicycles and some car repairs)

>>1027651
For sheet metal repair MIG with fine wire is most popular, and 1-6mm steel is a good use case for MIG too.

You cannot weld with oxy-petrol, it's mostly used for demolition. The butane and methane torches are useless for his use case.

Visit http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/ for info on what's available in Euroland. They have different cylinders and regulator so US-spec equipment isn't suitable.

Kempi make some great professional Euro welding equipment.

If you study on real welding forums you'll learn much more much faster than fucking around on /diy/.

>>1027656
The problem that we have with MIG here is the cost of the feed wire. For some reason is expensive as fuck in this country.
Like 10us per kilogram, vs the wire for TIG for 1usd the kilo.
Also, most MIGs that are sold here doesn't have pulse mode and aren't as good for things finer than 2mm.

>>1028107
In that case you can use a TIG machine for the fine work, and stick weld using the same machine for heavier sections. It's easy to swap an electrode holder for the TIG torch.

Make sure your TIG machine can be dialed to low enough output for thin sheet metal! Not every machine has a very low range so don't screw yourself by accident.

With a torch there is no lower thickness limit with the right tips.
OA can the job without buying TIG consumables. For auto repairs I'd want the torch anyway because they are so useful. Remember OA can braze bicycle tubing and weld it. OA can solder, heat stuck hardware, burn out carbon from two stroke exhausts and many other shop chores.

OA has no circuit boards to fail and requires no electricity. If you have oxygen you can use propane instead of acetylene for heating and cutting and brazing, but not welding.

The ideal solution is both a torch setup and electric welder, but there's no need to get both at once for hobby use.

>>1028306
I think the lowest that most tigs can dial here are 20-30amp
OA is quite useful, but for the price i rather convice my friend to buy the tig.
If we find an cheap oxygen tank, oxy-propane could be the cheapest

>>1028329
TIG requires an argon cylinder. Is argon cheap in your country?

>>1028329
BTW what makes an OA outfit so expensive in your country and what country is it? You should always mention location in /diy/ threads because most of us are Americucks and you need different advice.