sorry for the late reply… besides getting rid of compressed gases, street pressure NG is dirt cheap!..jowever, methane which is NG, has to lowest heat content of all fuel gasses. High temperature high output industrial uses compressed NG.
My goal would be to get all the compressed flammable gas out of my shop. They are required in NYC.
you have no choice but get rid of it… I’m not in your situation but I am very afraid of acetylene too… handle it with extreme caution. Use it outside only. Seems that the cheapest way to produce high temperature is to use an oxygen concentrator and street natural gas.
Are bottled disposable propane canisters also against city regs is NYC? I used air/propane bernzomatic type torches to do almost all of my fabrication work. Used oxyacetylene only for batch melting outside… ingot pours for rolling only,
I have 2 - 1 lb camp stove type propane cylinders in my shop. One on my EZ torch that I use mainly for annealing and heating a small amount of pickle for smaller pieces after soldering and especially between enameling steps. The other is shared by my Little Torch and Meco torch. Along with my O2 concentrator, both torches do just about whatever I need doing. I do use a regulated O2 cylinder for larger melts and an electromelt for big melts. I have a NG tap at my bench, but have yet to buy and install a NG booster, but it is on my list…Rob
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for fabrication and soldering, I haven’t had to use more than a propane air tourch. I used bernzomatic high outout torch that screwed on to a campstove type propane cylinder. The only time I used oxyacetylene was for melting and pouring. … I had a table with a recessed top made of left over tiles from a bathroom project. It caught spills without catching fire. All my melting and pouring was done outdoors. Acetylene is dirty, makes a lot of soot when starting before turning the oxygen on.
I’ve had a natural gas concentrator for 15+ years. It is better than anything before - you never run out of gas, you can easily regulate your gas pressure, it is extraordinarily clean - and if it has a bit less btu than dangerous propane, I’m all in. I have cast and made an inordinate amount of work… G-tec is my go-to. So much better than bottles or acetylene.
what is the PSI range for your nat gas compressor?
Look at G-Tec natural gas boosters. The pressure range is 0 - 25 psi for the versions that would typically be used in a smaller jewelry shop…Rob
thank you. 25 psi should be enough for small scale work. I was looking at industrial applications for nat gas furnances… much higher.
Steve - The g-tec people show boosters up to 275psi. https://www.gas-tec.com/
Judy
Industrial applications!..
I have used the Gtec Booster for 12 years Mine goes to 50 psi. We use it for casting most metals in weight range up to 750 Grams. When we need a very clean burn like for Platinum, We have a hydrogen tank coupled to Oxygen. This melts very fast and very clean.
For most metals, Propane/Oxy works well.
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I’ve known that compressed natural gas has been used for industrial applications… by compressing nat gas, more gas is added to be burned, increasing the heat output. Blast furnances for reducing iron ore to iron use compressed natural gas as direct reduction. Steel making furnances use electric arcs and supplemental compressed natural gas… pressures are very high- 500 to 1500 psi. Temperature of high pressure nat gas in air is 3450F… hot enough to melt stainless steel. Good to know that compressed natural gas has been applied to jewerly making at high temperatures and lower heat output.