Oxy-Acetylene pressure gauges setup

Jewelry Discussion
1

I have searched through the Orchid archives, and found some great
stuff, but I can’t find exactly what I am looking for.

A friend bequeathed a Little-Torch, Oxy and Acetylene tanks and all
the regulators. After I get the regulators on the tanks, what should
the Working Pressure Gauges be set to?

I have used the setup and torch in other situations and understand
the risks and pros/cons of the set up. Appreciate all the hard work
in documenting all of the that I did find.

Thanks

Paula McDowell
Fire Dance Studio

2

Paula, I don’t know what your intended use is, but oxy/acetylene is
generally overkill for any jewelry-related work. Too hot. It can
easily melt, cut, and weld steel. I’ve been doing silversmithing for
35 years and have both a Prestolite setup as well as oxy/acetylene.
The Prestolite is for jewelry, the two gas rig for steel. If,
however, you do plan to use it, it depends on your tip size. If you
have a #2 tip, a good rule of thumb is about 4lbs acetylene and maybe
double that (8PSI) oxy. You can try them equal (4 and 4), and bump
the oxy up as you try it, to find the setting you like best. Let us
know how it works.

You might want to simply check out the Miller and or Lincoln
websites for info, they’re pretty good.

Michael

3 
I don't know what your intended use is, but oxy/acetylene is
generally overkill for any jewelry-related work. Too hot. It can
easily melt, cut, and weld steel.

O/A is not too hot for jewellery, even silver. Slightly reducing
flame and pull the torch back an inch or two. Need more concentrated
heat and go neutral and go close. My choice of gases for almost
everything. The presusre numbers Michael has are in the right
ballpark.

jeffD
Demand Designs
Analog/Digital Modelling & Goldsmithing
http://www.gmavt.net/~jdemand

4 
I have used the setup and torch in other situations and understand
the risks and pros/cons of the set up. Appreciate all the hard
work in documenting all of the that I did find.

Heres the Smith FAQ site: http://www.littletorch.com/help.html

I think that there’s a copy of the manual buried on their site
somewhere.

Ron Charlotte – Gainesville, FL

5

Ron,

It turns out that the manual for the Smith Little Torch is on the
regular Smith website. I don’t remember ever seeing it on the
littletorch site at all. Below is the link to the manual for the
little torch.

Frank