O/A torch repair

[Bret4207]

My beautimus Harris cutting torch has developed the habit of spouting flame from the handle when I cut! I checked and replaced the one O ring I could find with a generic replacement from my O ring assortment. Still have the problem. Should I just take it to the dealer for repair of does anyone know of an online repair info site I can access?

[Jon K]

Bret,

Look here to find a Harris repair dealer:
http://yellowpages.appeal-democrat.com/search.pg?q=Welding&z=NY

Jon

[dragonrider]

Do some serious inspection in and around, above and below the area of the o-ring for cracks.

[leftiye]

My Victors have done the same thing. Time for a rebuild.

[JIMinPHX]

Harris...AKA...Calorific...right? I used to have a few of those before I switched over to Victor & Purox.

I seem to remember that the silver solder joints on those are known to go bad after a while & crack sometimes. That means an overhaul.

Sometimes, it's just a nick out of the seating face that the o-ring sits against. A little fine emery or steel wool can take care of minor cases of that. A little SILICONE grease on the o-ring sometimes helps too.

DO NOT get any carbon based grease or oil anywhere near the oxygen portions of the torch. oil + oxygen = boom

If at all in doubt of your ability to remedy the situation, send it out for a rebuild. Blown up torches are a serious matter. This is especially likely to happen of you have single stage regulars without check valves.

[MT Gianni]

As I was repeatedly informed as an apprentice "the back top of the torch is NOT a hammer". It does sound like time for a rebuild by those who do it every day. Gianni.
PS enjoy the time with the 5&6 year old repairmen. It ends way too soon.

[Bret4207]

Aw jeeze! These things are only about 4 years old. Absolutely great torches. I NEVER bang stuff , they cost too darn much. First new set I ever had. Haven't been abused at all. The o ring was toasted though. Guess I'll have to break out the old Pur-Ox and send the Harris in for work. Thx- guys.

[Bret4207]

HAH! Did you guys realize that to a 5 year old the screw adjustment for the Acetylene regualtor sits at eye levela dn is apparently impossible not to play with? IOW- My 5 year old turned the reg so it was flowing at max instead of 4-5 lbs resulting in all the excess gas venting from the handle and catching fire!!! Shoulda checked that first. Lesson learned.

[454PB]

Glad you found the problem.

It's good practice to back the regulators off completely before you shut off the bottles.

[JIMinPHX]

Acetylene pressure above 15psi can equal boom for no other apparent reason. That's why the section of the gas gage above 15 is usually colored red. It doesn't always happen, but it can. Turning up that regulator is a very bad thing to do.

The acetylene tanks are not hollow tanks like the ones that are used for other types of gas. Acetylene tanks have a porous solid like sandstone in them that then has a liquid solvent in it. The gas is actually dissolved in the solvent. That's why Acetylene tanks must be used with the valve end up, or close to up & also why different diameter tanks have different maximum flow rates. The gas needs to elute from the solvent before it can exit the tank. If it weren't for all this crazyness, you would only be able to put 15psi of gas in that tank.

[MT Gianni]

Acetylene pressure above 15psi can equal boom for no other apparent reason. That's why the section of the gas gage above 15 is usually colored red. It doesn't always happen, but it can. Turning up that regulator is a very bad thing to do.

The acetylene tanks are not hollow tanks like the ones that are used for other types of gas. Acetylene tanks have a porous solid like sandstone in them that then has a liquid solvent in it. The gas is actually dissolved in the solvent. That's why Acetylene tanks must be used with the valve end up, or close to up & also why different diameter tanks have different maximum flow rates. The gas needs to elute from the solvent before it can exit the tank. If it weren't for all this crazyness, you would only be able to put 15psi of gas in that tank.

A couple of other thought from the manual most ignore is to never use it for 30 minutes after it has been transported, including angled on a hand cart and no more than 2psi variance with a reg from cutting pressure to lock up pressure. Then it's time for a rebuild.
Glad it's fixed, make sure the tank valve stays off hard enough that a 6 yr old can't open that. Gianni

[Morgan Astorbilt]

The solvent is acetone, which has the ability to absorb many times its weight in acetylene. Prior to this discovery, all acetylene was produced in generators, using a perforated canister of carbide, suspended within a metal bell floating in a tank of water. The gas pressure would hold it up out of the water, safely below 15psi, and as the gas was used, it would lower into the water, and the carbide would generate more gas, raising the bell. Very effective, but clumsy to move around. This was the same carbide as used in miners' lamps, but larger chunks.
Morgan

[Bret4207]

HAR! Found another toasted O ring!!! Couldn't see the 2nd one till I got it in good light. All fixed now.

[leadeye]

The solvent is acetone, which has the ability to absorb many times its weight in acetylene. Prior to this discovery, all acetylene was produced in generators, using a perforated canister of carbide, suspended within a metal bell floating in a tank of water. The gas pressure would hold it up out of the water, safely below 15psi, and as the gas was used, it would lower into the water, and the carbide would generate more gas, raising the bell. Very effective, but clumsy to move around. This was the same carbide as used in miners' lamps, but larger chunks.
Morgan


Learn something new every day, thanks!:-D