Oxy-Acetylene Welding 101

So it is your first time getting to do some welding?! Here are the basics to get you started! The more you practice and learn the better you will get.
Oxy-Acetylene Equipment Procedure
 
Personal Safety Practice 
  • Wear appropriate clothing (closed toe leather shoes, natural fiber clothing,, and gloves)
  • When performing a welding operation wear goggles with #5 shaded lenses.
  • Make sure all combustible materials are away from the welding area.
  • Know the location of the nearest fire extinguisher
  • Keep work area clean
 
Equipment Safety Practice 
  • Store gas cylinders in an upright position… they should be secured to a wall or welding cart with chain so they cannot fall over.
  • Never open the acetylene valve more than one complete revolution
  • When moving or storing cylinders screw the valve covers in place
  • Never oil or grease any fittings or threads on the oxy-acetylene setup
  • Never allow the acetylene line pressure to exceed 15psi
  • Discontinue use if the torch body becomes hot- notify instructor
  • Always finish the shutdown procedure before leaving the work area
  • If hoses light on fire shut off cylinder valves immediately
 Setup For Use - use this guide as a checklist as you are setting up the torch!
  1. Close both torch body valves and back off both regulators (thread out until it feels like there is no load on the screw)
  2. Standing to the side of the regulators (not standing in front of the gauge) open the main Acetylene cylinder valve half a turn (not more than one) 
  3. Open the Acetylene knob (follow the red hose) on the torch to allow for acetylene pressure to be set.
  4. Turn the Acetylene regulator in until the line pressure reads 5-6 psi on the gauge. Close the acetylene knob on the torch.
  5. Open the main Oxygen cylinder valve all the way.
  6. Open the Oxygen knob (follow the green hose) on the torch to allow for oxygen pressure to be set.
  7. Turn the Oxygen regulator in until the line pressure reads 5-10 psi (or if using a cutting torch 5psi acetylene, 20 psi oxygen)
  8. Holding the torch body in one hand, and the torch tip facing away from yourself and others, open the acetylene knob/valve (counter-clockwise) on the torch just enough to feel the air blowing on your hand.
  9. Use a striker to light the torch. 
  10. Adjust the acetylene valve so that the flame is slightly smoky. The black sooty stuff is carbon and can make a mess!
  11. Turn on the Oxygen knob/valve (green hose side) and adjust for a neutral flame as shown in the video
  12. Perform welding operation
  13. To turn off torch close the acetylene knob/valve first, then the oxygen.
 
Shutdown/ Storage Procedure

  1. With both the torch body needle valves closed, completely close the valves on the tops of the cylinders.
  2. With the cylinder valves closed, open the needle valves on the torch body and let the line pressure drop to zero (watch the line pressure and cylinder pressure gauges drop)
  3. Close both needle valves on the torch body and back out both regulators to the neutral position (no pressure being placed on internal diaphragm)
  4. Wrap up hoses and put away all accessories
  5. Clean up general work area