Please HELP-newbie hookup question

alb6094 · #1 2007-09-29, 11:27am

OK, I have to say, if I have to fix one more thing, drill or screw one more board, or figure out one more hookup I'm going to hang myself.

That said, I have a technical question:

I have a mini-cc kit that I bought and after two weekends of building vent systems and figuring out air flow and all the associated safety plus reading condradicting opinions on everything everywhere I go I finally sit down to hook up my system and when I open my hoses I find that there are only hook-ups on one end and the other end is just bare tube.

Did I miss something? Is there a trip to the welder's shop no one discusses? Or are my tubes defective? I'm a person who reads copiously about everything so having not seen this particular problem anywhere I am very, repeat very frustrated and beginning to wonder if I will ever make anything!

I would most gratefully accept any information anyone can provide.

Thanks in advance!

Astrid

zen-mom · #2 2007-09-29, 12:48pm

Your kit should have 2 hose clamps in it as well. Slide a hose clamp over each end of the "bare tube", the "bare tube" then slides onto a hose barb on the torch. One for the oxygen and one for the fuel (propane or gas). Make sure you put the green hose end to the oxygen knob and the red end to the fuel knob. I believe that on my Mini CC the oxygen knob is silver and the gas knob is red. When you get the hoses onto the hose barb you can then slide the hose clamp up and tighten it around the end of the hose at the barb. The other ends connect to your regulators on the propane and the oxy or just connects directly to an oxygen concentrator if that's what you've got. Again, red to the propane (fuel) and green for the source of oxygen.

Hope I made sense. You can call me if you'd like me to walk you through it over the phone. Just send me a PM and I'll PM my number.

Judi_B · #3 2007-09-29, 1:05pm

What Donna said! Sounds like you're doing great Astrid! You'll be melting glass in no time!

alb6094 · #4 2007-09-29, 1:12pm

Thank you for the response Donna-and yes you made perfect sense. I should have stepped back and taken a breather before I posted initially but it was one of those "noooooooo..." moments in life, lol.
My mini CC doesn't have a barb as such, if by a barb I understand you to mean a tapered port or end. The ports are round and standard which was/is the cause of my frustration. A barb connection to a tapered end I would have understood and sent my DH to get a couple of clamps (which were not in the kit).
I was looking at the tube ends and the non-tapered ports on the mini cc and I'm thinking (and stated to my DH), "I could split the hose a bit and fit it over the ports and then clamp but that doesn't seem very safe or leak-proof" to which he agreed readily, fear in his eyes, as his gaze wandered again over the mini cc about which he has stated more than once, "....that looks like it's going to be really hot...." lol, poor man.
I'll email Ross at ABR and hopefully will hear back from him while I'm working on Monday. I was hoping to play with my torch this weekend *sigh* but I have to learn to be patient and I can wait another week. My workload has become insane so there's no chance I can get to setup this week and that too, I'm sure, contributes to my frustration.

Thanks again Donna, I do understand better now the direction I need to go. Maybe I need to purchase those tapered ends. The flashback arrestors screw on perfectly to the male connectors on the torch. If I had the female connectors on the other end of the tubes I''d be in clover.
Astrid

zen-mom · #5 2007-09-29, 1:19pm

You're welcome

I totally understand that "noooo..." moment. I seem to have have those quite often!

Cheers!

Dale M. · #6 2007-09-29, 3:11pm

Sounds like you have wrong hose.... Hoses come with one end cut plain and other end has "B" type connectors. Sounds like you need hose with "B" type connectors at both ends.... Maybe somebody replaced barbed connectors on torch with "B" type threaded fitting at some point for whatever reason...

Barbed Connectors (fittings):

Dale

menty666 · #7 2007-09-29, 6:28pm

They kind of look barbed in the picture on abr's site but it's so small it's tough to say. You say they're smooth though. Do they kind of look like they have a small ball about 1/4" in size on each end? Those might be quick connect connections. If that's the case, I'm jealous

Though if you really want barbs you can probably get them from the welding shop.

alb6094 · #8 2007-09-30, 12:45am

Dale: I think you're right, I think I do need the B connectors on both ends of the hose OR I could just get those barbed connectors.....I wonder if a welding supply would have those, hmmmm. I did email Ross at ABR so I bet I'll hear back from him on Monday as well.

Menty: I've never seen the quick connect connections so I'm not sure. I do know the b-connectors thread onto the torch perfectly though.

Thank you both for your input and Dale, thank you for the photo, that helps a great deal!

Astrid

Dale M. · #9 2007-09-30, 4:31pm

You should be able to get the different connector(s) at welding supply or maybe they can install the "B" type connectors on the end of your hose... Take torch and hose to welding supply and ask for help...

Just don't let then try to give you new hoses that are R or RM grade, these are NOT propane comparable... You want grade "T" hose...

Dale

BrandedGlass · #10 2007-10-01, 2:52am

Hi - I bought the mini cc, propane regulator, flashback arresters and hoses from ABR too and I swore up and down that my hoses were missing a vital piece! It wasn't until the clever boyfriend arrived that I realized that we had everything. The mini cc should have come with some (okay, not really technical so forgive me) metal thingys. These go down into the raw ends of the hose and the clasp things go over them to hold them in place. We also got some weird white tape stuff that isn't really tape and put it over the threading on both the torch and the flash back arrester, just to make sure the seal was leak free (if you want to know what it's called I'll ask him the next time I talk to him). Anyway - don't know if this helped any...

but the two pieces that came with the mini cc are the pieces that go into the raw ends of the hose... clamps go on top.
Kristen

BrandedGlass · #11 2007-10-01, 2:59am

Oh - and according to Ross at ABR - the flash back arresters should go next to the propane tank, not up at the torch... I had them screwed in there too! Also - I bought the M15 and with that he said you don't need to have the arrester thing, so I just have my regulator plugged into my tank, then my arrestor / arrester (however you spell it) and then the hose. Also- when he sent the mini cc the two extra pieces were not attached to the torch... gosh I hope this helps, I understand how much it sucks to wait!

Kristen

Dale M. · #12 2007-10-01, 7:35am

There are two version of flashback arrestors available on market... One type is designed to be places at regulator, other one is designed to be paced at torch... It's all about the threaded connectors, and the direction of flow arrow.... The only way the flash back arrestor will work is if arrow is pointed towards torch... If connection configuration (threaded connections ) does not allow arrow to point towards torch, you have it in wrong location...

Dale

BrandedGlass · #13 2007-10-01, 11:36am

Hi Dale... That's great information! I had no idea what I was doing when I was setting up my system because my purchases didn't come with directions...I will go look at the arrestor (finally figured out how to spell that!) that's attached to my propane to make sure the arrows are pointed toward the torch. I wish I knew about this forum before I went through the set up. I had a 3 minute phone call as my only support.

Kristen

alb6094 · #14 2007-10-01, 2:26pm

Wow, great responses to this thread! I did email Ross over the weekend but haven't heard back yet. Whatever the metal flanges/attachments were I didn't get those with my torch, I still have the box and went through it again with a fine tooth comb. My DH works in mfg. though and he's going to tote the hoses to work and see if his maint. guys there can put some more B connectors on the other end for me. The have the welding crimper setup there as they use oxygen in their mfg. process.
Dale, special thanks again about the info on the FB arrestors. That was something I had looked at and was planning to read up on. I know that I have the tank arrestors, not the torch arrestors. I had assumed that the arrow meant gas flow towards torch so it's nice to know I had at least guessed that right.

My free DVD from Carlisle about the mini CC arrived today too so I'm excited to watch that if I can ever get through with all my mundane paperwork, grrrrr...I should be independently wealthy, I *hate* having to work for a living, lol.

Thanks again everybody!

Astrid

alb6094 · #15 2007-10-01, 9:22pm

Just a final follow-up:
On the Mini CC DVD from Carlisle they show two types of torch connections and how to hook them up. One is the flange type that attach with hose clamps. The other connection, the one I have, is made so that you can simply screw the hoses (that have the B connectors on them already) directly onto the torch. Thought I'd add that final outcome to the thread in case anyone else eventually reads this needing the info. My DH took the hoses to work with him today so hopefully (fingers crossed) he'll get those connectors put on the hose tonight.

Astrid

ChrisCamac · #16 2007-10-02, 7:53am

So you have the "B" type connector on the mini, which is great since it is much more secure and a better connection method than the barb type.

Based on what I have read so far, I think the supplier that got you the torch and hose should have realized that the two would not work together and sold you a hose with ends on both sides that would have done the job right from the beginning. Perhaps the supplier simply wasn't aware of the differences in connectors.

Should you need anything further, you can always contact us at Carlisle with any questions. Toll Free 800-922-1167

alb6094 · #17 2007-10-02, 12:03pm

Hi Carlisle Guy;

You're right, I do have the B connector on the mini and I agree, a much safer hook-up. I have to say the DVD was wonderfully helpful. When it got to the connection part I was like "Oh.....duh me" - lol. Plus just being able to watch Remschneider demo made me drool all over myself, heh, I can't wait to fire that mother up this weekend.

Ross at ABR did email me today and said he never received my other email so I prolly didn't hit send or something equally stew-pid. He told me to call and he'd help me anyway he could however (huge smile here)...
Hubby walked in this morning with the hoses all fixed up. Maint. guy at his work was able to put the B-connectors on, no problem.
Everyone has been so wonderful helping me with this and I want to thank all of you for your patience with me. Now my only problem will be figuring out what I want to practice first!

Astrid