oxygen usage

[spiderfire]

I finally got my new torch and set up the studio with the propane and oxygen tanks. The oxygen tank is enormous - as tall as me! Off I went torching a few hours or so every day, I started about ten days ago. My oxygen tank is half empty already, is this normal usage? I have checked for leaks but can find no trace of one.
At this rate it will be cheaper to use the H/H and the little bottles! The tank costs 80 euros to refill.

Can somebody tell me how long one of these tanks should last if you use it for two hours a day?

Thank you from a soon to be impoverished lampworker.

Sue

[istandalone24/7]

what torch are you using? what kind of work do you do?
these are all factors in determining if your oxy usage is average or whatnot.

[Speedslug]

Aye, Soft glass or boro?

And are you being mindful of turning down your flame when you don't need to run it full tilt?

Oh one thing I remember: You know that you can turn the valve on the tank all the way off and no oxygen comes out at all? Well the oxygen tanks have the same kind of seal at the other end when they are turned all the way open. If you only open the valve a little bit, say just enough to get the pressure you want at the troch, the oxygen can leak out of the valve at the stem and you would not know that it was going out the of the tank.

So make sure when you open the tank to use it, open it all the way until it stops turning. That will seal the valve stem properly at the all the way open position.

[bepnewt]

Originally Posted by Speedslug

So make sure when you open the tank to use it, open it all the way until it stops turning. That will seal the valve stem properly at the all the way open position.

Uh... wow. I never knew this. I rarely use the O2 tank, but when I do, I will remember to do this. Thanks for the tip.

-BEP

[spiderfire]

Thanks guys for the replies
I am using a Spartan torch from devardi and I am only using soft glass at the moment for bead making.
The oxygen tank came complete with pressure gauges so I have dialled it down to just under one bar - whatever that equates to. Would you be able to hear a leak from the stem?

[hawkglass]

If you live in a colder climate the valve can freeze if condensation gets inside it and show less pressure than is actully there i figured that out in a welding class i took and we stored the tanks outside then when we brought them in our oxy just seamed to disapear then reapear once the tanks where warm

[Alaska]

Originally Posted by spiderfire

...have dialled it down to just under one bar - whatever that equates to.

From the torch website.

"The Spartan requires 1 - 7 psi for propane gas and 3 - 12 psi for oxygen, depending on weather you are using soft glass or boro."

If the numbers are correct, 1 bar is 14 psi which is over the suggested torch rating. IMO replace the oxygen side with gauges that read in psi so that you have a more accurate reading of O2 low pressure.

[snoopdog6502]

I had to learn that running too much oxygen will actually make for a cooler flame and use lots of O2!

I dialed down the oxygen and get way more work done out of a bottle.

Now I own some big tanks 2 K and an S plus have an oxygen concentrator.

At your prices and the size of the torch it would save money to get an oxygen concentrator. I love mine but keep tanks around too.

[Speedslug]

Aye, when I light up I start with just the fuel gas and light a six inch flame.
Then I turn on the oxygen and set that to get the yellow to just disappear on the candles.

On my Cricket the candles are just a smidgen over 5/16 of an inch.

If I need more heat I turn up the fuel and then balance the oxygen to get back to a neutral flame.

I only turn up the oxygen after that if I want the pin point flame for detail work or if the glass I am using needs an oxygen rich flame.




I learned the "two seat on the oxygen tank valve" thing from watching welding videos on you tube "welding tips and tricks".

They have a whole mess of training videos and there is a lot of really useful knowledge to be found there.