The Armour Archive

So I ordered a gas saver for oxy-propane. This is the lever actuated torch cutoff with pilot light. I've seen some interesting setups with these so I'm looking for stand options. I know a while back I saw some images with foot actuation for hands-free spot heating. That sounds pretty great for a lot of uses. Any pictures or suggestions for these? I don't think I want the torch to stay that close to the pilot light, but maybe it's not an issue.

I will not (currently) be mounting it to a table. I like the flexibility of a stand and don't have a heavy welding table yet.

What do you use?

Jacob

The version I'm most accustomed to has a thumb-wheel on the handle. You can leave it on the hanger and light it up when you are adjusting the flame and what not. It did mean a tired thumb until I built up a callus (since lost) and if you open the wheel too quick it could blow itself out but it was an effective system.

Sean

I'm looking at the lever actuated ones, as shown here:

http://www.smithequipment.com/products/ ... page68.pdf

I don't think I've seen a thumb version.

Jacob,

I've got the older version of this.
http://www.atlweldingsupply.com/Harris- ... 50-82.html

It's the one that Sean was referring to . I don't know how well the newfangled ones with the lever work, but the old ones with the wheel are pretty convenient.

Mac

Mac, Hmm. Could the torch rest/arm version really be considered "new-fangled"? I've had mine for over 20 years.

I have mine mounted to a (roughly) square foot piece of plywood, and made a rest out of sheet metal for the torch body. It cradles the torch just below the valves, and the flame end rests on the arm. The torch is perpendicular to the gas saver. I clamp the plywood base to a simple shop stool so I can move it around easily in my shop. Sometimes I need it at my welding bench, sometimes at one of my stake plates. It's not a problem having the torch near the pilot. Some care is needed when using the rig, but no more care than is required for any gas welding torch.

I love mine, use it with both acet and propane, and have saved more gas than I can imagine by having it.

I have used the lever arm version for years. It works pretty well.

My stand is just a piece of channel iron with a post welded to it and a flat top with holes. Before I borrowed this stand from Tom (he will never get it back), I just used a cheap bar stool and some drywall screws to hold it down.

You definitely want it to be portable. I drag it all over the place in the shop so it 'feels right' with whichever tool I am using.

Wade

Jeff,

No no... click through the link. http://www.atlweldingsupply.com/Harris- ... 50-82.html The lever in question is on the torch handle.

As I say, my older harris torches have a sort of "thumb wheel" that actuates the valves. The new one has a "thumb lever" instead.

I don't know how their new model works, but my old one turns back to a pilot light right at the tip.....and all this without any *POP*.

Mac

oh, ok, I get it. yup not having a 'pop' would definitely be a benefit. That's the one thing I don't really like about the "arm" type.

Hi guys,

The saver itself takes 200 - 250 bucks here. Like this one http://www.centrum-naradi.cz/product/28 ... nu-propan/ My setup is here:

it has adjustable height and skateboard wheels on one side to follow me wherever I go

cheers

Jiri

Well, Jacob you know what I use but FBO everyone else, I'm doing oxy-propane with some medical oxygen concentrators, so I just leave it lit, 'cause I don't pay for O2 and propane is pretty cheap.
What are you doing with it? Raising, or is it for smithing?
If it's for smithing I could see wanting to have it cut off except for the couple minutes of a particular local heat you want, but for raising I can't see how it would be convenient to be juggling things so much.

I've been getting back into raising recently and while I'm not clocking it yet I can get a knee rough formed pretty quickly, and I'm pretty sure it's because there's a rosebud running within arm's reach to the left of me, and I just flip the piece from the stake over to it heat, and I'm hitting it less than two seconds after it comes off the flame, and I'm re-heating it two seconds after it goes cold.

So I'd be surprised if there isn't a foot-pedal arrangement out there. If I hadn't found those concentrators I'd definitely want a pedal that I could push both to turn on the gas, and also to snap a piezo to light it.
But I'm also maybe more interested in saving time than saving gas.

I would check welding forums. I did some research on them while looking at oxy/acet carts and there are a ton of good ideas for portable/movable set-ups.

Here are a couple links I found, regarding foot pedals.

http://www.glassartists.org/Gal12946_fo ... ss_Co..asp
http://www.sundanceglass.com/foot-pedals.htm

So I use one of the lever set ups bolted to a steel work bench. I run both acetylene and propylene fuels through it. I juts have to swap the fuel hose at the base of the gas saver rig and the torch handle when I want to switch between the two fuels. I don't use the pilot light feature, mainly because I lit my close on fire once leaning over it to fetch a tool (no damage to me -- just to the polyester hoodie I was wearing -- reinforced the only wear natural fibers rule). I light with a sparker which I don't find any slower than the pilot light. Then I just hang the torch head on the lever to shut off teh gas flow. I have some popping problems with the propylene, but usuall its a pressure problem.