I love my new torch......but I SUCK !

What the hell is it that causes me to weld more than I cut when i'm trying to cut?

Why do I keep blowing big molton bubbles of shit, and melting so much it all globs back together as I go,and I have to go back over it several times?

Too bog a tip or too small?

Too much oxy pressure or too little?

I suck :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Keep an eye on your angle, ya want the torch tip pointing slightly ahead of the cut, maybe a couple degrees. Most of the time when the molten metal rejoins its because your travel speed is too slow. For cutting I run about 40 psi of O2 and 7 Ar. As with anything metal related, practice, practice, practice. You'll know when you get it right, shouldnt have to grind much at all, just a minute ammount of slag on the bottom which will come off with little effort.

Kwrangln

Man....it's harder to tell you than to show someone....1st. I like 35 and 7, when you light the torch...back off the acytene till it, "the flame" jumps back to the torch, no gap. Then set the oxy. to a neutral flame....now push the oxy. lever down and trim the flame as a neutral with the cutting lever down. If cutting plate everything works better if it's clean, rust on the back makes it tougher, once you preheat the spot to start, wait to see a small puddle and start into it with the cutting lever down. Keep tip about straight or a very small amount angled ahead. The cutting head preheat holes in the tip will preheat it...try it vertical. Go slow and stay comfortable...get a good rest for your arm...a big fire brick is nice, and get it...you metal butcher!!!!!:smokin:

Bill sounds like too much oxygen pressure----also how clean is your tip? Yesterday I was having the same problem BUT I was in a hurry , and I was on a customers roof so I was nowhere near my tanks , and clean cutting did not matter (demo work) Its funny cause I hardly ever use oxy/ace anymore for cutting unless its really thick steel 1+ just so much faster w/plas.

PS also sounds like too large tip, and if not to hot overall.- decrease pressure all around

Sounds to me like your setting the torch to HOT. When cutting 3/8" or thinner, I usually set my acetylene flame by looking at the amount of soot it's blowing into the air. Set it right at the point of no soot and a lot of soot (hope this makes sense to ya) then adjust the oxygen so that ya got some real fine points. Then cut away. You have to have patience, it's like ridding a bike. Another way to judge is sound, if you can't carry on a normal conversation with the guy handing you beers, it's too hot!!!

:beer: :beer: :beer:

Did you open the oxygen valve on the bottom (I assume Victor here) all of the way and then adjust the upper oxygen valve to the proper flow rate? I've made that mistake a fiew times and ended up with the same problems as you. A good tip cleaner will also be a good friend while you learn to handle that thing. How thick are you cutting, and with what tip? What is your pressure? Technique? More info bud.

Oxy/Ace can be damned smooth once you get the hang of it. You'll sit there for a while and warp metal, screw up cuts, and generally piss yourself off. Then one day it will all just click and your cuts look like they were done with plasma :D

you don't say how thick what you're cutting is ...

until last weekend i considered myself at least a decent torch user (mainly 1/4-1/2" plate stuff) but was greatly humbled by trying for over an hour to cut some 1" plate ... had a prof. welder come by and give me some tips ... 35 & 7 is what i got my torch setup at also ....

- jack

watch the slag coming out of the kerf (slot you are cutting) it should be a fine spray of sparks, if you go too fast it will either stop cutting or not spray, if you go too slow you will be heating a lot of metal and making a larger cut.
sounds to me like too big a tip, get a smaller one, cuts slower but easier to get the speed right cause you have to go slow. cutting is all about being steady, practice just moving the torch across the metal at a steady pace for a while.
.

now push the oxy. lever down and trim the flame as a neutral with the cutting lever down

OK, Ill try that. I had been trimmin neutral with cutting lever closed.

also sounds like too large tip, and if not to hot overall.- decrease pressure all around

Could well be...I'm using about 40/8...I'll try a smaller tip and 35/7

`if you can't carry on a normal conversation with the guy handing you beers, it's too hot!!!

OK - almost certainly too hot then...I thought it was supposde to ROAR like that!

Did you open the oxygen valve on the bottom (I assume Victor here) all of the way and then adjust the upper oxygen valve to the proper flow rate?

Good assumption, and Yes.

A good tip cleaner will also be a good friend while you learn to handle that thing.

Oh...that thing! I bought one...just never used the thing, maybe I should

How thick are you cutting, and with what tip?

My troubles are with the thinner stuff...like 1/8" and 3/16" etc. With a 00 or ) Victor tip.

What is your pressure?

Prob a bit too high at about 40/8

Technique?

Precious little :rasta:

Thanks for the ideas...I'll keep at it.

one more ? - should you be able to cut equally well in "all positions" well..maybe not overhead...but vertical, flat and horizontal equally well?