How to Use an Oxygen Cutting Torch

Cutting torches are used for a variety of industrial purposes.

Oxygen and acetylene cutting torches are useful pieces of equipment when working with metal or dismantling large equipment. Essentially, a flammable gas (Acetylene) is mixed with oxygen and lit with a spark. The mixture is then adjusted so that the flame is hot enough to instantly melt metal. Thus in order to "cut" the metal, it is heated to melting and then blown out of the way by the gas mixture blowby. Using a cutting torch is simple, however precautions need to be taken to do it properly.

Things You'll Need

• Cutting torch High volume/Low pressure canisters of Acetylene and Oxygen Cutting goggles, gloves, and apron Sparker

Instructions

1. Begin by connecting the cutting torch to the hoses coming from each of the gas cylinders. Be very careful to connect the Acetylene hose to the nozzle marked "Gas" and the Oxygen to the nozzle marked "O2."

2. Turn the bottle nozzles all the way open for both the acetylene and the oxygen gases. Slowly crack open the torch nozzles, providing more acetylene than oxygen at first. Hold the sparker a few inches in front of the nozzle and squeeze the handles quickly to cause a spark.

3. Spark until you get the acetylene lit and then begin slowly adjusting the oxygen until you get a very hot blue flame that appears sharp and short. To cut metal with this flame, wave the flame tip (the part right above the blue flame) across the area that you want to cut. The metal will turn orange and then white, and will eventually be blown out of the way.

Tips & Warnings

• Start out using half as much oxygen as you are using acetylene and then gradually increase the oxygen to get the blue flame you are looking for.

• Be extremely careful when using the cutting torch around flammable liquids or gases such as gas tanks and paints (in car shops).

Resources

• This article provides pictures of each step of the cutting torch process