>Have you ever done this? How wide a plate could you heat up and
>bend with a single torch?
I've done 12" of 1/4" or so. It's possible to do more, with a
sufficiently large rig. Despite what Eric says, Oxygen isn't
usually the limiting factor. A neutral flame should be used, so the
rate of consumption of the two gases is nearly equal. (Really,
Really, Really high!) Acetylene is. The acetylene in the tank is
dissolved in acetone, which is contained in pumice, asbestos and
concrete, or something similar, depending on the age of the tank.
That's because acetylene will explosively decompose at pressures
greater than about 15PSI (1 bar). There are limits on how fast you
can draw the acetylene out of solution. The general rule of thumb is
1/7 of the tank's capacity an hour. I can't really run a rosebud on
the tanks I've got at home (an 80 cu ft acetylene tank), because of
this. Your welding equipment supplier will be able to tell you what
you need to run the tips you want. For a small shop, it may turn out
to be cheaper to use oxy-MAPP or oxy-propane or oxy-natural gas
because of the reduced cost of equipment (fuel costs aren't really
that much different, and alternative fuels don't burn as hot so they
take longer to heat)
David
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