Propane & Oxygen Questions..

[wildwire]

Hi,

I am putting a proposal together for the local arts centre regarding setting up a 6 torch studio....

I work at home on a concentrator and natural gas so I need some input....

if you were running 6 torches for 3 hours how much gas and oxygen would you use? What size bottles would you recommend as the classes would be for 6-8 weeks long? the studio would have minors for torches.....

I would like to not have to fill up the bottles until the class was done after 8 weeks....is this possible?

any input on setting up a large studio would be helpful! also any pics of a multiple torch set up would be great - I would love to see the tables or table with the ventilation and torches....

thanks,
Shauna

[kbinkster]

With that many torches, you would probably need a good manifold and run liquid oxygen.

[pam]

In my classes at the studio we run 6 minors and my Cheetah off tanked oxy. I would guess - and that is it because I don't know how you teach classes - that one 250 tank (the large one) will probably last through 5 or 6 classes. It will really depend greatly on how much you talk and demo as opposed to them working.

[MikeAurelius]

I'd say two (2) 20 pound tanks of propane and a liquid oxygen cell.

I agree with Kimberly about setting up a manifold - it will make life much easier.

A manifold can be anything that distributes the fuel and oxygen to the torches -- in my studio, I use 3/8" "T" grade hose to act as the manifold. I've seen professional set ups that use a milled brass block with multiple ports to act as a manifold (don't you have one of those Pam?).

Vince over on the ISGB designed and built a rather fancy one with attached quick disconnects and wrote about it several years ago - it's probably somewhere in the archives.

Mine is single ended -- gas in one end and a "T" at each workstation for fuel and oxygen. Using 3/8" as opposed to 1/4" allows for greater volume of fuel/oxygen to flow through the lines, which is very important in multiple torch installations.

You can also use copper or black pipe as your needs and the building inspectors require.

[kbinkster]

I think Arrow Spring might actually sell a manifold or at least the stuff to build one.

[MikeAurelius]

Yes they do, Kim

(smacks head DOH!)

http://www.arrowsprings.com/html/torch_accessories.html
http://www.arrowsprings.com/html/tanks___manifolds.html

[wildwire]

Thank you everyone...Now I have something to work with!

Shauna

[SteveWright]

Minors will burn 10 cubic feet of oxygen an hour. There are about 30 cubic feet of oxygen in a liter of liquid oxygen.

Steve