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-   -   Regulator for hooking up to natural gas? (http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=303559)

Elizabeth Beads 2017-11-20 8:04am

Regulator for hooking up to natural gas?
 
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Speedslug 2017-12-04 3:15am

Mostly they are not needed for home hookups.

The pressures in home natural gas lines is close to 2 to 3 psi at best and quite likely closer to one half pound psi.

There aren't many torches that will work correctly with that low of gas pressure.
My GTT Cricket works fine on household pressure but I also can't get very large work out of it.

If you want to use natural gas with larger torches you should contact the maker and see what pressures you will have to convince the gas company to provide.

Shaper 2018-02-20 7:10pm

The nat gas pressure in my area is 5 PSI. I called to see if they would raise it to 10PSI but they refused saying it would be to dangerous.
Also some torches, like Herbies, have to be tuned for the type of gas you are going to use in order to get the most out of the torch.
Hey Phill, have you talked to the folks at GTT about running that Cricket on nat gas? I thought GTT torches were set up for propane. I know the Phantom and on up are but I wasn't aware there smaller torches could run efficiently on nat gas. Interesting.

Alaska 2018-02-21 2:02pm

Have been using NG at 5 PSI on a GTT Scorpion (center fire Cricket) and the torch works well on both boro and soft glass. It is nice that NG in your area is at a usable pressure. In many places it is in the range of 1/3 PSI.

Shaper 2018-02-21 3:28pm

The Scorpion is a good sized torch. I've never heard of a GTT torch running on nat gas and I didn't realize it could be run efficiently and effectively on nat gas. Thanks, good to know.
Though I do know that propane and oxy burn hotter than nat gas and oxy.

Speedslug 2018-02-21 3:46pm

When the Cricket came out it was stated that it was designed to run on low pressures of both fuel and oxygen.
That was one of the main reasons I bought a cricket.

Because all torches are only delivery devices of fuel and oxygen the "tuning" for the best flame is going to be dependent on the gas pressures
and volume provided to the torch.

With natural gas at the extremely low house hold pressures, for me at least, it is a matter of turning on the gas and adjusting the oxygen to get the flame characteristics I want.
Its important to remember that torches as small as the cricket are not made to make a raging flame.
Its a small torch for smaller work.

Natural gas is something like half as 'powerful' as propane and if you want to push small torches to the max then going propane will help but it is not needed if you are making stuff under 2 inches.

Alaska 2018-02-21 5:13pm

From the GTT website in regard to the Scorpion:

"The Scorpion was designed with concentrators, low pressure and low consumption in mind. The Scorpion runs great on one 10 LPM concentrator or two 5 LPM concentrators with the optimal setup being two 8 LPM concentrators or tanked oxygen. Oxygen consumption is 11 LPM (22 CFH) at the maximum flame size. It requires as low as ¼ psi to 5 psi of natural gas or propane with a low consumption rate of 1.5 LPM (3 CFH) at the maximum flame size."

Elizabeth Beads 2018-02-21 7:53pm

My Alpha runs fine on 2 psi natural gas and 10 lpm oxygen. I can make a large focal with no problems. I only work soft glass these days.

Shaper 2018-02-22 11:29am

Hey Alaska is that (3CFH) 3 cubic feet per hour? Wow!

Fancithat 2018-03-16 12:36pm

Do I need a flashback arrest or and controller with a propane tank?

Elizabeth Beads 2018-03-16 12:37pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fancithat (Post 4981538)
Do I need a flashback arrest or and controller with a propane tank?

Yes. Both flashback arrestor and regulator.


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