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How tall is an oxygen tank used in a full sized oxy-acetylene welding torch?

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Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, March 16, 2017 8:59 PM

Hi Mr.B,

I do like JL Innovative stuff. I have a bunch of their oil drums. I couldn't see any oxy-acetylene torch sets in their line, and I already have a bunch of oil hiboys from Scale Structures. I am going to have a gas pump somewhere in the service area for refueling vehicles.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, March 16, 2017 8:36 PM

JL Innovative has stuff like this.  Their sets of gas station equipment will give you parts which look good in any shop settings.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, March 16, 2017 8:13 PM

Just a quick update.

I got the 1/64th scale welding sets today and, as I suspected, they are pretty close to HO scale. The taller tank measures 4 1/4' tall in HO scale, and the tanks are about 9" in dia. The only thing that is out of scale for HO is the cart handle. It is too tall. However, I don't think too many people would notice if the handle was removed. If you wanted to get really fussy, you could re-attach it lower down. They are very finely detailed.

Dave

 

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Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, March 9, 2017 4:27 AM

gmpullman
I don't mean to dominate the thread but I share the same interest in shop scenes and machinery.

Dominate away! I'm getting lots of great ideas from you and I'm sure others are too.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, March 9, 2017 4:14 AM

hon30critter
Thanks Ed! More nice excellent scenes by the way!

Thanks, Dave! Glad you enjoyed  ...and that I jogged your memory.

Now where did I set that drink down...Drinks

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, March 9, 2017 1:41 AM

I’m afraid if it had been the Bear, he’d have probably replied “Caveat Emptor”

Hi Bear!

Christel asked me to send a photo of the welding set next to a scale ruler and she said after she saw it that she definitely understood my point. She initiated some sort of quality control procedure that included contacting the designer about the issue. It should be a simple fix. All they have to do is scale up the program about 25% and they will get the proper size for a large set.

So, HERE IS A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO CHRISTEL MAURMAIR at SHAPEWAYS!!!!BowSmile, Wink & Grin By the way, she credited the shipping costs too which I thought was fantastic!

Cheers Bear!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, March 9, 2017 1:33 AM

gmpullman
the Woodland Scenics set is not all that bad and you get a pair of pipe roller stands, just like the Ridgid ones and a pretty close copy of a Lincoln Idealarc-250 plus two figures.

HA! I have two sets! Bought them years ago. Forgot all about them!DunceBang HeadLaughLaugh I'll blame it on the drinking - too much water!

Thanks Ed! More nice excellent scenes by the way!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by "JaBear" on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 10:02 PM

hon30critter
I just got a response from Christel at Shapeways. She has given me a store credit for the HO welding sets.

MY Goodness Dave, what a good resolution!
However, I’d have given Christel at Shapeways. a
 HUGE SHOUT OUT
cos I’m afraid if it had been the Bear, he’d have probably replied “Caveat Emptor”, (let the buyer beware).
Cheers, the curmudgeonly Bear.Stick out tongue Smile, Wink & Grin

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 5:44 PM

hon30critter
"Thanks for the memories...."

The '66 VW Bug I drove had a Penn-Central speed restriction sign as the floorboard! If you let up on the clutch too fast the pedals would flop forward and the clutch cable would become disengaged. I learned how to "shift-on-the-fly" and back then I could shut off the engine after coasting to a red-light, then put 'er in first and crank the engine when the light went green... try that with today's interlocked systems!

Friend of mine had a brand-new 1971 240-Z. That was one neat car to a 15 year-old kid!

Fine memories, indeed.

Here's a few more photos of the Herpa cylinder banks I was mentioning in the earlier threads, Dave.

I used to fill banks like these back at GE. We made rare gases and shipped them by rail and truck all over North America. Loose cylinders are also shipped on skids like these. One side of the skid would flip down so you could roll the individual cylinders into it. Many of the banks we used had manifolds on them so none of the cylinders were capped.

I'm planning to customize that Cushman into a "Welding Buggy" with an engine driven welder and a set of tanks on it. Also spools of welding cable. We had one like that at GE, too. We shipped Hydrogen in "torpedo-Tube" gas trailers like the one in the background. I forget where I got those tanks but it was Herpa, Faller or one of the EU manufacturers.

I sure wish one of the main-stream manufacturers would make a Helium Car. I have a very old (Tyco?) AHM/Roco plastic one. Brass models go in the neighborhood of $4-500.

Actually, as far as gas cutting cylinders, the Woodland Scenics set is not all that bad and you get a pair of pipe roller stands, just like the Ridgid ones and a pretty close copy of a Lincoln Idealarc-250 plus two figures. You would need to make your own cart. Still, they look nice because they have the regulators on them and pretty close to scale gauges.

Those jack stands are Tichy and I don't recall who made the car-jacks in the background but you might want a few of those around the shop, too.

I don't mean to dominate the thread but I share the same interest in shop scenes and machinery. Thanks for letting me show off Big Smile

Regards, Ed

 

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Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 4:38 PM

SouthPenn
When I worked construction, the water pipes were still copper. The plumbers had small ~12" high oxy-acetylene sets that were carried to each job. 

I know that there are lots of 'mini' oxy-acetylene torch sets out there but I can't see someone in a roundhouse working on a full sized steam or diesel locomotive ever using one. The tank would run out before the metal got hot enough to do anything with.

I know that from experience actually, well sort of. I used to have a VERY primative 'welding set' that used some form of pellet that you burned in a cylinder to create oxygen. To call it a welding set was totally misleading. It would braze ok but trying to weld anything with it was a non-starter. You had to work FAST! Either the pellets would burn out or the moisture that they generated along with the oxygen would drown out the flame. It should have been called a "spit and braze torch". It was a very frustrating process, but I managed to rebuild my rusted out MGB and a friend's really, really rusted out Datsun 240Z with that so-called torch. (His driver's seat fell out of the bottom of the car just after he bought it - somebody saw him comingSmile, Wink & GrinLaugh). At least the pellets were cheap. Those were the fun days when you made do with what you could afford!LaughThumbs Up

"Thanks for the memories...."

Dave

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Posted by SouthPenn on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 3:14 PM

When I worked construction, the water pipes were still copper. The plumbers had small ~12" high oxy-acetylene sets that were carried to each job. 

South Penn
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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 2:17 PM

Ed, that looks incredible!  Between you and Dave, all I can say is WOW at your modeling.

I thought when I bought my Optivisor, those skills came with it?  Laugh  Maybe I'm using the wrong lense.  Laugh

And the net, or this site, is acting strange today.  I replied to a question in Electronics about 2 hours ago, and it has totally vanished.

Mike.

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Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 2:16 PM

That whole scene looks great Ed! Very convincing!

I have built a wheel shop based on the one at the East Broad Top RR but it's too small to accommodate something as large as your machine. The windows are also rather small and it will sit towards the back of the service area so I don't plan on putting a lot of detail into the interior.

I think I'll put the wheel lathe in the maching shop where it can be seen better.

Dave

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Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 1:43 PM

hon30critter
I have my eyes on a wheel lathe.

Did somebody say "Wheel Lathe??"

I did a wheel shop a few years ago and cobbled together something of a wheel lathe out of Walthers SceneMaster gear loads and other parts I had on hand.

You can see that I wasn't too concerned with how the walls looked, however, under normal viewing you can't easily see the walls...

OSHA would love all that un-guarded machinery!

I'm going to post more photos in a little while, the WWW is acting goofy today and I lost about 45 minutes of typing because the "site CS.trains could not be found"

Bang Head

Be back later... Ed

[edit] Glad Shapeways is giving you a credit, Dave Yes They have treated me well, too.

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Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 9:11 AM

I just got a response from Christel at Shapeways. She has given me a store credit for the HO welding sets. I have my eyes on a wheel lathe.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 8:30 AM

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all the input.

Wayne:

I kind of understand what you mean by 'scarfing' but I'm thinking that sort of process would be more appropriate in a large maching shop. Mine won't be that large. I do want to model the welding sets with tanks instead of just gas pipes because the sets will be more recognizable to most viewers.

Mel:

The Scale Structures roundhouse kit is what I based some of my scratch built stuff on. The price is nuts now - $124.99 at Walthers!! I have ordered a number of individual items from Scale Structures but they soon add up!

I really like the way you wired your roundhouse lights. I was planning on running wires along each side of the interior beams but your idea is so much simpler.

Ed:

I ordered a bunch of the Tichy tanks but I got the small ones by mistake. They are only 3' tall. I can get away with using them in banks by extending the bottoms of the front row of tanks.

Kevin:

Thanks for the dimensions and rules. The 60" height proves my concerns over the Shapeway model's accuracy. They didn't specify that they were selling mini torches.

I'm going to play a bit loose with the rules because I am building a nine stall roundhouse. Having just one torch set would be a bit anemic. Besides, it will be set in the 50s so I suspect the rules weren't quite so tight back then.

 

I got a response from Shapeways. They asked me to send a picture of the supposedly HO scale welding set next to a scale ruler so I have done that.

Cheers all!!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 8:36 PM

A common sized oxygen tank is 60" tall and about 10" in diameter. A common acetelyne tank is 45" tall and about 12" in diameter. That is "modern", since I have been working since 1985. These would be the sizes typically found in a shop on two wheeled dollies with wheel about 10" in diameter. There are much larger tanks I see in shops a little taller and probably 50% larger in diameter that go on carts with wheel about 24" in diameter. When I had a service truck my portable tanks were about 24" tall. Current safety rules in our shops state only ONE set of bottles can be a a cart anywhere in the shop. All other oxygen and acetylene bottles must be strored vertically in racks and chained to the wall. Oxygen and acetelyne tanks are kept at least 50 feet away from each other except for the two mounted to te cart.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 6:39 PM

Maybe it is a little late to help your quest, Dave, but Tichy makes 3 sizes of gas cylinders.

Besides the cart you would want a "corral" where full and empty cylinders were kept chained up, possibly on an outside wall of the roundhouse with a "lean-to" roof over them. A sign on the wall saying, Full: Empty: Keep Cylinders Chained: etc.

 

https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop.aspx?SearchValue=cylinder

I bought a bunch of cylinder banks from Herpa many years ago. I used to fill banks like these back in the day at GE.

https://www.walthers.com/gas-cylinders-on-pallets

I believe Funero and Carmelingo has resin cylinders, too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LMH-Funaro-F-C-607-Detail-Parts-GAS-CYLINDERS-Oxygen-Oxy-Acetylene-Tank-24-Pcs-/310734253194

as does S.S. Ltd.

http://scale-structures.com/ss2300

 http://scale-structures.com/ss2412

I'll get a photo of the Herpa ones posted soon. I have lots of them! I'd be glad to send some your way...

Lookin' Good Yes  Ed

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Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 3:52 PM

Mel,

I have and still do use a lot of SS Ltd. castings...cleaning them takes extreme patience, but worth the effort in My Opinion. Roll top desk can in comparison to the barber chair can be a breeze to build.....as I found out. Just holding the arms for filing, You can bend or distort them very easily. I used those for the captains chairs in the Tug I built.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 3:40 PM

zstripe
Many rules and Hazardous warnings are designed/worded for use in large quantities, put in perspective common sense is needed when using and handling...which seem's to be lacking in a lot of situations.

Frank,

I work in a Nuclear Power Plant, were that doesnt exist in any form.  I got yelled at for laying an Acetylene bottle on its side to transport it in a truck.

Andrew

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Posted by RR_Mel on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 3:29 PM

I really lit up my roundhouse, four grain of wheat bulbs per stall.  20 12 volt 60ma bulbs operating at 8½ volts, nice realistic incandescent lighting.  Just like I remembered the El Paso SP Roundhouse from my teen years in the early 1950s.
 
  
 
This picture was taken during a mass overhaul when I added my new turntable about 10 yerars ago, I built and lit the origanal roundhouse in the early 90s.
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
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Posted by RR_Mel on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 3:12 PM

I went looking through my many many parts drawers and I found the originals from the kit.  Well everything but the welding tanks.  I kinda remember using the original tanks in my service truck (40s Dodge Power Wagon).
 
 
The kit has quite a few more tools than in my picture, the tiny tools were too hard to make molds of so I used many of the original tools in my roundhouse.
 
I don’t think the roll top desk was part of the roundhouse detail kit.  It's a SS LTD kit too.
 
Thanks for the good words Frank!
 
Mel
 
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My Model Railroad   
 
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I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
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Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 2:49 PM

Mel,

I had that kit, used a lot of it in a Suydam Diesel house kit...but I never cast My own. Yours looks great! I also use a similar lighting arrangement as You with incandesant blubs. Looks so much better then having wires hanging everywhere.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by RR_Mel on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 2:27 PM

Many years ago I bought a Scale Structures Roundhouse Interior Detail Kit.  It had all kinds of hand tools as well as power tools, workbenches, welding tanks, shelving and a lot of locomotive parts.
 
I do a lot of casting and I made molds of as much as was possible.  I just looked up the kit and just like everything else the price is way up there now.  The detail parts are cast potmetal and very well detailed.
 
 
 
I checked my molds but after 15+ years the molds are pretty far gone, if they were usable I would make you some castings.
 
Mel
 
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My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
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Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 1:18 PM

BMMECNYC

 

 
BMMECNYC

https://arlweb.msha.gov/alerts/hazardsofacetylene.htm

"PROTECT ALL CYLINDERS FROM FALLING OBJECTS. AVOID ROUGH HANDLING, DROPPING, OR KNOCKING OF CYLINDERS TO PREVENT DAMAGING THE CYLINDER, FUSIBLE PLUGS, RELIEF DEVICES, CYLINDER VALVES OR GAUGES. STORING ACETYLENE CYLINDERS ON THEIR SIDE MAKES THE ACETYLENE LESS STABLE AND LESS SAFE, AND INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF SOLVENT LOSS AND RESULTANT DECOMPOSITION. ACETYLENE CYLINDERS SHOULD BE STORED AND USED IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND FIRMLY SECURED TO PREVENT FALLING OR BEING KNOCKED OVER."

 

 

 

Sorry about the all caps.  I didnt feel like re-typing.  MSHA felt it was important enough to all caps.

 

Just to let You know where I have My tanks filled is 3 miles from My house....for that distance problem's are minimal. Also part of the testing/certification of a welding tank includes laying down, with steel cap protecting the valve. Starting welding in 1960, also worked for a truck line that transported oxygen & acetylene tanks full/empty.....also I was Hazmat certified for every type there is....also was a certified handler of US Army Nuclear ordinance for 8''/175mm rounds in US/Vietnam 66' to 68', although they were not used in Vietnam when I was there in 67'. Many rules and Hazardous warnings are designed/worded for use in large quantities, put in perspective common sense is needed when using and handling...which seem's to be lacking in a lot of situations. A Hazmat warning on small quantities of paint/lacquer thinner has people worried that they will die and their house will explode if they use it.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 10:53 AM

hon30critter
I think that having several welding sets distributed throught the roundhouse would make for much more 'entertaining' scenes....

You're right, Dave, the tanks on wheeled dollies would be more interesting than permanent stations, especially in a roundhouse setting.
In one of the mills where I worked, the process there involved slitting slabs and scarfing defects out of them.  The slitting stations had pipes coming out of the ground, with the valves and regulators to which the hoses were connect.  Around this area were protective posts made of very sturdy structural steel and that was mostly clad with plate steel.  This was mainly to protect the area if a slab were dropped nearby.
The torches there used oxygen with natural gas, with pressures around 120/130psi.  Interesting to see when everything was running (although some days you couldn't see much for the yellow/green haze created when some grades of steel were being scarfed).  
A set-up with hose stations wouldn't be very interesting in a roundhouse scene unless you could animate it....not that I'm trying to plant a seed here....Whistling

Wayne

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 8:10 AM

hon30critter
Severing a live oxy-acetylene line could get pretty exciting if there was a spark!

MHSA talks about that at the bottom, the LFL is 2.5%, and explosive decompression can happen at 100%.  It also states that static sparks caused by walking on carpet are 1700 times what is needed to ignite...

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Posted by hon30critter on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 7:22 AM

BMMECNYC
They might have a piped system that travels to different locations in the roundhouse. 

I think that having several welding sets distributed throught the roundhouse would make for much more 'entertaining' scenes. From a practical point of view that would reduce the number of hoses running everywhere which would logically reduce the number of potential accidents. Severing a live oxy-acetylene line could get pretty exciting if there was a spark!

Dave

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 7:10 AM

mbinsewi
Just another variation for you. I don't think you'll find a set as small as mine in a round house setting.

They might have a piped system that travels to different locations in the roundhouse.  They also might not due to the implications of one of the pipes getting hit by something.

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