📚 Mastery Mondays: Sputtering, popping and backpressure

📚 Mastery Mondays: Sputtering, popping and backpressure – oh my!

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How to Select the Correct Tip for Oxyfuel Cutting

Most manufacturers will provide you with a tip chart to help you to determine proper flow setting. This is critical since too much pressure inside the tip can cause the whole system to back-pressure and reverse flow. Too little pressure, on the other hand, can cause the tip to sputter and pop, leading to flashback or backfire.

To help ensure you avoid this and stay safe on the job, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Use plate thickness as your guide.

The thickness of your plate determines what tip to use. The tip you use will determine what pressure you need. For instance, with a #1 ascending cutting tip, set the pressure at 25 PSI for oxygen and 5 PSI on the fuel gas.

Refer to the supplier tip chart.

If, however, you want to change thickness to a one-inch plate, for example, change your tip to a #2 and refer to your tip chart for the proper pressure settings. If you don't have tip chart, talk to your supplier to ask for one.

Know the 1/7th rule.

Keep the 1/7th rule in mind when it comes to oxy-fuel and acetylene: Make sure you have adequate capacity from the acetylene cylinder to support acetylene consumption of the tip you're using.

Check for leaks.

Finally, check the whole system for leaks. Slowly open the oxygen cylinder valve until the high pressure gauge stabilizes, then shut off the cylinder valve and monitor the gauge for a pressure drop. If there is one, it indicates a leak in the high pressure side.