Oxy-Acetylene Cutting | Shake Hands With Danger!

[@bear2760]

15:25 Welding instructor: "DON'T USE THE TORCH AS A HAMMER" AvE: "Tappy tap tap"

[@stuartd9741]

Lol!

[@ericgabriolli135]

Everything is a hammer

[@jimsmith6700]

When none of your tools are a hammer, all of your tools are hammers.

[@blacksheep9734]

At my job using a torch as a hammer gets you fired.

[@eriklarson9137]

@@jimsmith6700 I am almost 50 and I have never heard that. Thank you so much good sir! I assure you I will do you proud with my incessant use of this phrase from this day henceforth!

[@lyman360able]

At the shop I work at when customers ask about nitrogen we say we use a 80%nitrogen blend.

[@gyrotech777]

Air 2/tire. Nitrogen 10/tire. 80% nitrogen blend, 12/tire.

[@amanofmanyparts9120]

Until a couple of years ago I ran a 1976 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. The brakes and suspension rely on spheres preloaded with 1,000psi of pure nitrogen. I've always refilled mine with the same nitrogen blend from the SCUBA tank I used to refill my PCP air rifles. Never had a problem with them.

[@imthemistermaster]

@Blargenfladibblenohip ! But, you still paid more

[@josh4901]

Um 8/12 is not 80% Jesus 😂

[@adamthomas7232]

Oh, that had me laughing for a good 3 minutes. Thanks! Actually I'm still laughing!!!

[@ThePostApocalypticInventor]

Since I started oxy-acetylene welding myself, I have read a lot on the dangers of the subject. Fun fact: The German wikipedia article on "acetylene cylinders" talks about the dangers of acetylene cylinders in burning buildings and how to deal with them. One Austrian source cited, states that it is practice to "shoot through" the acetylene cylinder with tracer ammo (Leuchtspurmunition) to cause a controlled combustion, rather than a catastrophic explosion. Another paragraph mentioned throwing a flashbang into the building. My thoughts when I read this: "Ah yes, another completely normal day in my life."

[@hadeez2651]

feel you, had a pretty long acetylene hose ripping on me once (a freshly cut beam fell on it) and i was like 20m far away from the bottle down some dirty nasty shithole xD luckily there was someone near the bottle to turn it off quickly

[@antalz]

I always appreciate that you tell us the German technical terms. I'm Dutch though so I can already understand everyday German. Germans really do have the best words. Leutspurmunition...

[@espenschjelderup426]

I think it was in spring this year a acetylene cylinder caught on fire in a construction area in a town about 50km from here. They had to evacuate and get a sniper take a shot to puncture it to release pressure and make it burn out faster.

[@cmd2tuts]

Having semi-controllably detonated an 8oz can of like 60% acetylene I can't even imagine what an entire welder's tank blowing up would sound like. When I blew it up I was convinced that I had lost my entire right hand and went blind & deft for several seconds(minutes?). Of course it was just shock, I was ok. I wanna shoot one now.

[@jessevankeulen8137]

@Viscous Shear yeah I'm not sure why anybody would want to shoot a hole in a cylinder...acetylene cylinders have multiple fusible plugs in them that melt out near the boiling point of water (vs a burst disc that ruptures at pressure), which is their entire point. If the cylinder catches on fire or even gets too hot, the fusible plugs melt and release all of the acetylene to atmosphere.

[@BOB2112420]

15 minutes talking about safety, and then he uses the torch as a hammer.

[@BoB4jjjjs]

@@greanstreak04 Every god tool goes through the Hammer Test! lol

[@TheOneWhoMightBe]

Everything can be used as a hammer once.

[@ClinttheGreat]

Safety third.

[@TYSuggested]

Well let's be honest here, we've all done that.

[@whatelseison8970]

Safety is important.

[@johnrtrucker]

"You invent something idiot proof and the world invents a better idiot" best quote ever!!

[@josh33025]

I swear this guy is the most entertaining dude on youtube.

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

Now now, there's no need to swear.... It's already a proven fact that he is! Plus, he does enough swearing for us as it is ;) _"Focus, you *fock*!_

[@timwilliams1910]

You've obviously never watched Zip Ties n Bias Plies

[@PrimordialEconomics]

Hes very clever... wears hobo gloves but is low key genius.

[@johnkarkoska6963]

2021 everything is deadly back in 1967 that torch was safe as pie in my hands as a 7th grader on the farm. Amazing how deadly it got sitting on the bench for 54 years... yikes

[@seattlestars]

"You'll never use 200 PSI". What?? I paid for the whole gauge, so I'll damn well USE all of the gauge - just like the speedometer in my car.

[@HotForgeChaos]

I'm gonna buck off a slab of 4 inch thick steel

[@mephInc]

@@HotForgeChaos Even at 8" thick, you're still around 60psi. Sorry to burst your bubble.

[@rattledroar2426]

Lol. Perfect.

[@ObservationofLimits]

"If you haven't bottomed your speedo, you've never actually driven your car" - words of wisdom

[@Maroco918]

@@ObservationofLimits but mine is digital 😑

[@escwire7755]

5:53 Douglas Adams once wrote: “A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.” That's my favourite quote. I write instructions for a living.

[@BarneySaysHi]

Or, as I heard it being said: "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of the fire department." I've seen a work order saying "fire department proof equipment needed".

[@sandy1653]

@@BarneySaysHi Good fucking luck LOL. About the only people worse than them are soldiers. You could put an 11B or an 0311 in a room with three bearing balls and come back in an hour, the first will be missing, the second will be broken and the third will be knocked up.

[@longhairedcountryboy2363]

Escwire I hope you don't feel your career has been wasted knowing I've never read a thing you've written.

[@b.a.lineman7582]

Sooo.. you’re the “ other guy” when I say ... eeehhhh... that’s just some other guys opinion 😂🤣😂

[@SlimboShagginS13]

How many years did it take to learn idiot speak? That's not a shot at you im sure its not easy to be as clear as possible, and avoid lawsuits from mouth breathers that only have 1 calluse on each cheek that have to sing lefty loosey righty tighty...

[@captiveimage]

I'm always gobsmacked by two things in respect to your vids. Your knowledge of subject, be it metallurgy, chemistry or whatever and your willingness to share all this understanding with the likes of me. Thank you. One thing I was taught on the gas, when opening the tap, open her all the way, as you did, but wind it back a nubbin so the handle is loose. That way you'll always know that the tap is 'open' cos it's loose in the hand. Hard stop 'open' and temp variations in the materials when in use can cause the tap to bind and stiffen up, making it difficult to close. For someone who doesn't know if it's open/closed they can think its shut when it's not, cos it's stiffened up some and, thinking it's stiff closed, start disassembly of the hoses on an open cylinder.

[@JimmysTractor]

He just reads the relevant pages of Machinerys Handbook before.he turns the camera on. That's said, he's a great story teller.

[@millwrightrick1]

Oxygen tank valves are double seated. you need to open the valve all the way and close it all the way. Acetylene is just cracked open as the gas can explode at more than 15 psi.

[@canberradogfarts]

@@JimmysTractor Fer sure, he's a fart smella.

[@sbcspeed]

@@millwrightrick1 only on high pressure cylinders, he's talking about the torch handle itself. Also I checked a bunch of cylinders using soapy water to see if this an issue and I couldn't find one that leaked past the valve when fully seated. I think the gas companies do a much better job of servicing bottles these days, vs the old days when people owned their cylinders and had them refilled instead of just exchanging their rentals when the truck comes around .

[@irazu2008]

Tom Steemson from what I can tell from the vids i have seen is that Mr AvE works in the mining industry and travels quite a bit, maybe for a manufacturer or for a mining company as a problem solver when no one has a solution. He is good at a whole lot of things and expert at a few. Think - Special forces the A-team

[@Ricardo-dg4eg]

"I prefer to use a striker but it's in the land of 10mm sockets" LOL

[@whatelseison8970]

I think over time 10mm sockets decay into 9mm and 12mm.

[@jacksonsteenbergh8122]

@@whatelseison8970 I use 12mm often enough

[@shurdi3]

In my experience a lot of japanese machines use a 12mm head for an 8mm bolt, which always seems a bit strange to me. Everytime I measure an 8mm with my optical calipers and grab the 13mm socket it turns out to be a 12mm head

[@gearhead1302]

He ain't fucking kidding on that one! I wonder where the hell that place is? That and the 13mm wrench. Fucking christ.

[@Tome13Eclipse]

@@gearhead1302 Same with the doggone 16mm No matter how many you by, you never have it when you need it

[@HsPerformanceWi]

"Shake hands with danger" the quintessential mining safety video

[@Efferheim]

I still hear the guy singing “Shake hands with danger...” every time I read the words.

[@Aspire198]

I watched that video as part of my pre-apprentice course just last week!

[@Mummymunmuggy]

The guitar on 'Shake Hands With Danger' is much better than most music made.

[@ElanC]

required training video at the mine i work at lol

[@ElderlyIron]

Love the hesitation before knocking the piece off with the torch head. "Do I or Don't I? Do I do all this safety talk and then smack the torch head against the plate? YEAH, I DO!". I'm a back seater myself. Did I just say that?

[@jeepindave5464]

Jeff!

[@ElderlyIron]

Yyyyyep....

[@johnmorgan1629]

Why do today what you can give to the apprentice next week.

[@i-love-comountains3850]

As an apprentice i actually love these opportunities to learn. I'm into the trades long enough that my feathers don't get ruffled by doing the apprentice work, and smart enough to know that a wire stretcher isn't an actual tool lol They got me ONE TIME with that because my brain heard "wire **puller**" and it only occured to me once I'd said it out loud at the supply house... I was smart and returned with lunch and energy drinks😜

[@copternutFPV]

@@i-love-comountains3850 you'll go a long way with that mindset, onya mate 👍

[@totherarf]

Ahh ...... 'prentice stories! As an apprentice Ion a fairly large building site I had to get there early, get the boiler on for brews at 8. Take the butty order, get the butties in for morning break. Get the dinner orders in and get the pie and chips in for about 10 sparks. Afternoons were for doing a bit of work! Well one of the parks thought he could get one over on me and at morning brew waffled on and on about the cream cakes sold at the shop next to the chippy ........ and come dinner time slipped in his request for me to nip next door and get him one "Cream Clit" Yeah I must have looked really dumb but as an apprentice I could hold a lie like a good'un! Dinner time came and the pie and chips were dished out to the smirks and the spark in question asked about his cream clit .... Face straight as a die I asked him if there was something odd about it as when I asked the lady in the shop she had said they were not ready yet and could I call back in 1/2 an hour? Well he stuck to his line and I said I was off to get it for him (nobody said anything) so off I pop ......... The next day they were all asking why I didn't come back. So face straight as a die I told them not that I had actually gone home never having even gone into the shop the first time but spun them the tale of me being taken upstairs and subjected to an afternoon of debauchery! My standing went instantly from dumb 'prentice to Superstud in one day!

[@mysock351C]

Yep. 3-fingered Joe has you covered.

[@petermccannell7565]

I'd like to add a diffrent opinion of an aprentice, I do not appreciate the go and crawl into the back of a garbage truck and shovel it out moments in the feild, or go and lay in a snow bank and hammer the drums till they move

[@paulhowe7116]

Pro Tip, AvE - your straightedge should not be down on your workpiece because it reflects unwanted preheat flame back into the cut. You’re trying to use the minimum amount of heat that’s necessary to begin and sustain the oxidizing reaction for the cleanest cut possible. Weld some washers to the bottom of the straightedge to create a ~1/16” gap between the straightedge and the work and give the preheat flame a place to escape while you’re moving along the cut! You’ll make cleaner cuts within a wider range of all the dimensions you mentioned!

[@ThePIPdesign]

The density of knowledge and experience packed into just one video is impressive !

[@crazyguy32100]

Teaching the unknowing masses about the LH thread on gas fittings and then trying the screw the hose onto the reg right handed? Muscle memory is hard to fight.

[@lifeforce99]

Gentlemen, we got him

[@jmac1099]

ah you saw that too huh.. i thought he would say something about that... Its left handed (spins right!)

[@crazyguy32100]

@@pittypatterputzzler5311 Came out early for folks on Patreon who have chipped a couple bucks into the beer fund.

[@ThatPNWGuy2024]

Ethan Carter Channel supporters get early access I believe

[@Deftonesdsm]

I took bolts out for a living for quite awhile and i still fuck up most of the time with gas fittings. Trying to take shit off wrong.

[@harolddowney6512]

Come on man, I invested 23 minutes of my life to see you cut that thick AR plate. The only more frustrating moments of my life involve the phrase "but I have a headache".

[@dadillen5902]

The headache problem is easy. You offer her an aspirin and a glass of water. When she ask what those are for, just grim and tell her they are the latest sex toys. If that does not make her hot nothing will.

[@longhairedcountryboy2363]

Harold Downey I have 2 vises and a slew of various clamps. But I always dig out my heaviest piece of stock to hold the light work. 😉

[@rwood1995]

Unsubbing from this clickbait promoting channel LOL. also " im really tired tonight how bout tomorrow then your phrase when tomorrow comes..... unlike you tomorrow always comes

[@magic.marmot]

Thank you. You teach me stuff that I want to know, stuff that I never knew I needed to know, and you do it with a style that's deep, honest, reliable, and teaches the lessons of life in one of the best ways possible for me. You're helping me learn how to teach my stuff as well. We are better together.

[@carni5064]

I really appreciate the honesty in your videos. Its so easy to leave your failings on the cutting room floor, but therein lies the true value of your videos. No one was a professional on their first go, and there's no shame in the state of your ability wherever it may be, as long as you're getting better. Thanks Chris.

[@onewaymichael12]

I was a perfectionist once, then i found an angle grinder!

[@MisterBones2910]

Good ol' grinder 'n paint.

[@raidkoast]

@@MisterBones2910 Makes you the welder you aint

[@yzrippin]

@@MisterBones2910 Oh man wait till he finds out about paint

[@Dr_Wrong]

Oh god.. Grinders are so dishonest ! Lmao I'll just fix the weld..

[@peterpontzer4006]

"We've all caught ourselves on fire. 1,2, a dozen times." As a welder I can confirm. Most of the times I've caught alight it's been from cutting wheels.

[@manyhammers5944]

Peter Pontzer Wondered why my side was warm one day!

[@Danoliveira3]

also don't forged old frayed pants and stick welding

[@andrewallen9993]

You are not a real welder until you have set your trousers alight! Also mostly from cutting disks :)

[@peterwelsh6975]

Lol you heard wrong, he said "1,2 dozen times" not 1, 2 A dozen times

[@dos541]

Dont wear boots with holes I have had burn marks on my feet and I know 3 smells by heart burning shirt, burning boot sole, and burning flesh/hair I have set myself on fire with cutting wheels too

[@AlexApol]

"its in the land of 10mm sockets" everyone who has worked on a vehicle understood.

[@phortwunty]

Alex Apol I don’t even want to think of how many I have donated over the years.

[@JordyValentine]

I made the habit of buying a 10mm every second or third time I buy tools and they are just dotted around my workshop

[@FrancisoDoncona]

Okay, three tool boxes placed strategically one in barn, one in garage, one in machine shop, yet no 10 mm or 11 mm sockets or wrenches, and we are talking 600lb toolboxes. Need a Mercedes rear axle spindle got it thirty seconds, a vw three sided security socket for injection pump. Twenty two seconds, Porsche 911 spark plug removal” apparatus “, ok ten minutes but nope. No 10 or 11 mm sockets and I return them to there spots every time. Do women eat sockets?

[@Fireship1]

Francisco d’Anconia they wind up in the same places those lost socks do!

[@ArmyBoiSweat]

@@JordyValentine i ordered like 100 online in a crate. put two in every drawer

[@neonaffliction]

If I want to shake my hands with danger I would leave toilet seat up

[@christopherpappas7474]

Oh Yeah! Can hear the wife a screaming now in the dead of night and me cringing waiting for the grim reaper to come for my soul....

[@MrMusix101]

Iv seen that grim reaper once myself, I learned pretty quick the next time I shouldn't just lay there like a idiot when she came in ready to fight.

[@UberAlphaSirus]

You cowardly worms! I always exlaim my displeasure of HER leaving the seat Down. Does she ever listen!? Obviously not! No matter how hard I whisper when she is out shoping.

[@alberteinstein3078]

My way of thinking is when she's done she should lift the seat back up for me pisses me off every time I go in there and it's back down!

[@UberAlphaSirus]

@@alberteinstein3078 You have to think about it relativy, is that your theory?

[@kenreese2791]

When cutting thin steel like cutting a door in an overseas container , it helps to tip the torch in the direction of travel ; some times more than 45 degree's and keep the torch on the waste side of the line . scoring the line to be cut with a sharp tool will help keeping the cane reaction going .

[@Beyondthepress]

Oxy-acetylene is the most dangerous thing that most shops have. There is so many ear drums lost to this and stupidity :D

[@arduinoversusevil2025]

More dangerous than plasticine animals that could A-tack at any time?!

[@Beyondthepress]

@@arduinoversusevil2025 I think its even more dangerous :D last time when we filmed with it we exploded maybe half a liter soap bubble full of it and a emergency exit sign dropt from the wall just from the sound pressure :D

[@shawng7902]

why its always safer to store it in floating garbage bags. No metal to fly through the air in case of explosion,

[@kylwell]

I used to know a guy who used balloons filled with acetylene to scare the ducks away from his koi pond.

[@Oddman1980]

Shop I used to work in, these two rocket magicians had been filling up sandwich baggies by adjusting for a neutral flame, snuffing the flame, and filling the baggies after which they ignited them. Well since that didn't cost them enough fingers and eyebrows they went ahead and filled up one of the smaller trash bags from the bathroom, which turned out to be a bridge too far, since it broke the windows out of the office.

[@JJZBULLITT109]

"Tough to do single-handed in the dark. But I've managed before." I love it.

[@GrahamDallas]

Back in the day, you could always count on the welding types to set off the alarms by delaying turning on the oxygen. Still you got another tea-break out of it.

[@DockterDoom]

Gotta get that feather just right

[@sbcspeed]

By the time I went to trades school they had figured out that the little black wispy bits you get when burning acetylene without added oxygen are a fairly carcinogenic and that you always want to crack the preheat oxy a bit when starting a torch.

[@stevenminix]

Haha yeah she’ll roll coal then...

[@JimmysTractor]

POP!!! and you've got soot everywhere.

[@ionhavoc2]

I was always taught to only crack the acetylene open so that if there's an issue you can shut it off quick. Thinking about it, if there is an issue, probably just want to run away instead. Also I tip the torch just a touch forward so that it heats in front of the cut.

[@PaulyD0859]

I was taught the same, so you can close the valve on the fuel with the twist of a wrist as you run by.

[@rhyssutherland8937]

ionhavoc2 same way I was taught. If it hits the fan quick clean up

[@jakeshaw6827]

Same here I've always just given it a half turn and then wide open on the oxy

[@daviddroescher]

Was taught the 1/4-1/2 turn as well in the90's. Last winter finally had to apply it when the hose burst into flames due to a mig wire trim somehow sticking out of the red hose.

[@Blackbucketbeto]

I never used a torch , I watched this and I cut 1/2 ar400 plate , thanks ave I got a raise because of you.

[@sercasti]

I cannot explain why, but my 3yrs old daughter adores the sound of your voice, she chuckles and giggles watching your videos.

[@diymatt]

Your scrap pile gives my nether regions tingles.

[@copternutFPV]

Your nether regions gives my scrap pile tingles 😉

[@nb-eq6rw]

Pipeline steel

[@jacobacon3219]

Geoff Timberlake Your tingles gives my scrap nether regions piles.

[@dadillen5902]

Ok boys put away the piles before the tingling cause a scrap to breakout.

[@andrewmullen5770]

Haha I love it!

[@dhooter]

Look at that Journeyman knocking that steel off with the torch head. Dont let him catch the apprentice doin that same deed lol. I learnt the hard way ha ha

[@michaelszczys8316]

Nothing like being a well seasoned shop worker working with a young journeyman that knows everything and treat you like a 15 year old.

[@kennethnevel3263]

If you set torch right and use it right the piece falls off cleanly .

[@dhooter]

@@kennethnevel3263 Detective Obvious

[@Henchman1977]

Holy Sh!t! Those notches mean left-hand thread?!? Life just got easier.....

[@sstorholm]

Not always, I tried looking it up a while ago, and the normal use seems to be that they are denoting "special". So it might be left-hand, weird pitch, tapered thread, or whatever, at least when it comes to fasteners. Gas lines are usually a bit more standardised, but it depends on the application. But yes, on oxy-acetylene, the left-hand connections usually have the notches at the unions. :)

[@god910]

Ian Colquhoun I’m tellin’ ya... I only learned a few months ago.

[@thehighwayman78]

@@sstorholm I need a hat with those notches

[@jmac1099]

@@thehighwayman78 haha, hell yeah!! ah I mean special, not left handed.. which is also special.. ha

[@hbj0123]

I'm ashamed to admit, I had no idea. But, that's why we have Uncle Bumblefuck to teach us these things.

[@adirondacker007]

I do a lazy leak check... after I connect my regs, I open, then close the valves while mentally noting the tank pressures. I recheck after 10 minutes or so. If the needles stayed reasonably put, I'm good. Also, try setting up your torch with the main valves so they're underneath the body when in use. This way, there's less chance of one's protective clothing "helping" by tweaking the valves. Also also, 1/4 turn on the red can is the stuff of long life. Years ago, I skipped the lazy leak check detailed above. I had a leak in a fitting which a grinder spark helped me find... I heard a pop and looked over to see a sinister little jet of flame coming out near the regulator. I nearly defecated, but with 1/4 turn, I was able to literally keep my shit together. Keep up the kickass vids!

[@nickr7801]

"You can tell they're left-hand thread because of the notches here" OMG.

[@killer2600]

@Kathleen Shaw I've forgotten more than I ever knew.

[@stevrock693]

@Kathleen Shaw I didnt

[@justinclark9258]

@Kathleen Shaw bet you didn't before someone told you...

[@SteveSummers]

The nitrogen in the tires makes the car faster. Kind of like the flame stickers at your local parts store. Didn't ya know?

[@michac3796]

That's a retorical question right. RIGHT?

[@mute8s]

Steve! It's always good to see one of my favorite channels show up in the comments of another. :) in response to your comment it's also like dropping a nitroglycerin pill in the gas tank like Burt Munro did in "The world's fastest indian".

[@Blazer02LS]

Nitrogen in tires comes from road/oval racing. Pure dry nitrogen has a known expansion/contraction rate for a given temperature. So a driver can adjust the handling by adding or subtracting some from the tires. Works well for that. For a street car the sales pitch is that it can help keep the rims and TPMS sensors alive a bit longer by limiting the moisture in the tire to limit corrosion. The problem with that is most TPMS batteries die long before corrosion can mess with the pressure sensor and 99% of corrosion on the rim comes in from the bead.

[@dpk241]

@@Blazer02LS while using nitrogen in tires did come from racing,it was more for logistics than the thermal expansion benefits. The difference in thermal expansion of dry nitrogen and dry air are very similar. To the point the difference would be unmeasurable with the instrumentation a race team has at the track. So the teams options are to be tote a compressor, dryer and a power source to each and every track, or a handful of nitrogen bottles.

[@TheWidgetWorks]

My local mechanic says he offers a nitrogen 'blend' if customer ask about getting there tires filled with nitrogen :)

[@xbris117]

AvE: “Get some tutelage before you go messing with a torch.” Me: *listening intently and using his instructions as a lesson*

[@coxfuture]

oXI ENIGMAZ IXo go watch this old Tony's video. way more informative. I bet you could go out and pick up a torch after watching that video if you aren't one of them there idiots the world keeps inventing

[@1978garfield]

My alcoholic brother spent a good 5 minutes showing me how to run a torch. I also had a pamphlet from the welding supply shop and a book from Forney so old it talked about using asbestos to hold in heat when pre-heating. I managed to cut up what I needed to without winding up in a burn ward.

[@jacknickolstine3355]

@@coxfuture is that the same person as "uncle tony" ?

[@cannaroe1213]

AvE's Daughter: "Acetylene is stored in Acetone much like how Nitrogen is stored in your blood." "For now."

[@ttiization]

AvE's daughter has a name dude

[@privatezim3637]

@@ttiization Her name.. is Elyse.

[@lolzlarkin3059]

@@ttiization So does AvE

[@ttiization]

@@lolzlarkin3059 i believed he is called Chris. I some of the old videos we got to know his name someway

[@lolzlarkin3059]

@@ttiization yeah it is

[@teamrounds9761]

This is one of very few videos that I’ve watched that actually helped me because you show your mistakes. Greatly appreciated.

[@liveupmatt]

Thanks for the valuable lesson. You really have some depth to this. Not only did I learn a bunch about acetylene (safe handling and such), also learned information about the the quality of gas axe cutting. Now I can take a look at the drops around the job site and tell who is making their cutoffs right. Those clues you gave us also allows us to get the feedback from the materials so I can improve when I am doing it myself.

[@cmikles1]

I love how you use the flame as a pointer after your cut.

[@jk9554]

Welding man's laserpointer ^^

[@HellenKellerKustomz]

Buddy, I know the difference between a regulator and a relief valve, I use them both every day. But your explanation of controlling upstream pressure vs downstream pressure just blew my mind with how simple that is.

[@gordonmilligan34]

I like the crutch comment. I was learning to stick weld and the only thing I was any good at was sticking the rod to the work. I saw some guys dip their rods in the quench tank. I asked why and they told me it made it easier to strike an arc. Being firmly in the suck zone I was willing to try anything, first time I go to do it the old man in the shop calls me out and says "what are you going to do in the field carry a water bottle, also you just dickered those rods. Learn to do it the right way".

[@hookeaires6637]

After well over the ten thousand hours as a weldor ( yes, the person welding is the weldor, the welding machine is the welder) with forty years experience, AvE's verbosity of technical wisdom enlightens and humors me. Watching the redevelopment of muscle memory required to get nice results while navigating eight dimensions takes me back to my youth.

[@PetitCorpsSalade]

Hey, I've recently discovered your channel. It's absolutely marvelous. Onto the issue of the Teflon tape on the bottle : they are allowed to put it there because teflon isn't oxidized by pure oxygen at room temperature. That is because an even stronger oxidizer was used to create it : fluorine. F2 gas is much much much more dangerous than O2 gas as it will react violently with nearly anything it comes in contact with, including glass, which O2 doesn't touch afaik (but I'm only a chemist). PTFE is inert towards 99.9% of chemicals, very few can harm it at room temperature or slightly higher. Edit : whoops, I paused the video to comment and didn't see that you've addressed it :D

[@MrDdaland]

"This tip is Waaaay too small for this application". Hmmmm ,never has stopped you before......

[@ianseyer1699]

When can we expect AvE brand fingerless gloves to hit the market? Do they come in pre-frayed off white?

[@ManofSexySteel]

I'm holding out for the limited release grease stain editions!!

[@Churchill250267]

Manofsexysteel something tells me that ain’t grease...

[@bradleymorgan8223]

I was taught to backseat the oxygen, and just crack the acetylene a quarter turn. the o2 tank has a double sealing valve due to the very high tank pressures involved.

[@aaronosborne4906]

Here's a story for ya - A mate of my old man comes into the garage on a saturday morning (MOT repairs - old man) telling us some thieves tried to break into the safe in his office the night before.....Next morning he comes in, safe is intact, but the whole room is black from soot, nearly died of laughter!

[@brustdiesel]

"Tough to do it single handed in the dark...but I've managed before..."

[@JimmysTractor]

13:47 you can tell that before he got plasma and a torch, hehad to drill 2 half inch holes to get through every inch of steel plate.

[@additivealex4566]

I was wondering, that's hilarious

[@metocvideo]

“Shake hands with Danger”. The only safety films with opening music by, and narrated by Johnny Cash.......

[@RSI77]

I used to laugh at safety, now they call me three finger Joe.

[@andrejwalilko634]

this channel is just as good as getting into the shop i dont have with the uncle i dont have once a week, and none of the risks associated with either!

[@aaronrodgers2092]

When I joined the ironworkers, they made me cut soooo maaaany 1in strips till they perfectly straight and super clean. When I'm in the feild now I literally can not watch other people use the torch their cuts look so bad it pains me.

[@billyw118]

I'm one of the instructors in the Ironworkers that does just that to new apprentices, they did it to me 19 years ago when I was one. lol

[@aaronrodgers2092]

@@billyw118 They did the same thing with welding beads. Im glad they made me do it too. Gave me a solid foundation to build on. Detroit Local 25

[@billyw118]

That’s something will also do here. Every Ironworker should be a certified welder. Local 118 Sacramento.

[@halnywiatr]

@ 3:08 "once we get it started it wants to continue" Foreplay versus exothermal process: compare and contrast.

[@farmerbob4554]

I worked in a steel mill where 14” steel slabs were cut with automatic oxy-acetylene torches. Awesome!

[@jsee2385]

Those torches were most likely oxygen and natural gas. Not to be rude, just fyi.

[@mephInc]

@@jsee2385 They most certainly are oxygen and natural gas. They also have 2 oxygen inlets and are a blast to use by hand........... because that most definite never happens.

[@sambone1015]

I've seen hand held 6 ft long oxygen Lance's hooked to dewer flasks of liquid o2 cutting 5ft thick castings. Lance pipe is consumed about 1ft/30min.

[@farmerbob4554]

sambone 101 seeing that....you know what hell looks like.

[@sambone1015]

@@farmerbob4554 it's a river of slag, hell is the poor prick with the preheat torch on his knees in front of the lance operator.

[@agwhitaker]

5:54 - The way I heard it.... It takes huge amounts of research and the very best engineers to design something idiot-proof. Idiots tend to be very motivated and highly resourceful.

[@bassmith448bassist5]

I have mad respect for any man who admits that he is not an expert on a thing. Great job AvE.

[@bryanpritchett]

Speaking as someone who almost blew up a lab with acetylene in my younger days, I say you are doing the Lord's work, good sir.

[@natewick3962]

Shake hands with danger, one of my favorite classic productions by Caterpillar.

[@rexdrabble4988]

I burnt my hand with a torch,the skin just fell off and was burnt to the bone,it was black,took 4 months to heal and scabbed all the way through never again.

[@johntitor7989]

Jesus

[@nigletthediglet4891]

so does that mean you have a bare bones skeleton hand now?

[@sportscarclinic]

Never again.... I hope that means you're gonna remember which end to hold next time.

[@rexdrabble4988]

@@nigletthediglet4891 Same hand bitten by a dog,ripped it open again. Gloves are a good idea when using oxy Dont try to stop a monster dog attacking yours by putting your hand between them.

[@seanflanagan2441]

Great fireside chat, Unc BF. Shame you ran outta gas (litterally) before cutting that big boy. Hope that means another vid is in the verkz.

[@ARK842001]

This reminds me of my autoshop instructor introducing this process to the class. He said "Gentlemen, next to me this is the most dangerous tool in the shop. The difference between this tool and myself is that this tool won't be creative in how it kills ya". I howled with laughter, it took way too long to realize I was the only one. As we were putting everything up for the day the instructor came up to me and said "You're a dark one, what happend?" I said "I had a real monster in the house when I was little. What's you're excuse?" He said "Vietnam" I said "That works" he laughed and said "We're gonna get along fine." Long story but that man was an absolute legend.

[@carsondinwoodie5840]

I'm both thankful that you produce content like this and also disappointed that that many kids in shop class haven't got the luxury of getting as good of a shop teacher as you. hoping you keep producing more videos as even when we cant be watching it all the time its great white noise in the shop.

[@williamburdon6993]

When I was about 10 I got really nerdy about chemistry. This was the 1950s so a wee lad could go and buy a 10 pound sack of calcium carbide at the local drug store{no idea why they sold it } and I took said Calcium carbide home in my hot little hands for some sperimentin in my basement laboratory. I had a 5 gallon galvanized washtub handy and tossed about a gallon of water in it and a tiny hunk of ye old c carbide and lit it , Not much happened. So, I upped the anti and added another gallon of water and a chunk the size of a softball . Mommy yells down it's dinner time and I figure , good , that will give it time to work better. About 20 minutes or so later , back I come to ye old lab and lit a match, with the intent of tossing it in the tub. Kaboom , flash of light , ears ringing Ireel around for a few seconds and my old man , who was a man of few words , opens the basement door and yells down , that's the end of the fing chemistry stuff. I was pretty sure he meant forever. The house had actually rocked on the foundation from the blast, Another one of the hundreds of times I should have been hurt or killed or at least deaf and God watched over me. I imagine he shook his head a while though.

[@mandrac2]

"you see the black sut?" Nope it's out of the frame. "You see the warm glow" Nope there's a big piece of metal in the way.

[@matthewwilliams6596]

I was always told to never turn acetylene up past 15psi on the work side of the regulator.

[@stimpy02000]

Depends on the size of your torch and bottle

[@piesrsquare3252]

Working in mills we ran em at 40

[@TomFromYoutube]

I've been using a torch for 20 years or so and I learned a lot. Great video.

[@joshstaley7459]

im a union pipefitter, I’ve used a torch most of my career but i’ve never been good like some of these guys out there. you are slick, real slick. I’ve been around guys that could cut pipe with a torch, cut a 37.5 degree Bevel on it and it looks so good they just beat the landing on with a hammer.

[@juliannicholls]

The first time I went caving, we used Acetylene lamps. It was literally a can with Calcium Carbide and water.

[@benjammin2020]

Honestly the best choice. You don't want to be stranded in the cave. No guessing on how chaegeed the battery is, and no pressurized propane or butane to blow up.

[@pinkflamingo8806]

Cutting with propane using the correct torch (key operative there) is far superior to acetylene. It's not about the temperature of the flame, it's about how quickly you can get the steel up to temperature for the oxidization to happen. The BTUs are more important. Look for a "fuel injected" torch, which uses a venturi from the oxygen to "pull" the fuel gas through the head, resulting in a better fuel ratio. I've cut 6" steel on 2lbs of pressure from a grill propane tank.

[@onradioactivewaves]

I've cut 4" steel with the flame off because the plate was retaining heat. It's all about the oxygen jet and I'd say you need at least 30 psi to cut that 6" and that would be very slow at that. I used 80 psi jets for anything above 2" usually. Going lower psi isnt as much of a problem as going over and flaring the jet out.

[@pinkflamingo8806]

@@onradioactivewaves That's always a cool trick. I was kinda hoping Ave would do that just for funzies. It illustrates the point further that it's not the heat of the meat that matters. It's how fast you can get her up to temp that matters, and a fuel injected torch with propane does that better than an equal pressure torch with acetylene.

[@onradioactivewaves]

@@pinkflamingo8806 yes acetylene is just too hot. Its nice to chop a car up quickly, but propane cuts plate nice. The heat of the cut release enough energy to sustain the reaction at fairly low plate temperatures.

[@tehbilly]

I've got one of my father's caving carbide lantern, one of my prized possessions. Was handy for making markings on stone when needed.

[@samb3706]

You should teach a course at an engineering school on how to observe, design, and execute projects. Your mastery of the oxyacetylene process description is priceless.

[@tobyw9573]

Thanks for all the good tips. It is a good idea to review safety rules periodically, especially after you have not used the equipment for a while.

[@sstorholm]

An additional safety tip and some explanation: I was taught to always stay out of the "firing" line of the regulator when cracking the bottles, reason being that it might shoot off at quite some speed. Secondly, and I only learned this recently after using oxy-acetylene for more than a decade, is that back seating the valves is necessary on high pressure valves, as that seals the valve stem. So the valve is supposedly only completely tight when either fully opened or closed. Logic would extend this to only the oxygen cylinder, and leaving it open in the event of some major malfunction shouldn't be much of a problem, so being able to close it quickly isn't much of a concern (if your regulator blows off the tank and it's venting at 300 bar, just run away and wait for the noise to calm down). So I personally only back seat the oxygen tank valve these days.

[@snowflakemelter1172]

Yep, look away from the gauges when you open the cylinder valves.

[@mfree80286]

Take a deep breath before you launch yourself away, you'll run faster with the extra O2 in ya :)

[@EvelynH-tj1qt]

"I found an old corroded regulator full of dust and I hooked it up to my oxygen tank and it still works!" -From someone about to die in an explosion.

[@jdhill770]

My granddads got a set of oxygen and acetylene cylinders in his garage. Last inspection stamp is 1955, should I be concerned? Nah, it'll be fine.

[@EvelynH-tj1qt]

@@jdhill770 I just found out in our schools shop that we had to switch to a safer gas because freshmen were afraid of the acetylene.

[@marvincarvin1846]

Pro Tip: Use propane instead of acetylene to blow up ground squirrel holes! AvE just 'splained why.

[@Panda_Gibs]

I once had to move a pile of scrap copper tubing. The soft flexible copper would make a soft, almost rubber hose type thud on the concrete floor. The hard straight tubes would ring out and make you appreciate your hearing protection. It really is nuts how much hardening metal can change it.

[@duster0669]

Welding training, all...1970s in Jr High and High School. I learned more in this short video than in 6 years of Yankee education. However...I have always been THE WELDER on every job I have ever had. Good worthwhile information!

[@monkipooman]

“Graphite is hard to burn” unless it’s in an RBMK reactor

[@ranchurdhimster4955]

"Shake hands with danger" Great song and even better heavy equipment safety video.

[@tedsaylor6016]

Turns on the o2 and it pops out. ANYONE who's used oxyacl had a laugh at that!

[@mephInc]

@@cd2920 Steady...STEEAADDY!

[@mephInc]

@@cd2920 That's why I said steady. Any flinch and it's over.

[@daviddroescher]

The torch is always big enough you just got to get it started the oxygen finish the job. Once had to cut the spindles off a semi trailer to scrap it, 4" thick. The rest of the crew were taking Wagers as to whether or not it was possible to swing the gas axe like that. They're going to rent an off-road forklift to load the axles intact,as a plan B.

[@SebBrosig]

I remember Oxy-Acetylene Cutting some I-beams and stuff back in '88 when I was barely 19. 15ft up a ladder as well. Five minutes of instruction from the farmer, no fancy pressure tables or anything. Some common sense, temporay spell of soberness, and a good portion of luck kept me alive. The farmer had scavenged the iron out of a burnt-out pub in the next village with his favourite Liebherr 500 drack-driven excavator, was re-purposed in some hare-brained shed construction project. Oh the fun i had! I loved it so much.

[@ecrusch]

Dude, all your crazy-talk aside, you are one of the smartest guys I've ever watched. Thanks for sharing your brain with us...honest.

[@rogerbuoy8418]

What crazy talk? That's a bit rude............... Pffft!

[@McFly0097]

that's a nice looking torch head ya got there. care do to any shameless shilling. I have only used the cheap-0 30 buck part store variety, and if you think about looking at it the knobs fall off.

[@arduinoversusevil2025]

Low end Victor. Good enough.

[@sbcspeed]

Victor and Harris are the go to brands. I've had good luck with my princess auto knockoff of a victor journeyman although it's impossible to find tips for it.

[@jimjones4345]

I prefer a victor, but smith is ok.

[@panikrev175]

Vintage Purox torches are solid, Linde made them for Union Carbide back in the day. I think Esab makes them now, so mileage may vary.

[@Ddabig40mac]

+1 for Victor or Harris. A slight nod toward Harris if you're looking to run propane/butane/natural gas/or propane cocktail fuel gasses. Their torch design optimizes the lower tempetature flame providing more preheat per tip size

[@StacheCam]

I need this guy in my pocket everytime I have a question

[@ryanhogge8]

I was having a hell of a time cutting out some real thin (1/4") plate today. Good to know I'm in good company with the difficulties.

[@nishantbh]

This has got to be the smartest channel on the tubes bar the academic ones

[@WeebRemover4500]

600g acetylene with molar weight of 26g, that being 23.07 moles of acetylene would be 516.9L of acetylene gas at STP. cheers (22.4L per mole, all gasses, important thumbrule)

[@alejandromechina5959]

*Almost set yourself on fire with the torch: Check. *Explode the concrete below you with the torch : Check.

[@drubradley8821]

It is not a hammer.... LOL... I know you did that on purpose, just to send katz like me into orbit.....

[@arduinoversusevil2025]

Sez everyone in history prior to TAPEE-TAP-TAP when they think nobody is looking. I SEE YOU DRU!

[@drubradley8821]

@@arduinoversusevil2025 LOL... red handed, you caught me...

[@Nirotix]

Psshh, Anything is a hammer when needed on the proper occasion when nobody's looking. Tape measure on the end of a flat head, pair of locked visegrips, heel of my palm. Even a stabila torpedo level on the rare occassion finds itself banging something, because who doesn't like using an $80 hammer? Guilty on all acounts. Now go soap your brass torch head and check for leaks. Lol 😂

[@buillioncubes]

@@Nirotix Careful using the heel of palm, lest you come down with the hand cancer.

[@Nirotix]

@@buillioncubes No worries there, quite careful. Lot of nerves in there and I've heard about guys pounding drives in with the heel of thier palm damaging them to the point where they can't open thier hand. Mostly use the hand attack on flat larger surface area's, when you concentrate that into a 1"x 1" space is where you can seriously screw up your hand for life. Thank you thou. 😉 SMW btw.

[@wallnutz357]

I do my cutting like I do my driving. "If you can't find it, grind it."

[@JOHNSONsBONE]

I used to beef up the buckets on those R1600 mining wheel loaders with pieces of 2" Hardox 450 (and chocky blocks of course). Preheat that stuff a little and it's the best material to burn in with 1/16" dual shield. Total gravy boat. Even uphill it just soaks up the heat perfectly. Then you move to hard facing and the gravy boat sails away.

[@ReadyUpGo]

Thanks for your good work here which this geezer beginner appreciates muchly, plus I admire smart people with a sense of humor who are willing to screw up and admit it. You rock. New subscraper.

[@MyLonewolf25]

My old shop teacher did a cool trick where he’d cut off the Acetylene after starting the cut

[@randymack1782]

@Kathleen Shaw my first torch was something called solid-ox which meant solid oxygen pellets you lighted & they gave off oxygen, you used Mapp gas, & heated part red, then cut off gas, which allowed oxygen to cut, o regulators, just simple dangerous fun, came out 40 or so years ago.

[@sambone1015]

Old acetylene generators before bottles. Used a granular carbide in water that gave off enough acetylene to run a gas welding set up.

[@rickhunt3183]

@@sambone1015 calcium carbide when added to water gives off acetylene. You're right. dangerous stuff..I think it's used in gopher gas.

[@sambone1015]

@@rickhunt3183 thats right i could not remember what was the other element was. thanks

[@D7900XTX]

Don't stand in front of that regulator when you crack the valve! That thing can shoot off with the force of a 30-06!!!!

[@hankg1589]

Was looking for this.

[@kennethnevel3263]

Never stand in front of gauges when opening the valve , I had one blow the glass off once , hit my hand , skinned knuckles bad , I always stand to the side .

[@georgeniemi8259]

Crack the valve open slowly

[@marksmith6104]

The men get separated from the boys when a guy can stand on his head in a field, enduring fukall weather conditions, cussing a heavy piece of machinery, blue-wrenching a bearing without gouging the shaft, while extraneous combustibles grin at you and no fire suppression device in sight. BTW, I was thought that the acetylene bottle and torch valves should only be open 1/4 turn so that when shit hits the fan, you quick turn the valves and get the fuk outta dodge

[@edwardzavarella7760]

WoW, thanks for every word, cant read it like its said and cant say it like it it's to be read, i grew up in the elm city area of CT. and have had many of my family impress the quality of their knowledge upon me with similar cadence of words and meanings. thank you thank you!

[@pirateswiggity5278]

Most oxygen tanks are double-seated which means it's not fully sealed until it's fully open or closed