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WorkshopChris
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The water from the cooling makes more mess than the fire, whenever possible i try to make sure there is a direct route out of a building for the cylinder trolly.
Swift&Bold
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I'm really surprised at this.
Standard procedure for Acetylene involved in a fire is a 400m exclusion zone within line of sight and a minimum cooling period of 24hrs with regular hourly checks using thermal imaging.
WorkshopChris
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I think as the cylinder would only of received a little radiated heat, with little direct heat as the gas was burning rather than, the cylinder were in a building on fire, the officer in charge luckily applied some common sense to the situation.
I know London fire brigade have learnt a lot about cylinder fires and now treat each situation, rather than a standard policy. The knock on effect of exclusion zones at one time was getting out of hand.
Swift&Bold
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Acetylene becomes unstable when it is heated as it rapidly decomposes, the knock and impact tests have been done in controlled conditions, assuming the contents are in their 'natural' state, if he gave the impression that it is dangerous under normal, working conditions then he was indeed wrong, otherwise he was correct.
If you were to open up an Acetylene cylinder, you would find that it is filled with a spongey media, in the old days it was Kapok but now it is synthetic which is there as an attempt to lower the risk of sudden impact which shows that even when everything is equal, it should still be treated with respect.
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Swift&Bold
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Indeed. London adopted a much more common sense approach with regards to other gases but still take no chances with Acetylene, H&S is king in London, to the point where it is actually working against the public.
blenkie1
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Think it was 150 metres for us. He was happy for us to go back in half an hour after the bottle was back at normal temp but told us the bottle was not to be moved for 24 hours. He must of been confident enough there was no danger. Did tell me what the temp of the bottle was but I've forgotten.
Bill Edwards
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No, the acetylene pressure in a cylinder is far higher, about 10x that. Check the contents gauge next time you have a cylinder filled, 150 or 250 - not sure which but it's one of them.
It's unstable past 15 psi which is why it's critical to never exceed that pressure after the regulator but it is far high in the cylinder.
MattF
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Isn't it some type of absorbent material they have in the tanks, to absorb the liquid and just let it gas off when the valve is opened?
Swift&Bold
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Yes, post #45
Thought I could recall reading that info in some of the old tomes regarding the virtues of bottled versus acetylene generators.
WorkshopChris
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While we are talking about acetylene safety has anyone had any experience of the Hobbyweld acetylene cylinders they are very small about 5 ltr water capacity probably twice as small as a small boc cylinder i think, they say on the web site it can be used for cutting.
http://www.hobbyweld.co.uk/products/acetylene/
But list the max flow rate at 202 lph but a small 1/32 cutting nozzle should consume around 300 lph. If i have my info correct.
Should the cylinders be marked as welding only?
I wonder if you was to use a bigger nozzle could you start to draw of the acetone.
Edit just seen in a pdf:-
Cutting Nozzles ASFN - sheet metal nozzle with single pre-heat outlet Cut 0.8mm to 3.0mm DA flow - 110 litres per hour The ideal operating pressure at the blowpipe inlet connection would need to be 2 psig (0.14 bar) for the ASFN cutting nozzle.
Note: No other cutting or process nozzles should be used with this size DA cylinder.
http://www.hobbyweld.co.uk/products/acetylene/
But list the max flow rate at 202 lph but a small 1/32 cutting nozzle should consume around 300 lph. If i have my info correct.
Should the cylinders be marked as welding only?
I wonder if you was to use a bigger nozzle could you start to draw of the acetone.
Edit just seen in a pdf:-
Cutting Nozzles ASFN - sheet metal nozzle with single pre-heat outlet Cut 0.8mm to 3.0mm DA flow - 110 litres per hour The ideal operating pressure at the blowpipe inlet connection would need to be 2 psig (0.14 bar) for the ASFN cutting nozzle.
Note: No other cutting or process nozzles should be used with this size DA cylinder.
Bill Edwards
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Yes I remember seeing the limitations for cutting, I looked at such a set myself once.
I can recall there being two figures, one was continuous draw and another giving a higher amount for a certain period of time followed by a rest, 30 minutes rings a bell.
I can recall there being two figures, one was continuous draw and another giving a higher amount for a certain period of time followed by a rest, 30 minutes rings a bell.
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They're still at Stafford Park 6 in Telford as that's where they took all our plant when they took over the company I worked for.
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Farside
Badly Welded Man
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Totally coincidentally, I was just refreshing on this (not that I have any oxy-ace kit now, but never hurts to have a gander).
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=368119&d=1447173207
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=368119&d=1447173207
normspanners
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well worth a read, thanks !
normspanners
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When I was working in the scrap yd Paddy the yd foreman said 'Norm give us a lift with this', I helped him lift the UNKNOWN cyl on to the aligator shear I said what are you doing? he said in Irish accent ah I'm fed up with all these cyl hanging around we dont know what they are and we dont need them I'm gonna get shut while the boss isnt here.
FYI you can only scrap cyl when they are cut in half most of these had faulty valves that couldnt be opened, I said WELL I WOULDNT AND YOU SHOULDNT AND I AM DEFIANTLY NOT HELPING, but just wait a minute till I get back in my workshop will you !! that was at the other end of the yd,
I carried on working for a while then heard a massive whoooosh and shot out to see a MASSIVE dust cloud and there was not a scrap of dust in the yd by the shear and out through the gate where this cyl had been facing when he cropped the neck of it ! picture of a similar shear but ours had a bigger 'mouth'
when I went across there was a pile of other cyl cut in half !!
Swift&Bold
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Eeyjut! 
used to have a door at work with some odd chunks out of it, asked my father what they were from...
years ago the place next door had a cylinder explode... chunks of shrapnel (not sure if from cylinder or other stuff) shot out through their door and embedded themselves deep into our door and almost out the other side
anything that can get (almost) through two exterior doors has my respect
was a long time ago before health and safety... the building it happend in was knocked down and replaced before I was born
on the bright side, this thread has made me decide to double check my cylinders!
I've got oxy/acetylene, 2 bottles for the mig, and a bottle of dry nitrogen (all big bottles).... anyone know the best/safest way to keep them?
oxy/acetylene is on a trolley, think I might strap them to the wall in the corner too, they don't get much use... guessing the other stuff is ok as long as the building doesn't catch fire as they're non flammable?
years ago the place next door had a cylinder explode... chunks of shrapnel (not sure if from cylinder or other stuff) shot out through their door and embedded themselves deep into our door and almost out the other side
anything that can get (almost) through two exterior doors has my respect
was a long time ago before health and safety... the building it happend in was knocked down and replaced before I was born
on the bright side, this thread has made me decide to double check my cylinders!
I've got oxy/acetylene, 2 bottles for the mig, and a bottle of dry nitrogen (all big bottles).... anyone know the best/safest way to keep them?
oxy/acetylene is on a trolley, think I might strap them to the wall in the corner too, they don't get much use... guessing the other stuff is ok as long as the building doesn't catch fire as they're non flammable?
