Has any one here ever used an arcair slice system? im looking for one for lancing out seized and bent pins on machinery! i'm intersted in the portable type that uses a battery pack and oxy bottle, any one used this type, and what do you think of them? Any feed back would be great thanks Cps
I saw the thing demonstrated at conexpo. It worked or is like a burning bar. I did buy a gasoline torch on jobs that do a lot of cutting it better than a standard cutting torch. http://www.petrogen.com/ I get a lot of comments about using gasoline but it's safe this just might work for you.
Arcair systems are great, if noisy and dirty. But what you described is not an Arcair. It's an Exothermic Cutting System. I've used them a lot, and they are just as noisy and dirty as an Arcair, but they are probably the single best thing I ever came across to use in removing stuck or busted pins in difficult positions, or to use where cutting with other systems is slow or impossible due to hard chrome deposits or embedded dirt. My first exposure to them came in surface coal mines where we had to remove broken hard bars pivot pins from D9L tractors. A Cat serviceman showed up one day with one after we had busted all our jacks and porta-powers on a D9L-14Y. We had spent two days trying everything we knew. With his torch, the Cat fella took about an hour. It took me about another half hour to buy a brand new one with extra fuel rods from the dealership for our own right after that. The exothermic system uses a 12V battery to help light a magnesium and other materials fuel rod. Once that is burning, you place the tip at the spot you want to burn and press a lever that dumps straight oxygen through the bundled fuel rod, which has a thin copper casing. The fuel rods, in combination with the O2, burn up to 10,000 degrees and simply burn their way thorough just about anything. In fact, I've yet to find a material they won't burn though there likely are some. The 12V igniter is not used as part of the burning process, only to start the rod burning. That's the simple explanation. Things like hardened pins, bronze bushings, hard faced buckets, busted or worn GET, these things just disappear into vapor or a pile of molten slag at your feet. The torch is exceptionally fast if used properly, which is a good thing as the fuel rods as expensive as hell. The rods come in various sizes and lengths with the most popular, as I recall, being 1/4" diameter and 48" long. There are shorter rods too, and you can bend a rod carefully a limited amount if needed to get into an awkward position. You have to be careful as the combination of fuel rod and oxygen makes a lot of sparks and smoke. The oxygen, in addition to burning, also creates the needed pressure to blow burned or melted materials out of the immediate point being burned. In blind holes, you DO NOT stand directly behind the hole when burning! In other cuts, you make sure you are not standing in the way, that you have all the required burn proof gloves and other protective clothing on, and that you are using ear plugs or muffs. Otherwise, you must have all combustible materials protected, shielded, or removed from the area, as it may get quite warm where you are at. Having a fire extinguisher handy is a plus! The kits are expensive to buy, and I honestly don't know if you can rent one from a tool outfit. I have barrowed them on occasion from Cat dealers. For more information, go here: http://www.oxylance.com/SureCut.asp The systems are also available from Cat, just look in the Caterpillar tool catalog. They are available from other suppliers too.
Hey Joe thanks for the info, very useful! I checked out the link looks like a great system, and simalair to the one i've seen! I know that you cant rent them over here, and even the cat dealers i think dont have them, Most main dealers here sub that work out and i only know of 1 or 2 companies that uses them, hence why im looking for one!
Funny you say that about the dealers, the Cat part number for their "Mini Cutting Torch" or slice rod gun is 8T7792. Very handy for pins that are frozen. Cat also has 4 different type of rods for this.
You can usually get them through your local welding materials suppler. They are a very specialized tool that works worders for those occasional items. If you do lots of removing of pins they are worth the cost in spades. Surfer Joe is absolutely correct on the amount of hot material that comes off the process. Some of the worst slag burns I've ever gotten came from using these things. I've taken to attaching a metal shield to the rod holder and had the slag melt all the way through it. Full leathers and a good welding hat are highly recommended. As an aside, I have seen the process used with just a 1/4" water pipe and a bottle of oxygen on wheel loader center pins years before those torch setups came out. I wouldn't recommend it now.
I just use a Oxygen Lance that i bought at the local Airgas to lance out pins. Its made by Esab and uses Sch40 black iron 1/4" pipe as the fuel rod. Again its very loud and dirty work. The slag is really bad too.
if your serious on getting an oxylance setup it should be mandatory you get a set of protective clothing from these guys. http://www.torchwear.com/products_ProtectiveWear.asp Their claims are all true and its a fantastic product. Im to old to do the chicken dance and already have way to many scars from molten metal projectiles. I wont get near a lance without my carbon X gear on. http://www.torchwear.com/media.asp First watch the X sleeve demo AND the torch wear vs.Brand X vid And my favorite is the X hood demo.
Thanks for the links guys, you guys in the states really are spoiled for choice! We are so limited to choice over here! our local welding supplier here is an agent for arcair but No- One in the place has a clue about the things!!! I know you guys think im wrong that it an arcair, but they also make a system very like the sure cut system!
We carry the Arcair unit on our heavy rescue trucks at the fire department I am employed at. Like anything in the right hands they do fast work of anything they cut. I think they are safer than the petrogen sets out now.
I'm sorry cps, I thought you were referring to the Arcair system of gouging rods using a welder and compressed air. Since I bought all of the dozen or so Exothermic Cutting Systems from Caterpillar via their tool catalog, I actually wasn't aware that Arcair themselves had a system too. You may already have this, but here is the website address for Thermadyne Industries Inc., https://www.thermadyne.com//arcair/content/view/73/236/ The site also reveled that Thermadyne has been on a buying spree since I sorta left day to day operations in construction and mining. All the various companies listed in their headline were individual outfits just a few short years ago as I recall. I can't even think what a Exothermic Cutting System would cost here now a days, and I imagine that where you are at the cost is probably much higher. But as I recounted before, if you have a lot of use for a rapid cutting system that isn't too concerned about dirt or other stuff in the way, this would be the system for you.
Is this it?? Hi guys and thanks again for your links and info This is what i have got hold of It is an arcair slice unit, its got a welder type fitting on the power lead and a oxy hose, what i need to know is, is this the same unit that i can use with a 12v battery? am i right in saying it will work with the proper type rods thanks CPS
I think the battery operated one only uses current to light the fire whereas the welder powered units keep the current running to make the process faster. Only seen them demo'ed at shows, never used a Slice system myself although I have used carbon arc gouging equipment quite a bit. Both are loud, dirty and effective.
I did the lifting on a job to remove several hundred feet of sheet piling. They used a welder operated system that looked the same as the one in the pictures to cut the steel under water. Worked very well but there were lots and lots of oxygen bottles involved.
Thanks for the replys guys! Komatsu 150, is that the welder pictured in the first picture? looks like a fairly sall unit! what im thinking is maybe only small welder is needed, witch would suit me well! Now im thinking a small inverter welder would do!
There are two versions of this tool one is made for under water use - The Commonly used one is NOT ! Also both of mine were made by arcair - the older of which is at least thirty yrs old
Yes that's all they used. I don't remember the amps but it wasn't much at all. All they needed was enough spark to keep it lit. If you look on top of the wooden box next to the guy standing there is a big knife switch there to turn off the juice quick. The electrode holder looked just like your picture so maybe they weren't using an underwater unit - might account for the big knife switch.
Some more pictures including a better view of the "safety" switch. The line through the last one is the bottom glass on the machine.
My understanding is they look the same-- Although originally they were color coded Red was the one most of us would see - Orange was for underwater - this is for my old ones- not sure if they still do it that way the water one had some extra seals inside
There is an Arcair that you can run off your welder and compressor that is based on the size of welder. And there is an Arcair that runs on 12V, oxygen and fuel rods like this.
I have the Broco brand slice gun. I have used both the battery start and the welder start. All the welder is needed for is to get it lit, like the battery striker. If working over a concrete surface be sure to put some scrap sheet metal down for the molten metal to fall on or you will have a nice crater in your floor. They are an awesome system for large and stuck pins. I wouldnt want to be without one. In a bind, if you cant find rods, a piece of conduit slid onto your cutting torch will work also. Just light it and when it gets hot kill the acetylene.