Refurbishing Victor Oxy/Act. regulators.

[Boucher]

I have a set of regulators that need new gauges and cleaning. I got had on a deal like this years ago. The local welding supply guy says that it is cheaper than new regulators and just as good. I have heard that story before. I am sure tempted to shop around for some new regulators. Has anyone had their regulators refurbished and come out ahead?

[davidh]

ive had mine rebuilt about 8 years ago. i think it was about $80 each. my friend in business has a rebuilding shop here is northwest wisc.and i have had many done for my customers with NO complaints. ( my customers are contractors in the steel fabrication business.) send them here if your interested. . . . his service is guaranteed to your liking. . . .

[mark61]

Until about 8 years ago the steel mill I work in the repairshop rebuilt ours all the time. Quality of rebuild is like any work-depends on the workmanship. Now they/ we don't rebuild any small stuff like that or air tools. Cheaper to buy new than pay paycheck, insurance, vacation ect. Would I trust and or have someone rebuild mine-depends who. Planning to look on line for the kits to do some old ones of my own soon.

mark61

[radkins]

I have had several sets of these things rebuilt when I ran my shop and had no problems at all with them. I suppose it depends on who is doing the rebuilding but they are really quite simple and as long as decent replacement parts are used it should not be a problem. Torches however are another story! It seems most peoples' idea of a torch rebuild is to bead blast the darn things and replace a couple of O-rings. :mad: The most common problems with a cutting torch is the tip seat/seals and the threads for the tip retaining nut. It is hardly practical to repair the tip seats in the torch head, for most shops anyway, and simply chasing the threads for the retaining nut and replacing the nut is hardly ever satisfactory. I learned years ago that torches are usually best just replaced because the frustration that comes from a malfunctioning torch is just not worth the few dollars saved. Oh well you did not ask about torches anyway but I thought I would pass along the experiences I have had with both rebuilt torches and regulators, regulators have worked out well but torches were not worth the effort.

[claudev]

Any halfway decent machinist who has a cleanliness fetish should have little trouble repairing ordinary welding type regulators. At one time my employer used several tanker trucks a week of LOX in a chemical manufacturing process. We (including me), routinely repaired system components with no trouble. Welding regulators are similar to non-bleed air regulators and work in the same way. The most likely parts to fail are the gauges, the needle valve and the diaphragm. Most any welding supply will sell you gauges for a reasonable price. Seal their threads with teflon tape or oxygen rated sealer and you are good to go.

For internal repairs, your main problem will be finding a supplier who will sell you oxygen rated parts and sealer - Liability laws and lawyers being what they are.

If you do decide to work on your own regulators KEEP EVERYTHING CLEAN and remember NO GREASE and NO OIL ANYWHERE AROUND OXYGEN.

Oxygen supports combustion but is not explosive. Some of our maintenance personnel would work with liquid oxygen dripping onto the pavement and splattering onto their clothes, then step away a few paces and light a cigarette (violation of company policy). I fully expected to see someone turn into a giant roman candle but nothing ever happened.

[radkins]

I fully expected to see someone turn into a giant roman candle but nothing ever happened.


There was a little demonstration I used to do at our safety meetings that was done to show the danger (stupidity would be a better word) of workers using Oxygen from a cutting torch to blow dust off their clothes. I would take an old shirt or some such as that and hose it down with a stream of Oxygen using a cutting torch in much the same way some of these guys had been guilty of doing, I would then hit it with a few sparks from a torch lighter flint and almost every time it would literally burst into flame! Once I even did this by tapping it with a lit cigarette, it really gets the point across!



There was a minor liquid Oxygen spill at a mine where I was working a few years ago, probably less than a cupful, that spread across an oil soaked concrete floor. This resulted in a small explosion, well a series of small explosions actually much like large firecrackers, and there was no known source of ignition other than the Oxygen coming into contact with the oil soaked floor and some guys dropping a few tools when they ran to get out of the way (at first we thought there was a major spill underway).

[PTSideshow]

There was a minor liquid Oxygen spill at a mine where I was working a few years ago, probably less than a cupful, that spread across an oil soaked concrete floor. This resulted in a small explosion, well a series of small explosions actually much like large firecrackers, and there was no known source of ignition other than the Oxygen coming into contact with the oil soaked floor and some guys dropping a few tools when they ran to get out of the way (at first we thought there was a major spill underway).

Most of the liquid gas react the same way. Organic materials if soaked in LOX some can detonate unpredictably on subsequent contact.(sharp bangs or dropping something) Petrochemicals often exhibit this behavior, including asphalt.
That is why there is such a panic mode around tanker accidents, the roads can become a big bang.
:eek: