The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1913-06-06
A KNIFE OF FLAME
Wonderful Work Done by the
0xyacetylene Torch.
A MARVEL IN CUTTING STEEL.

This Astonishing Tool Will Slice q
Massive Metal Beam Almost a
Quickly a. Though II Were Made Of
Cheese-lt 10 Also Used For Welding.
One of the most curious instruments
used by the structural iron workers
and steel shipbuilders. the most as
tonishing in its performance and the
most spectacular when seen at work
is the oxyacetylene torch. 1t Is made
in two forms-a welding torch and a
cutting torch. With the former cast
iron. cast steel. steel, wrought iron.
aluminium, brass. copper, platinum
and various alloys can be welded with
ease. while perfect weld can also
he made between any combination
OF cast iron. steel. brass and copper.
Yields are often made in steel and iron
with this torch up to eight and nine
Inches In thickness. the heaviest weld
of which there is any record being
fourteen inches
With the cutting torch steel and iron
tother than cast iron) are readily cut.
with the aid of mechanical devices for
guiding the torch. up to a thickness of
eight nr nine inches. This means that
with the oxyacetyIene torch piece Of
steel eight Of nine inches thick and Of
any width can be cut squarely in two.
Just ~ carpenter saws Though a
board Or beam. The kerr in cutting
the steel-that is the part Of the metal
that II burned away where the cut Is
lnade-is only about one-eighth Of an
inch wide.
Steel six inches thick can be cut in
fhis way at the rate Of one foot in
three minutes.
To the man who knows nothing Of
chemistry or what actually takes place
when any object burns this seems M
credible. When the process Of combms-
tion is explained the mystery is swept
away. Combustion. then. in its sim
plest terms. consists in raising the
temperature Of an object to a point
where 1t will unite chemically with the
oxygen Of the air. When this chemi-
cal action takes place 1t is accompani-
ed by light and heat. and the object il
said to burn"
rms temperature varies greatly with
inherent objects or substances. Many
substances thgt burn at a comparative
" low tempe nature can be set on. fire
with match with these substa noes
every one y familiar. and other sub
STANCES that will not readily turn
when n match is applied to them are
popularity regarded as "freproof."
Hnt this b a wrong view. Il may
simply mean that the temperature, at
which the object VIII burn-called the
'kindling temperature"-is too hieb. to
ne reached by the burning mitch. r his
= the case with iron and steel a nd
Mnen the o0yacetylene flame cuts
through bar Of steel nine inches
mex ana three feet wide it simply
"rns up layer of the metal one
'ighth Of an inch in thickness.
ne welding e rich. to describe It as
.uip'y us possif lie. consists of handle
nro"ga which extend two tubes of
.ass' inese 9 dbes are connected with
w gus Mnkf /, one containing oxygen
nu the otp .er acetylene. and these
uses are admitted to the tubes by
a'es Ut he rear. the oxygen entaring
e upps :. tube and the acetylene the
,"er. Both tubes open into the head
.n torch. into which is screwed a
sA.v or tip. The gases enter this tip
separate passages and are there
a led together and. being under pres
" re. spurted from the jet. The acety-
ne is first turned on and lighted.
This is the fuel Of the fame. Then the
oxygen is turned on. This supports
the fame.
The quantity of each gas can be reg
ulated by the valves, and thus there is
produced what is called a neutral
Is to say, It contains moi
Their an excess of oxygen nor of acety-
lene, but just enough Of each to &C
complete combustion. The
produced by this flame.
with IN almost pencil point concentra-
ton. is approximately $500 degrees F.
In the cutting torch there is a differ
cnce in construction. because the OBJ
ject now is not only to heat the metal.
but also to burn ito consume it by
fire. The torch Is SO made. therefore,
that ut 6rst "preheating" fame,
which Is the same as the welding
flame. is directed against the metal, its
being to heat the metal TO in
or white heat. When
this point is reached slight move
ment OF the thumb on the hand hold
Ing the torch opens a valve that sends
against the hot metal a sepa-
rate stream Of oxygen under high pres
sure.
At its great heat of 0.300 degrees and
In the presence Of this free oxygen the
metal readily burns. The iron or steel
Is the fuel. and the stream Of oxygen
the combustion.
The cutting torch is now used In the
F'pair Of ships in many ways. A new
ventimtor hole. portfolio, a piece Of |
damaged deck or side plating can be