My big mistake with torch tip cleaning on a 2-inch pipe

For years, I'd just use a standard tip cleaner on my oxy-acetylene torch and call it good. Last Tuesday, I was trying to cut a 2-inch thick steel plate and the flame kept sputtering, taking forever. My foreman, Dave, walked by and asked if I'd ever cleaned the inside of the mixing chamber. I hadn't. He showed me how to take it apart and use a small wire brush. The amount of carbon buildup in there was crazy, like a thick layer of soot. The cut went smooth as butter after that. Anyone have a better tool for cleaning those small mixing chamber ports?

3 comments

3 Comments

anthonynelson49m ago

Nah, that's just basic torch maintenance, not a hidden trick.

nina_hall4813h ago

Man, that's everywhere. People fix the obvious part and miss the real clog. My coffee maker was the same until I ran vinegar through the hidden tube.

avery_flores49m ago

Used to think a clean tip meant a clean torch, lol. Had the same sputtering issue on some half inch angle iron last month. Took the whole head apart and found the little holes in the mixing chamber were totally blocked with black gunk. Felt like an idiot for never checking it before. A tiny drill bit from a hobby kit worked better than a wire brush for me.