7

Flame Cutting Practice:

Jobs 7-J1J3

To be a successful skilled craftsperson, a welder must be Chapter Objectives

able to perform manual flame cutting (oxyfuel cutting),
Fig. 7-1. A number of flame cutting procedures are com-
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
monly used in the preparation and treatment of metal in
a wide variety of industries. The process is used in such 7-1 Describe flame cutting principles.
different industries as multiple-piece production in manu- 7-2 Identify OFC techniques.
facturing, shipbuilding, steel production, construction, 7-3 Perform visual inspection of oxyfuel cuts.
scrapping and salvage, and for rescue work by police and 7-4 Describe OFC equipment set up and take down.
fire departments.
7-5 Perform troubleshooting of cut quality.
It is important that welding students learn the art of
flame cutting before they are introduced to the various 7-6 Perform straight line and curve square cuts as well as
bevel cuts on a variety of shapes.
electric welding processes. Much of the material used for
electric welding is heavier than that used for gas weld-
ing practice, and edge preparation becomes a problem. In
those schools that do not have stocks of prepared mate-
rial available or mechanized-cutting equipment to prepare
plates, the students must be able to cut so that they can
prepare their own material in the shortest possible time
with the least waste.
In many cases, however, the training program may be
such that students do not need any knowledge of cutting.
The purpose of the training may be to train welders for
certain production jobs that require limited skill. If this
is true, the instructor may ask you to begin with the arc
welding course.

178

Fig. 7-1 These young welders are being observed by their instructor as
to the proper procedure for cutting a bevel on a flat bar. A track type cutting
machine is being used. Note the PPE being used. Hill Street
Studios/Blend Images/Getty Images
Since most oxyfuel cutting (OFC) that a welder will be
called upon to do in industry will be with straight carbon
steel, the emphasis in this chapter will be on steel. It is
important, however, for the skilled welder to know about
the wider applications of OFC and to understand basic
principles and techniques.
Review of Flame Cutting Principles
The cutting of metals by the oxyacetylene, oxyhydrogen,
and oxyfuel gas processes is based on the fact that all
metals oxidize to a greater or lesser degree, depending
upon the physical conditions around them. Wrought iron
and steel oxidize quite rapidly, even under ordinary at-
mospheric conditions. When oxidation occurs in the air
around us, it is called rusting and can readily be recog-
nized by the oxide that forms on the metal. Rusting is, of
course, a slow process, but it illustrates the tendency of
ferrous metals to combine with oxygen.
After iron or steel is heated to a red heat and cooled, it
is covered with a thick scale. These metals oxidize more
rapidly when hot than when cold. If the temperature of the
steel is raised even higher to a white heat and a stream of
pure oxygen is directed against the white hot spot, it burns
rapidly. This can be demonstrated in the shop by taking a
thin piece of steel wire and heating it to a red heat and then
submerging it in a vessel containing oxygen. The heated
end will immediately burst into flame and burn vigorously
until the wire is burned away or the oxygen is consumed.
The reaction between oxygen and iron causes a consid-
erable amount of heat. It forms a molten oxide (dross) that
flows or is blown away, exposing more metal to the
action of the oxygen. In order to keep this action
going, it is necessary to supply heat to the point of
cutting from an external source.
The function of the cutting torch, Fig. 7-2, is
to provide a flame to heat the metal to a red heat,
to maintain that heat, and to direct a stream of
oxygen on the heated point of cutting. Always
keep in mind that the high-pressure oxygen jet
does the cutting. Practically all trouble in cut-
ting is caused by the cutting tip becoming burred
or obstructed by small particles of molten dross
adhering to it. An unobstructed, cylindrical jet
of oxygen always produces a smooth cut. Any
obstruction, either in the bore or at the end of
the tip, retards the speed of the cut and produces
a rough cut. With the torch on and the pressure
at the proper setting, a clean cutting tip should
sound like ripping paper when the torch handle
is pressed down.
Vertical Cutting Progressions Position the material to be
cut in a vertical position and then work from the bottom
to the top. Use gravity to help remove the molten material.
Flame Cutting Effects on Steel
For many years after the development of the oxyacetylene
cutting process, steel fabricators were reluctant to use the
process in the preparation of metals for welding. They felt
that harmful metallurgical changes took place on the sur-
face of the cut, that surface cracking occurred, and that
Seating Surfaces
High Purity Oxygen
for Cutting
Mixed Gases for
Preheat Flames
Head
Tip Nut
Tip
Cutting Oxygen
Preheating Flame Ports
Fig. 7-2 An oxyfuel cutting torch is designed to supply mixed
gases for the heating flames and a stream of high purity oxygen to
do the actual cutting.
Flame Cutting Practice: Jobs 7-J1J3 Chapter 7179
locked-up stresses were present. Engineering investiga-
tion has proved that the oxyacetylene-cut edge is superior
to that of some mechanical procedures which, because of
violent contact, damage the plate edge.
Care must be exercised in flame cutting steels with high
carbon content or alloy content that have air-hardening
properties. When cut, these steels have a tendency for
hardened zones and cracking along the edge of the cut.
They can be successfully flame cut by preheating, posthe-
ating, or both. The cut should be allowed to cool slowly.
When applied to large areas, the cutting procedure pro-
duces a certain amount of expansion and contraction that
may cause distortion if it is not controlled. This problem
is not as serious as in welding, and the usual techniques
used to control distortion when welding may be applied to
the cutting procedure. See Chapter 3, pages 100 to 103, for
ways to control distortion.
Comparison of Fuel Gases
The function of the fuel gas is to feed the preheat flames
that maintain the temperature of the materials being cut so
that the cutting process can continue without interruption.
For many years acetylene gas was the only gas used for
flame cutting. Today a number of different gases are being
used, such as acetylene, propane, Mapp gas, natural
gas, and propylene. While acetylene is still the workhorse
of the industry, each of the other gases has its particular
advantage, depending upon the application. For example,
hydrogen was once used exclusively for underwater cutting
because it can be safely compressed to high pressures and
regulated to overcome the pressure exerted by the water at
salvage operation depths. Natural gas, which can be simi-
larly compressed, is used now for underwater cutting.
The choice of the type of fuel gas to use depends upon
the following factors:
Cost of the gas
Availability of the gas
Flame temperature needed
Length of the cutting procedure Cost Acetylene is among the
Length of cut required higher priced fuel gases. Its
Speed of cutting cost is offset, however, by the
When used as a fuel gas, the flame temperature of
acetylene is the highest, followed by propylene, Mapp in the cutting process. Acety-
gas, propane, and natural gas in that order. All of the
gases give satisfactory cuts when used under the proper
conditions. For best results, it is essential that the cutting
technique, torches, and tips employed be designed for the
particular fuel gas used.
Flame TemperatureOf the five principal gases used gas 2 : 1; Mapp gas 3.4 : 1;
today, acetylene gives the hottest flame350F hotter and propane 4.7 : 1.
180Chapter 7Flame Cutting Practice: Jobs 7-J1J3
J OB T IP
Education
Make the most of your education. Use this
textbook as a tool to gain understanding. Each chapter
begins with a list of the objectives. Scan the chapter be-
fore reading to note the major headings. After reading the
chapter, use the review questions to check your under-
standing. Go back to reread the major headings; could
you explain to someone what each section was about?
When you do your reading assignments, you will feel pre-
pared for class.
than its nearest rival. Acetylene has a flame tempera-
ture of 5,650F; Mapp gas and propylene, 5,300F; and
propane and natural gas, 4,800F. Acetylene burns much
faster than the other gases and much closer to the tip of
the torch. Therefore, it can be adjusted to a very intense,
concentrated flame that is exactly what is needed for cut-
ting. The oxyacetylene flame is ready to cut in less than
half the time of its nearest competitor and five times as
fast as the slowest.
Heat ConcentrationIn a comparison of the heat pro-
duced by the various gases, measured in British thermal
units (Btus), Mapp gas and propane have 2,400; acety-
lene, 1,450; and natural gas, 1,000. Although acetylene is
third in Btus, it concentrates the most Btus in the smallest
area of any gas because of the way it burns. In the oxy-
acetylene flame Btus are cre-
ated mainly in the inner cone. Acetylene
With the other gases, Btus are
largely dispersed through the
outer flame envelope, Fig. 7-3.
Thus, acetylene concentrates
heat at the point of cutting.
Btus Concentrated
reduction in the use of oxygen Other Gases
lene requires less oxygen per
cubic foot of fuel than any of
the other four fuel gases. The
following amounts of oxygen
Btus Dispersed
are needed for 1 unit of fuel
gas: acetylene 1.5 : 1; natural Fig. 7-3 The Btu con
centration of the oxyfuel
flame.

Fig. 7-4 A bushy flame heats the entire depth of thick plate.
Special ApplicationAlthough acetylene has many ad-
vantages, no one gas can do everything best. There are a
number of applications in which propane, Mapp gas, pro-
pylene, and natural gas are better choices than acetylene.
For cutting plate 6 inches or heavier, propane, propyl-
ene, or Mapp gas are better choices. Because a deep area
must be heated, the dispersed Btus, the bushy flame, and
the high total Btu content of these gases do a good job in
heavy plate cutting, Fig. 7-4.
Natural gas is widely used in steel mills for removing
surface defects because it is the most economical fuel gas.
Most mills use fuel gas with air.
Acetylene is ideal for cutting steel plate. In the -inch to
1-inch range, acetylene preheats up to 50percent faster and
allows cutting 25 percent faster than its closest competitor.
In repetitive cutting, acetylene is far superior because this
kind of cutting requires frequent preheats and starts.
Bevel cutting and cutting on rounded surfaces are
natural applications for acetylene. The flame is held at
an angle to the surface so that the heat tends to bounce
off the work at the opposite angle, Fig. 7-5. In order to
get started, a concentrated flame is needed. On surfaces
Fig. 7-5 A concentrated flame is needed for bevel cutting.
Light Plate Beveling
Repetitive Cutting
Round Surfaces Dirty Surfaces
Fig. 7-6 Where acetylene works best.
that are covered with rust, scale, grease, or paint, the
concentrated acetylene flame cuts through the barriers.
Figure7-6 presents the applications for which the acety-
lene flame works best.
Cutting Different Metals
Oxyfuel cutting finds its widest use in the cutting of car-
bon and low alloy steels. The normal oxygen cutting meth-
ods must be varied for metals with high alloy content such
as titanium, cast iron, and stainless steel. You may think
that this is peculiar since all metals oxidize. Some metals,
however, do not form an oxide that melts at a lower tem-
perature than the base metal. This high temperature oxide
protects the metal surface and prevents further oxidation.
Generally, as the amounts of alloying materials, including
carbon, increase, the oxidation rate decreases. This is one
reason why cast iron, which has a high carbon content, is
more difficult to cut than steel.
There are a number of methods that overcome to some
degree the effects of carbon and alloying materials that
interfere with the cutting process.
Preheating It has been pointed out that high heat increases
the rate of oxidation. As a consequence, many materials
that are difficult to cut can be cut more e asily if they are
heated to a temperature approaching their melting point.
Waster Plate A low carbon steel plate may be clampedalong
the line of cut. The melting of this plate causes a great amount
of iron oxide to be formed, making it possible for the cut to
continue without interruption. A welding bead of low carbon
steel may also be deposited along the line of cut to serve the
same purpose.
Wire Feed Low carbon steel wire may be fed into the pre-
heat flames to produce rapid oxidation. The heat that is
generated by the burning of the wire rapidly brings the
Flame Cutting Practice: Jobs 7-J1J3 Chapter 7181

General Direction
Movement when cutting thin cast iron.
General Direction
Movement when cutting heavy cast iron.
Fig. 7-7 Typical cutting torch manipulation for cutting thin cast
iron (top) and heavy cast iron (bottom).
surface of the plate to ignition temperature. This method
can be used to obtain rapid starts in heavy plate. It can also
be used for cutting cast iron. Short lengths of wire can be
fed m anually,or special equipment can be attached to the
cuttingtorch for continuous iron wire, or powder feed.
Oscillatory Motion When the torch is moved from side to
side, Fig. 7-7, more material is heated to the ignition tem-
perature so that additional material is oxidized and blown
out of the kerf. This is one method used in the cutting of
cast iron, and it produces a rough cut.
Difficult-to-cut materials may also be cut using other
methods such as oxygen arc cutting, flux cutting, and pow-
der cutting. These methods are explained in Chapter 6.
Cutting Technique
Welders must manipulate the torch when cutting so that they
create the proper kerf and drag for the material being cut.
Kerf
Kerf is the gap created as the material is removed by cut-
ting. Control of the kerf is important to the accuracy of the
cut and the squareness of the face of the cut. The width of
the kerf is determined by the size of the cutting tip, speed
of cutting, oxygen pressure, and torch movement. Since
oxygen pressure is directly affected by the thickness of
the material being cut, the width of the kerf increases as
the thickness of the material increases. A rough cut also
increases the width of the kerf.
Drag
When steel is cut, lines form on the face of the work that
are caused by the flow of the high pressure oxygen. When
182Chapter 7Flame Cutting Practice: Jobs 7-J1J3
t
Lag
Lag in.
100 = % Lag
t in.
Fig. 7-8 Lag is the amount by which the bottom of the cut lags
behind the top. Lag is usually expressed as a percent of the plate
thickness. If this were a 1-inch-thick plate and the amount of lag
were inch, there would be a 50 percent lag.
the torch is held in a vertical position and the cutting con-
ditions are correct, this line is vertical from top to bottom,
Fig. 7-18 (1), page 186. This condition is referred to as zero
drag. If the speed of cutting is increased or if the oxygen
pressure is not set high enough for the thickness of the
material being cut, the drag lines at the bottom of the kerf
lag behind the top of the kerf. The amount of lag can be
expressed as a percentage of the plate thickness, Fig. 7-8.
In reverse drag, the drag lines at the top of the kerf lag
behind those at the bottom. Reverse drag may result from
too much oxygen or a speed of travel that is too slow. Both
drag and reverse drag must be avoided because they may
cause the cut to be lost.
Straight Line Cutting Cutting along a straight line that
has been laid out on the material to be cut may be done
with a great degree of accuracy, depending upon the skill
of the welder. Very often a straightedge or angle iron
is clamped along the line of cut to act as a guide. See
Table7-3, page 190, for hand cutting data. The torch is
held perpendicular to the plate with the holes positioned
as shown in Fig. 7-9. Mechanized cutting is somewhat
more accurate than manual cutting.
Bevel CuttingBevel cutting is one of the common
operations used in beveling the edges of plate and
pipe for welding. The torch tip is held sideways at the
angle desired with the holes positioned as shown in
Fig. 7-9. Cuts may be made by either hand or machine in
straight or irregular lines.
In order to do the jobs that are outlined for advanced
gas welding, the shielded metal arc, gas tungsten arc, and
gas metal arc welding of plate and pipe, it will be neces-
sary to prepare bevel joints.
For plate beveling, the student will use the flame cut-
ting machine provided in the welding shop, Fig. 7-10. This
type of machine is often referred to as a track burner
on the shop floor. A commercial machine, Fig. 7-11, may
 1 Cutting Oxygen Orifice

End of Tip

Line of Cut

4 Preheat Orifices
Tip Setting for Square Cut

1 Cutting Oxygen Orifice

End of Tip

Line of Cut

4 Preheat Orifices
Tip Setting for Bevel Cut

Fig. 7-9 For square and bevel cutting, the tip should be set
so that the preheat orifices are positioned as shown. Cutting tips
with more than four preheat orifices should be positioned in the
same way.
Fig. 7-11 Two mechanized cutting torches mounted in a fixed
position over the pipe that is being rotated. This is set up in a high
production high quality pipe spool fabrication shop. To cut pipe
to length with the appropriate beveled ends. Location: Piping
Systems Inc. McGraw-Hill Education/Mark A. Dierker, photographer

Fig. 7-10 A standard flame cutting machine for plate

shape-cutting and beveling. A machine of this type has
extremeflexibility.

be available for the beveling of pipe. A pipe-beveling ma-

chine may also be constructed in the school shop. The
machine shown in Fig. 7-12 was built by students. It is
manually powered. The torch may be purchased from
any welding equipment distributor. Study Table 7-1 for
machine cutting data. The operator of this mechanized
equipment must be properly trained and monitor the cut
being made.
Flame Piercing Piercing is the process of forming a hole Fig. 7-12 A welding student is beveling pipe with a shop-built
in a metal part. This may be for the purpose of producing beveling machine. Location: Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
a bolt hole or starting a cut in from the edge of a plate. McGraw-Hill Education/Mark A. Dierker, photographer

Flame Cutting Practice: Jobs 7-J1J3 Chapter 7183

 Table 7-1 Machine Flame Cutting Data for Clean Mild Steel (Not Preheated)

Thickness Diameter of Oxygen Cutting Gas Consumption

of Steel Cutting Orifice Pressure Speed Oxygen Acetylene
(in.) (in.) (p.s.i.) (in./min) (ft3/h) (ft3/h)
1
8 0.02000.0400 1530 2232 1755 59
1
4 0.03100.0595 1135 2028 3693 611
3
8 0.03100.0595 1740 1926 46115 612
1
2 0.03100.0595 2055 1724 63125 813
3
4 0.03800.0595 2450 1522 117159 1215
1 0.04650.0595 2855 1419 130174 1316
1 2 1
0.06700.0810 2255 1215 185240 1418
2 0.06700.0810 2260 1014 185260 1620
3 0.08100.0860 3050 811 207332 1623
4 0.08100.0860 4060 6.59 293384 2126
5 0.08100.0860 5065 5.57.5 347411 2329
6 0.09800.0995 4565 4.56.5 400490 2632
8 0.09800.0995 6090 3.74.9 505625 3139
10 0.09950.1100 7090 2.94.0 610750 3745
12 0.11000.1200 69105 2.43.5 720880 4252

Note: In this table, acetylene pressures have been omitted because they are mainly a function of equipment design and are not directly related to the thickness of the material to be
cut. It is suggested that for acetylene pressure settings, the charts of the equipment manufacturer be consulted.
Source: American Welding Society

Piercing takes more time than edge starting to bring the
metal to the temperature required for cutting. The time re-
quired can be reduced by center punching or chisel nicking
the plate to raise a small burr of metal that will tend to catch
the flame and reach the cutting temperature much quicker.
A spot is heated to a bright red, the torch is raised slowly
to about inch above the plate, and a limited amount of
oxygen is turned on. As soon as the plate is pierced, the cut
can continue in the regular manner. Care must be taken so
that the dross that is formed on the surface of the plate is
not blown back into the torch orifice. Figure 7-13 shows
the following sequence of operations:
1. The cutting torch is held still until a spot on the sur-
face just begins to melt.
2. The cutting torch is raised until the end of the tip is
about inch above the plate.
3. Meanwhile the cutting oxygen lever is slowly de-
pressed, and the cutting torch moved slightly to one
side at the same time to start a small spiral motion.
As the cutting action starts, the dross will be blown
out the opposite side of thepool.
4. When the cut has pierced all the way through the
plate, the cutting torch is lowered and the cut is
continued with a spiral motion until the desired
diameter of hole has been obtained.
Flame Scarfing Flame scarfing is a process used mainly
in the steel mills to remove cracks, surface seams, scabs,
breaks, decarburized surfaces, and other defects on
the surfaces of unfinished steel shapes. The opera-
tion is done before the steel reaches the final finishing
departments.
Flame Washing Washing is a procedure similar to that
of scarfing. It is used in the steel mills to remove un-
wanted metal such as fins on castings and to blend in
riser pads and sand washouts in castings. It is also used
to remove rivets without damage to the riveted parts. A
skilled thermal cutter can remove a rivet from a hole, a
threaded bolt from a threaded hole, or a piece of pipe
from a threaded flange without destroying the hole or the
threads, Figs.7-14 through 7-16.
Flame GougingFlame gouging provides a means for
quickly and accurately removing a narrow strip of surface
metal from steel plate, forgings, and castings without pen-
etrating through the entire thickness of metal. The pro-
cess is generally used for the removal of weld defects, tack
welds, and metal from the back side of weld seams. When
used for removing defects, the procedure is called spot
gouging. Care must be taken so that only a small area of
the weld is affected. Edge preparation of plate for welding

184Chapter 7Flame Cutting Practice: Jobs 7-J1J3