ESAB W-17 Instructions Manual

INSTRUCTIONS for

F-4644-M

October, 2000

W-17 Welding Torch

P/N 4250

These INSTRUCTIONS are for experienced operators. If you are not fully familiar with the principles of operation and
safe practices for oxy-fuel gas equipment, we urge you to read our booklet Precautions and Safe Practices for Gas
Welding, Cutting and Heating Form 2035. Do NOT permit untrained persons to install, operate, or maintain this
equipment. Do NOT attempt to install or operate this equipment until you have read and fully understand these
instructions. If you do not fully understand these instructions, contact your supplier for further information.

The welding torch covered by these instructions is listed by Underwriters Laboratories only when used in combina­tion with welding tips and parts manufactured by ESAB Welding & Cutting Products to the specifications on file with
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and when they are used in the gas services for which they are designed and listed.
The use of other parts that cause damage or failure to the equipment will void the manufacturers warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS

Welding Range ........................ This gauge to over 1-in.

Heating Range .......................... 1 to 250 cfh acetylene*

Length ............................................................... 7-1/2-in.

Weight ..................................................................... 1 lb.

Torch-Hose Connections ................ Oxy - 9/16 - 18 fem.

F.G. - 9/16 - 18 LH fem.

* Equivalent to approximately 1400 to 370,000 Btu/hr.

Acetylene and other fuel gases may be used.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

CONNECTING

1. Attach regulators to the oxygen and acetylene cyl­inders. Follow all instructions supplied with your
regulators.

2. Attach oxygen and acetylene hoses to the regula­tors and to the torch handle, after making sure all
metal seating surfaces are clean. Tighten all con­nection nuts with a wrench.

3. Attach welding or heating head to the torch handle.
Tighten the connection nut with a wrench, but use
only slight force, since the threads have a low pitch
and excessive force may distort them.

4. Check throttle valve packing nuts for tightness.

Flashbacks can cause serious burns.

Be sure gas flow is sufficient for head or nozzle size.
Adjust regulators for proper psig pressures.
Adjust throttle valves properly.
Keep torch in good repair.
DO NOT throttle back gases to use large head or nozzle
on thin material.

LIGHTING AND FLAME ADJUSTMENT

1. Open the torch oxygen valve one-quarter of a turn.

2. Open the torch fuel gas valve one-half turn (two full
turns if low-pressure acetylene is being used) and
light the gas at the tip with a friction lighter. DO NOT
USE A MATCH. Use of a match can seriously burn
your hand.

3. Open the oxygen valve wide and adjust the fuel gas
valve to secure the desired flame. If a softer flame
is desired, reduce the oxygen flow by throttling the
oxygen valve and then readjust the fuel gas valve.

NOTE: When operating with a very soft flame, the

welding head will tend to heat up and transfer
some of this heat to the torch handle. This may
create some discomfort to the operator.

Be sure this information reaches the operator.
You can get extra copies through your supplier.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

These Safety Precautions are for your protection. They sum­marize precautionary information from the references listed
in Additional Safety Information section. Before performing any
installation or operating procedures, be sure to read and fol­low the safety precautions listed below as well as all other
manuals, material safety data sheets, labels, etc. Failure to ob­serve Safety Precautions can result in injury or death.

PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS - Some
welding, cutting and gouging processes are
noisy and require ear protection. Hot metal can
cause skin burns and heat rays may injure
eyes. Training in the proper use of the pro­cesses and equipment is essential to prevent
accidents. Also:

1. Always wear safety glasses with side shields in any work area,
even if welding helmets, face shields, or goggles are also re­quired.

2. Wear flameproof gauntlet type gloves, heavy long-sleeve shirt,
cuffless trousers, high-topped shoes, and a welding helmet or
cap for hair protection, to protect against hot sparks and hot
metal. A flameproof apron may also be desirable as protection
against radiated heat and sparks.

3. Hot sparks or metal can lodge in rolled up sleeves, trousers
cuffs, or pockets. Sleeves and collars should be kept buttoned,
and open pockets eliminated from the front of clothing.

4. Protect other personnel from hot sparks with a suitable non­flammable partition or curtains.

5. Use goggles over safety glasses when chipping slag or grind­ing. Chipped slag may be hot and can travel considerable dis­tances. Bystanders should also wear goggles over safety
glasses.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS - Heat from a flame
can act as an ignition source. Hot slag or sparks
can also cause fires or explosions. Therefore:

1. Remove all combustible materials well away from the work
area or completely cover the materials with a protective non­flammable covering. Combustible materials include wood,
cloth, sawdust, liquid and gas fuels, solvents, paints and coat­ings, paper, etc.

2. Hot sparks or hot metal can fall through cracks or crevices in
floors or wall openings and cause a hidden smoldering fire on
the floor below. Make certain that such openings are protected
from hot sparks and metal.

3. Do not weld, cut, or perform any other hot work on materials,
containers, or piping until it has been completely cleaned so
that no substances on the material can produce flammable or
toxic vapors. Do not do hot work on closed containers. They
may explode.

4. Have fire extinguishing equipment handy for instant use, such
as a garden hose, a pail of water or sand, or portable fire
extinguisher. Be sure you are trained in its use.

5. After completing operations, inspect the work area to be sure
that there are no hot sparks or hot metal which could cause a
later fire. Use fire watchers when necessary.

6. For additional information, refer to NFPA Standard 51B, “Fire
Prevention in Use of Cutting and Welding Processes”, which
is available from the National Fire Protection Association,
Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269.

FUMES AND GASES - Fumes and gases, par­ticularly in confined spaces, can cause dis­comfort or injury. Do not breathe fumes or
gases from welding or cutting, Therefore:

1. Always provide adequate ventilation in the work area by natu­ral or mechanical ventilation means. Do not weld, cut, or gouge
on materials such as galvanized steel, stainless steel, copper,
zinc, lead, beryllium, or cadmium unless positive mechanical
ventilation is provided. Do not breathe fumes and gases from
these materials.

2. If you develop momentary eye, nose, or throat irritation while
operating, this is an indication that ventilation is not adequate.
Stop work at once and take necessary steps to improve venti­lation in the work area. Do not continue to operate if physical
discomfort persists.

3. Refer to ANSI/ASC Standard Z49.1 listed below for specific
ventilation recommendations.

4. WARNING: This product, when used for welding or

1. Always have qualified personnel perform the installation,
troubleshooting, and maintenance work. Do not operate or
repair any equipment unless you are qualified to do so.

2. Keep all oxy-fuel equipment free of grease or oil. Grease, oil,
and other similar combustible materials, when ignited, can burn
violently in the presence of oxygen.

3. Do not abuse any equipment or accessories. Keep equipment
away from heat and wet conditions, oil or grease, corrosive
atmospheres and inclement weather.

4. Keep all safety devices in position and in good repair.

5. Use equipment for its intended purpose. Do not modify it in
any manner.

1. Use the proper gas for the process and use the proper pres­sure reducing regulator designed to operate from the com­pressed gas cylinder. Do not use adaptors to mount the regu­lator on the cylinder. Maintain hoses and fittings in good con­dition. Follow manufacturer’s operating instructions for mount­ing the regulator to the gas cylinder.

2. Always secure cylinders in an upright position by chain or strap
to suitable hand trucks, benches, walls, post, or racks. Never
secure cylinders to work tables or fixtures where they may
become part of an electrical circuit.

3. When not in use, keep cylinder valves closed. Have the valve
protection cap in place on top of the cylinder if no regulators is
installed. Secure and move cylinders by using suitable hand
trucks. Avoid rough handling of cylinders.

4. Locate cylinders away from heat, sparks, or flame of a weld­ing, cutting, or gouging operation. Never strike an arc on a
cylinder.

5. For additional information, refer to CGA Standard P-1, “Pre­cautions for Safe Handling of Compressed Gases in Cylin­ders:, which is available from the Compressed Gas Associa­tion, 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202.

The following publications, which are available from the American
Welding Society, 550 N.W. LeJuene Road, Miami, FL 33126, are
recommended to you:

1. ANSI/AWS Z49.1 - “Safety in Welding and Cutting”.

2. AWS F4.1 - “Recommended Safe Practices for the Prepara­tion for Welding and Cutting of Containers and Piping That
Have Held Hazardous Substances”/

3. AWS SP - “Safe Practices” - Reprint, Welding Handbook.

cutting, produces fumes or gases which
contain chemicals known to the State of
California to cause birth defects and, in
some cases, cancer. (California Health &
Safety Code §25249.5 et seq.)

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE - Faulty or improperly
maintained equipment, such as torches, hoses and
regulators, can result in poor work, but even more
important, it can cause injury or death through fires.
Therefore:

GAS CYLINDER HANDLING - Gas cylinders, if mis­handled, can rupture or explode violently. Sudden
rupture of a cylinder, valve or relief device can in­jure or kill you. Therefore:

ADDITIONAL SAFETY INFORMATION - For more
information on safe practices for oxy-fuel welding
and cutting equipment, ask your distributor for a
copy of “Precautions and Safe Practices for Gas
Welding, Cutting, and Heating”, Form 2035. Gas
apparatus safety guidelines are also available on
video cassettes from your distributor.

MEANING OF SYMBOLS - As used throughout
this manual: Means Attention! Be Alert! Your
safety is involved.

Means immediate hazards which, if not avoided,
will result in immediate, serious personal in-

jury or loss of life.
Means potential hazards which could result in

personal injury or loss of life.
Means hazards which could result in minor

personal injury.

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SP-GA 10/98

SHUTTING OFF

Close the fuel gas valve first, then the oxygen valve.

If operations are to be stopped for a half-hour or more,
all pressure should be released from the torch hoses,
and regulators by doing the following:

1. Close each cylinder or station valve.

2. Open torch valves.

3. After relieving the gases, back out the pressure­adjusting screw of each regulator and close the
torch valves.

IMPORTANT OPERATING NOTES

1. Do not attempt to operate heads size 100 or larger
from a low-pressure acetylene supply (less than 5
psig).

2. Head size number of each welding and heating
head indicates the rated acetylene capacity in
cubic feet/hour (cfh). For example, No. 55A re­quires about 55 cfh of acetylene at normal operat­ing pressure. However, on heating heads designed
for other fuel gases, the size indicates the approxi­mate equivalent heating capacity in terms of acety­lene flow. For example, No. 100A and No. 100FG
provide the same average heating output (147,000
Btu/hr) but No. 100FG head really requires about
62 cfh of FG-2, 57 cfh of propane, or 147 cfh of
natural gas.

For consumption purposes, the following are the oxy­gen/fuel gas ratios normally required for welding and
heating:

1.1 to 1.5 cfh oxygen/1.0 cfh acetylene

3.2 to 3.6 cfh oxygen/1.0 cfh FG-2

3.5 to 4.5 cfh oxygen/1.0 cfh propane

1.7 to 2.0 cfh oxygen/1.0 cfh natural gas.

PRECAUTIONS - NO. 55 and LARGER HEADS

Large welding and heating heads (No. 55 and above)
require high flow of oxygen and fuel gas for proper
operation. Failure to follow the following precau-

tions can result in serious overheating, flashback,
and possible operator injury.

1. Read and understand the operating instructions

packed with your torch as well as these precautions
before lighting up the welding or heating head.

2. Always operate with oxygen and fuel gas pressures

given in the tables.

3. Do NOT use hose line reverse flow check valves

when using No. 100 or larger welding or heating
head.

4. Use 3/8-in. I.D. hoses when using No. 55 or larger

welding or heating head.

5. Do NOT use whip hose, hose splices, nor hose

nipples smaller than 1/4-in. I.D. (“B”-size).

6. If using hose lengths greater than 25-ft., or if there is

any doubt about the adequacy of gas flows, use an
oxygen test gauge adaptor (P/N 07X17) and either
the acetylene (P/N 262510) or fuel gas (P/N 639422)
test gauge adaptor while the torch is operating to
make sure that the recommended operating pres­sures are available at the torch inlet.

7. Manifold two or more fuel gas cylinders to assure
adequate supply of fuel gas. The tables show the
number of commonly used cylinders recommended
for manifolding when using larger heads. If using
other cylinders or gases, check with your fuel gas
supplier for recommended withdrawal rate informa­tion.

8. In the event of a flashback, immediately close both
oxygen and fuel gas valves on the torch (preferably
oxygen valve first). For greater protection, install
1/4-turn quick shut off valve (P/N 999306) on the
torch oxygen hose connection.

Acetylene
Head Flowrate, Min. No. of Cylinders Required*
Size cfh WK Cyl (300 cf) WTL Cyl. (390 cf)

55 55 2 1
70 70 2 2
100 100 3 2
150 150 4 3
200 200 5 4
250 250 6 5

* Based on that max. hourly flowrate should not exceed 1/7 of cylinder capacity

at 70° F. Example: 1/7 (300 cf WK cyl.) = 43 cfh max.

FG-2 (104 Ib. cyl.) Propane (100 Ib. cyl.)
Head Min. No. of Min. No. of
Size Flowrate Cyl Req'd* Flowrate Cyl. Req'd**

70 43 1 40 1
100 62 1 58 1
150 93 1 86 2
200 124 2 116 2
250 - - 144 3

* Based on max. continuous withdrawal rate of 110 cfh for 104 Ib. cylinder,

1/2 full @ 70° F.

** Based on max. continuous withdrawal rate of 65 cfh for 100 lb. cylinder,

1/2 full @ 70° F.
Withdrawal rate will increase with wind velocity and intermittent usage;
reduce with lower temperature.

9. If the inner cone of the flame appears too short
(less than 1/4-in.), you are lacking fuel gas and the
head will tend to overheat. Recheck the above
precaution with your set up.

10. Do not bring the head too close to the work. Maintain
a distance of at least 1/4-in. between tip and work.

RECOMMENDED HOSE SIZES

Oxygen, Acetylene (medium-pressure) and Natural
Gas (at pipeline pressure over 5 psig): With head

sizes 4-30, 1/4-in. or 3/8-in. I.D. With head sizes 55 and
larger, 3/8-in I.D.

Acetylene (low-pressure) and Natural Gas (at pipe­line pressure below 5 psi): With head sizes 4-70, 3/

8-in. I.D. hose. Head sizes 100-250, 1/2-in. hose. Do
not use over 25 feet of hose.

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