Convert acetylene heating head to propane?

At least by casual appearances, it looks like the main difference between a rosebud for acetylene and one for propane is that the propane one has countersunk holes, to keep the flame closer to the head.

My question: can a put tiny countersunk holes in an acetylene rosebud and expect it to do OK on propane? Or, should I just sell my acetylene rosebuds and buy the proper propane ones?

If it makes a difference I have acetylene rosebud heating tips for a medium duty Victor torch and a small W-200 Purox torch.

Pete, I'm no expert, but I don't think I'd trust a casual appearance on this one. I'd look for an LP rosebud if I were you.

metalmagpie

Contact the maker of the tip and ask them. The rosebud I use does not have counterunk orifices and I heat with propane and O2 just fine. I've been using the same tip for about 20 years now.

Why not go to Harbour Freight and pick up one of their propane weed burners for a jumbo rosebud on the cheap. Or you could just buy the correct propane head for your current outfit.

Thanks for the responses. My welding supplier says the only differences in the Victor screw-on tips are the recesses. He doesn't know about the dedicated rosebuds.

I've already got the weed burner, but without oxygen in the mix it's not hot enough for my purposes.

Still waiting on some "T" hose to try the existing acetylene tips and rosebuds I have -- some apparently work OK on propane but not the other way around. Also a bunch of propane cutting tips on order for my existing torches -- those are cheap.

A new Victor propane rosebud is around $80, so if the acetylene one I have is close to burning OK, I may just try countersinking the heating orifices a bit.

Gazz -- does your propane rosebud have a shallow countersunk ring connecting the holes? I've seen that in some propane rosebuds. Metalmagpie -- you're probably right but figure there's not too much to lose, other than ruining an acetylene rosebud I won't be using, in giving this a try.

Pete, heating with propane uses roughly twice as much oxygen as heating with acetylene. Is it worthwhile to change? I'm using propane on my burning table, but in that case its an oxy eater anyway, so the amount used in preheat doesn't matter much.

PeteM

My acetylene rosebud works fine on propane. Did you try it yet ? Id give it a try before buying the new tip. Might work for you also.

Mine is a older Harris set thought.

Don

Metlmunchr -- good point. Right now I'm limited by the draw rate and small size of my acetylene tank. My thought was that I'd always have lots of propane (heat the house with it) and that if I'm buying a bigger tank, to get one bigger oxygen, rather than both. My use is home shop sporadic -- nothing for months then maybe a tank or two of oxygen. Gas dealer is close by.

Still waiting on the "T" hose I ordered to give my existing rosebuds a try.

Just to close the loop -- neither my Victor or Purox acetylene rosebuds proved happy with propane. Several folks have had better results with Harris heating tips.