Fix It With Fire

Some of the Roadkill-ready Uses of the Oxy-Acetylene Torch.

- Steve Dulcich

Viewers of the Roadkill Garage show have probably noticed our fondness for the oxy-acetylene torch. We consider it a problem solver, always ready with the quick solution for all kinds of potentially time-consuming mechanical quagmires. The torch can cut, weld, heat, melt, and loosen— all handy actions when working on derelict cars. Whether burning something off or burning something on, the steel-melting, 6,300-degree heat of the oxy-acetylene flame is our friend.

The torch mechanism includes a tank full of oxygen, another loaded with acetone, pressure regulators, and hoses leading to a handheld torch that has one regulating knob for the fuel (acetylene) and another for the oxygen. Like all good things, the arrangement has the potential for a garage-leveling explosion when mishandled, which is why you need to buy a kit and thoroughly understand the detailed instructions for pressure regulation, fire up, flame adjustment, and shut down before you can start melting metal with abandon. So consider this story only a dangling carrot to summon you into the powerful world of torching.

WELD IT