Position of gauges on oxy reg

[AndyStobbs]

Recently got myself a set of O/A bottles. Oxy was empty so exchanged that, bought some flashback arrestors and new hoses and I'm nearly ready to go.
However, when the oxy reg is positioned on the bottle the gauges are ending up at the 8 and 10 o'clock positions - just doesn't look neat, that said all the other regs I've looked at seem to be of the same configuration.
There are two safety valves also on the reg, which appear to be 1/4 bsp (as are the gauges) and I'm wondering if there is any reason why I couldn't swap valves for gauges and visa versa. Assuming of course they are ported correctly.

Thanks

 

[brightspark]

just leave well alone. live with it mines been like that 40 years air products are side entry and boc at top of the bottle

 

[mike os]

as above....just don't go there

 

[AndyStobbs]

Does anybody market a 90degree inlet then?

 

[Mr shiney]

Neat? Do you have OCD or something? What's up with functional?

 

[AndyStobbs]

I can be a perfectionist at times yes. It's not a habbit I wish to break though.

 

[the snooper]

live with it for now then change supplier to a top entry bottle

 

[AndyStobbs]

oxygen safe PTFE

Anybody know, where one can buy the special PTFE suitable for use with high pressure oxygen?

Still not happy with how the reg fits but that's another issue.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Surely it seals on a taper not the thread so ptfe isn't required? And as everyone else has said, don't mess with them, not worth doing it wrong and causing an accident.

 

[AndyStobbs]

It would appear that the taper on bsp isn't sufficient as the high pressure gauge is leaking where it fits into the reg. I would hardly have expected it to seal at 3000psi without some form of help.
I plan to source an elbow for the regulator stem and make a tidy job of it once and for all. It's hardly going to cause an accident if it's done correctly.

 

[normspanners]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Welding-C...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item1e7ad4f192
There you go

 

[Jim Davey]

We sell the special grease free PTFE tape at our place. It works on taper threads but it won't seal anything that normally relies on a cone seat of a crushable washer.

 

[AndyStobbs]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Welding-C...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item1e7ad4f192
There you go

Perfect, that will save me a lot of faffing with brass bar and die nuts.
Thanks Norm

 

[dan.taylor.1]

It would appear that the taper on bsp isn't sufficient as the high pressure gauge is leaking where it fits into the reg. I would hardly have expected it to seal at 3000psi without some form of help.
I plan to source an elbow for the regulator stem and make a tidy job of it once and for all. It's hardly going to cause an accident if it's done correctly.

Why not, hydraulics do and they're at 230-300 bar on most modern tractors! I realise a o2 molecule is a lot smaller than a hydrocarbon chain in hydraulic oil though but I've never had to use ptfe on any gas cylinder fitting yet, is a thread damaged?

Dan

 

[AndyStobbs]

hydraulic fittings have conical seats or dowty seals though dont they.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Mostly yes, but the odd fitting is just threads, depending on machine that can be down to some dopey sod leaving said dowty/copper washer off though!

 

[dannyp]

haveing an adaptor between the reg and bottel would anoy me more than the gadges been wonky.

buy a reg for a side valve bottel if it bothers you. as for tape on oxygen connection i was told never to use anything, tbh never needed to ether

 

[AndyStobbs]

They are wonky to the extent that I've had to remove the valve protection collar completely. Then the reg must be mounted in the horizontal rather than vertical plane. The suggestion about changing supplier was a good one, but the bottle is rent free through an independant so will always be an AP bottle, and I'm too tight to buy another reg designed for side entry.

Maybe yours leaks too?

 

[hotrodder]

FFS buy the correct regulator! Oxy fuel is NOT stuff to be pratting about with cobbling things together to save a couple of bob

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

It isn't the sort of thing you go bodging up. Do it properly. will have nasty consequences...