Lightweight OxyAcetylene hose recommendations?

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Mark Stonich

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Aug 19, 2023, 9:18:01 AM8/19/23
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Has anyone used the Ultra Light Weight Welding Hose from Tin Man Technologies? Where are the on the spectrum between heavy rubber hoses and Smith’s kevlar hoses? I got a kevlar set from Freddy Parr almost 20 years ago and they turned my Smiths AW1 into a magic wand. But the liner started cracking and leaking from age. Any other suggestions for a light and flexible hose?

I haven’t built a frame in 16 years but want to see if I can still make a couple, despite Essential Tremor in both hands.

Mark Stonich; BikeSmith Design & Fabrication
5349 Elliot Ave S. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417 USA
Ph. (612) 710-9593  http://bikesmithdesign.com 1

M-gineering

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Aug 19, 2023, 9:29:15 AM8/19/23
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Bought two sets 10 years ago (one as a spare) but the first set is still
going strong. I like em

On 8/19/2023 3:18 PM, Mark Stonich wrote:
> Has anyone used the Ultra Light Weight Welding Hose
> <https://www.tinmantech.com/products/welding/gas-welding-hoses/> from
> <http://bikesmithdesign.com/>
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mvg

Marten Gerritsen



Gerritsen & Meijers, Ingenieurs
Framebuilding & Imports

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Tel: +31 598 491865


www.m-gineering.nl



Skip Montanaro

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Aug 19, 2023, 11:34:52 AM8/19/23
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Has anyone used the Ultra Light Weight Welding Hose from Tin Man Technologies?

That's what I used in Doug Fattic's class, and what was recommended to me. I have yet to pull the trigger, but will get around to it one of these days...

Skip, Evanston IL

Mark Stonich

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Aug 19, 2023, 12:19:43 PM8/19/23
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Thanks for the replies, I just ordered a set. About the short length, I have rubber hoses running up to my ceiling and attached my kevlar hoses to them. This way my kevlar hoses never touched the floor and didn’t get stepped on. Will do the same with these. 

Anthony Pappalardo

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Aug 19, 2023, 3:36:13 PM8/19/23
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I've been using one and I've had no issues with it. I've stepped on it tho, and slowed the flow enough that the torch went out, but that's about it.

I'm a hobbyist, so it's not being used on a daily basis, but I've used it for about 2yrs for 2 frames and a bunch of practice joints.

My only other experience is with conventional T grade hose and switching to this hose was a revelation. I don't know how it would stand up to heavy use but for the money it serves my purpose well. 

I use it with a Victor J-series torch with the Tin Man hoses tied into my T-grade hoses which give me my reach to the work.

I'd replace them with the same in a heartbeat.

TonyP

From: frameb...@googlegroups.com <frameb...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Mark Stonich <ma...@bikesmithdesign.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2023 8:18 AM
To: Framebuilders <frameb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Frame] Lightweight OxyAcetylene hose recommendations?
 
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Mark Bulgier

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Aug 19, 2023, 3:47:12 PM8/19/23
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I've used 'em in my hobby shop for maybe 10 years of light sporadic use but mostly what I want to relate was how we used them when I was a full-timer at Davidson. 

We let them lie on the concrete floor with the predictable effect, they got holes in them. So we frequently spliced them or shortened them, and replaced them, kept buying them because they are so worth it. 

In my home shop though, they don't touch the ground. The old Davidson way was nuts, not safe. 

(Bill still has a shop but AFAIK it's 100% Ti, so he probably doesn't even have a gas-welding rig anymore) 

-Mark


From: Mark Stonich <ma...@bikesmithdesign.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2023 6:18 AM
To: Framebuilders

Subject: [Frame] Lightweight OxyAcetylene hose recommendations?
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Doug Fattic

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Aug 19, 2023, 4:26:24 PM8/19/23
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Mark I highly recommend the TM Technologies (the TM stands for Tin Man) ultralightweight hoses.  I've used them for many years in Niles as well as in Ukraine.  Fortunately the Russians when they broke into our bike workshop in Bucha, they didn't take them or any part of our brazing setup.  While you are ordering from TM you might want to get 12 1/2' T grade hoses at the same time.  That way there is enough length of put your hoses up on the ceiling from your tanks where they belong.  Somewhere along the line consisting of both hoses, you will be switching B size fittings to A.  The UL hoses are A on both ends but they include an adapter to B.  i prefer to have the T hose have a B on one end and an A on the other to avoid one more fitting in the line.

Now is a good time (while you are messing with changing your equipment) to get an oxygen concentrator.  They work great for general purpose frame building and you never have to bother going to the welding store to pay for a refill when you run out.  And oxygen tanks are heavy and awkward to haul around.  And some stores won't let you transport them yourself.  And besides being way more convenient, a concentrator is much, much safer. 

Doug Fattic
Niles, MIchigan USA

Mark Stonich

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Aug 19, 2023, 11:29:46 PM8/19/23
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Nice to hear that the Tin Man hoses have so many satisfied users. I loved using the kevlar hoses, but they were fragile and have become very expensive. 

Doug,
An oxygen concentrator would have been great, several years ago. But one wouldn’t pay off for me now, as it takes me a couple of years to go through a small tank. 

For most welding I use TIG. I recently bought a PrimeWeld AC/DC Tig 225. Like a box full of magic compared to my ‘90 L-Tek 250 transformer lump. I have developed Essential Tremor in my hands, so I don’t know if I have enough fine motor control to weld thin tubes with it. 

Michael Catano

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Aug 21, 2023, 11:21:38 AM8/21/23
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I haven't built anything in a few years, but just chiming in to say that I also replaced a set of $$$ kevlar hoses that died prematurely with the tin man option and they gave me zero issues for the several years I used them.

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