Exothermic cutting torch ????

[Pilatus]

I have just seen a picture showing a guy using an “ exothermic “cutting torch cutting through a huge metal box section on the Baltimore bridge.
What are the virtues of Exothermic in cutting metal??

 

[mo!]

A quick Google suggests that it is an air arc setup. So no flammable gasses, just a big welder, an oxygen bottle and some special rods. Lots of sparks but fast cutting and no acetylene to worry about. Very noisy.

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

A quick Google suggests that it is an air arc setup. So no flammable gasses, just a big welder, an oxygen bottle and some special rods. Lots of sparks but fast cutting and no acetylene to worry about. Very noisy.

So plasma in other words?

 

[Welderloon]

A quick Google suggests that it is an air arc setup. So no flammable gasses, just a big welder, an oxygen bottle and some special rods. Lots of sparks but fast cutting and no acetylene to worry about. Very noisy.

So plasma in other words?

Exactly this - Horrible, dirty, noisey, sparky b'stard of a job
Fancy Rod, power source, pressurised O2 creating a high pressure reaction which creates heat & melts the material, the resultant liquified molten material then continues to cut through the solid material as the pressurised O2 pushes it along
Basically a poor mans plasma cutter.

 

[mo!]

So plasma in other words?

No. Plasma cutter is much higher temp, no consumables and air rather than oxygen.

 

[Pilatus]

Cutting up the Baltimore Bridge at height will be a very precarious job, how ever the job is carried out.

 

[Wesley]

Don’t know if its some or all, but the power source is only needed to ignite the rod. So it can be done from a battery pack. Can cut through virtually anything, muddy, rusty metal, concrete/brick etc. No earth lead like plasma so very portable.

 

[Welderloon]

Demolition companies favour them as did 1960's bank robbers

 

[Wisconsonian]

Plasma cutters are entirely different. An oxy fuel torch (acetalene, propane, gas/petrol) is common enough to most. An oxygen lance is basically an iron pipe hooked to an oxygen source and lit, then it will cut through anything that will melt. Oxygen lances have been used in iron making for a century or more?

An air arc is compressed air hooked to a heavy duty electric carbon electrode, the electricity does the heating and the air blows away the melted metal.

An exothermic torch is a fancy version of an oxygen lance, like Wesley said mostly to use electricity to start the process, often using other materials in the rod to work better.

 

[Wesley]

“Light” the torch/rod & it will melt almost anything in its way. Let go of the trigger, oxygen stops & rod goes out. Only using oxygen & rods when running. Rod is basically burning with the help of the oxygen being blown down the centre of it.

 

[Karliboy]

How I understand it is you get the end of a fancy rod glowing red hot with the oxy blow torch then turn oxy in through the middle of the rod which then ignites and keeps itself going until rod is burn out nothing else needed
Shows lighting it here about 8mins in