The Home Workbench 



Making an Acetylene Gas Generator 



THE gas generator used by the 

 United States Life Saving Corps 

 and also by the Volunteer Life 

 Saving Corps for their searchlights on 

 beach-wasfons is not difficult to construct, 

 in diameter is used, 



Carbide about V^ 



in. 



per pound, 

 home three 



and costs, retail, 10 cents 

 Fifteen pounds will light a 

 hours each evening for one 

 month, at a cost of $1.50. 

 For each pound of carbide 

 a gallon of water is used. 

 Hence to make a 15-pound 

 carbide generator, a 15-gal- 

 lon tank must be used. 

 (Jnly galvanized iron should 

 be used, as it corrodes the 

 least of any metal. 



After deciding upon the 

 size (say 15 pounds), take 

 two 15-gallon tanks. Se- 

 lect one which will fit, in- 

 verted, inside of the other, 

 allowing enough space to 

 slide up and down with- 

 out binding (see diagram). 

 Another small tank, half the height, 

 is used to catch the falling carbides. 

 This holds the sediment, prevents it 

 from spreading and simplifies cleaning. 

 Besides, it is the only, tank which cor- 

 rodes. To determine how large to make 

 the hood, use 15 pounds of dry earth 

 as a medium for measuring. Pile it in a 

 cone, the width corresponding to the 

 width of the tank. The height measure- 

 ment gives the depth of tlie hood. A 

 model of the hood should first be made 

 out of pasteboard to avoid waste or er- 

 ror in cutting. It should fit snugly, in- 

 verted in the gasometer tank. Cut off 

 the point of the hood to allow a 1-in. 



A government gas gen- 

 erator which is easily 

 built by an amateur 



hole for a valve-opening. Lay the mod- 

 el flat on metal and draw around it, cut 

 with shears, roll carefully around a pipe- 

 to get the shape, and solder together. A 

 1-in. flat washer is used, being soldered 

 into the valve-hole on the inside to act 

 as a guide for the valve-head when it 

 is closed. A A^-in. pipe soldered intj 

 a 1-in. cap for a valve-head and stem 

 can be used, the length of 

 the stem being 2 ins. longer 

 than the gasometer (see 

 diagram). Place the valve 

 in position, solder the hood 

 in the gasometer, and make 

 sure there are no leaks in 

 any of the tanks. If you 

 are not sure of the tight- 

 ness, turn both tanks up- 

 side down and test with 

 water. 



In the top of the 

 ometer drill a 2-in. 

 solder in a nipple, 

 screw on a cap with 

 leather washer. This 



gas- 

 hole, 

 and 

 a 



is 



used for filling the hood 

 with carbide. A gas-cock is soldered in 

 the side of the gasometer near the top 

 for the gas supply, for the hose, or for 

 the pipe to the gas line. A 1-ft. acety- 

 lene burner gives 100 candle power. 



To operate the generator, fill the wa- 

 ter tank with water and the hood with 

 carbide. Close the gas-cock and place 

 the gasometer in the water-tank. Open 

 the gas-cock to let the air out. The gas- 

 ometer will sink very slowly until the 

 valve-stem touches the bottom, thus 

 opening the valve and letting the carbide 

 escape into the inner tank and generate 

 gas. The gas will rai.se the ga.someter 

 three-quarters of the way up, and thus 



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