OT Cutting tool from movie

ryanwheelock · Jul 13, 2010

Watched the movie named; "The Score" with Robert Deniro made in the early 2000s and he broke into a customs place to steal some artifact worth millions. In the movie he breaks in and then has to get into the safe, he uses a cutting torch of some sort that uses a long rod and had a backpack. Wondering what process it was, something like carbon arc gouging. He cut a 4 or 5 inch hole and filled safe with water and the dropped in some explosives and blew the safe door off. Just wondering what that cutting process was. Sorry for the off topic.
Thanks
Ryan

Janicholson · Jul 13, 2010

Remember it is a Movie!!
Probably was an arc/oxy gouge, but it would have a dramatic shower of slag/sparks if plunging through 4" of steel. (I would choose a 200amp plasma torch!) Jim

bjd · Jul 13, 2010

say something similar on mythbusters one night dont remeber what it was but it did burn everthing in the safe when they opened it after cutting. didnt watch the rest to see what happened

TimV · Jul 13, 2010

Like Janicholson said, it's a movie and they probably weren't extra-careful with being realistic, but one common name for such a tool is an oxygen lance. Basically it's a regular piece of pipe that's lit and then fed pure oxygen, resulting in a VERY hot flame--hot enough to stab through steel and even concrete or rock. Check "oxygen lance" on Youtube and you'll find examples--they're routinely used in heavy maintenance, scrapping, and construction for piercing large, thick cross-sections of heavy materials.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 13, 2010

I believe it was an oxygen lance, will cut through most anything, ferrous and nonferrous metals.

glennster · Jul 13, 2010

airco makes an exothermic underwater cutting torch that can be mounted on a backpack. the rod is consumable with a hollow core to inject pure oxygen in it. it will cut any metal underwater, and will also cut thru concrete. here is a link to the rascal. the rod needs about 100-150 amps to light, and will continue to burn without any electrical power. it can be lit off a truck battery. rods are about 3 or 4 dollars a piece. i still have an airco rig. (studied commercial diving many years ago)
poke here

Anonymous-0 · Jul 13, 2010

You mean Arcair instead of Airco. An Arcair slice torch can be portable and used with a battery instead of a welding machine. They are made for jobs like demolition although Arcair does make the underwater torches as well. Arcair is mostly known for making the gouging torches used in almost every fab, shop. Dave

glennster · Jul 13, 2010

yup, arcair, not airco. i get confused. (have an old airco 225 amp stinger too). here is a link to j&r welding supplies. the have the portable system for about 7k. when i bought my torch it was thru an airco dealer, and i was using the sea jet rods. broco made a similiar torch set up. i have about 170 ft of hose set up for my torch, deepest i cut with it was about 130 ft. i'll have to dig the torch out and post some pictures. torch needs about 90 psi of o2 over ambient pressure to cut good, it was about 4 atmospheres of pressure at that depth. dang cold there too!!!

greenbeanman in Kansas · Jul 14, 2010

This Wikipedia article even mentions the movie you speak of.
Thermal lance, thermic lance, burning bar.

OT Cutting tool from movie

ryanwheelock

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Janicholson

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bjd

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TimV

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Anonymous-0

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glennster

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Anonymous-0

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glennster

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greenbeanman in Kansas

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