guys that weld with c02/argon mix

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earthmover

earthmover

in the tire smoke
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i have a small torch set up that i dont use any and was wondering if i could have 1 of the tanks filled to use with my mig welder???? i know i can ask the place that fill them but they are not open now and thought someone here might would know...i plan to buy me a big tank but right now i have this small tank and would like to try it out..i have never welded with gas before and want to start..i will pick up a reg. for it as well..i have did alot of mig work and stick as i have both but was told that once you learn gas you will love it..thanks mike
 
Gas is the ****. No spatter like flux and no sticking like stick welding. Also you can do AL with gas and stainless wire, thats huge for fixing intakes. I believe tanks have different fittings for different gasses so you dont hook up some binary munition in your garage. I have a Dual Mig with regulator and gas trigger but havent used it yet as gas. flux seems to work for what I need at the moment. Raw exhaust pipes and 1/8 steel plate.
 
As mentioned...tanks are labeled/designed for specific gases. Oxygen wont be filled with Argon and Acetylene DEFINITELY wont be filled with anything other than acetylene.
 
thanks guys guess i will have to buy 1 sooner then later ...man those big tanks are high... like 350.00 bucks for the big 1's...do the place that fill them sell used tanks or just new???????
 
I think the tanks are the same, but the big screw on tops are proprietery. Probably find tanks on Craigs...
 
I rent mine from the place that fills them locally here...about 6.00 a month per bottle.
 
whats it cost to rent the big tanl 125cf i think
 
6.00 dollars a month here for large tanks.I also bought a certified used tank from the same place for $250.00...
 
Every time one of my rental tanks goes empty I turn it in and buy a used one filled,kind of slowing owning them with the initial investment,I got 5 tanks right now and own 2...
2 for the torch,one for the Mig,one for the Tig and one for my smoke machine,
 
My local supplier is Oxarc. They are very good at trading tanks, IE I once had a nitrogen tank I used in HVAC/R for pressure testing, and traded it in on CO2 for my mig.

I recently had a VERY small CO2 tank, and they upgraded me for very little to a larger size. Turns out that there is some purpose by which the smaller tank I had is in more demand than the larger one I bought, it cost me very little.

So if you don't need your Oxy/ Acet at all, you might ask your supplier about a trade.
 
don;t buy a tank. rent it. then you just exchange it when it empty. 35$ for a 2000lb bottle that's what it is down here in Humble,Texas.

68 Dart GT
 
Sorry for the short answer Mike. I had 20 things going at once. As Curley explained the tanks are painted and valved for specific gasses. Not safe to put different gasses in wrong tanks. Mke
 
We got our co2/argon tank ( I think it's medium size) from a welding distributor in the town next to us, it was a 99 year lease/with filled bottle for like 140.00 but I think that was at least 10 or more year's ago. If that's the quote for 350.00 man that's just incredible for the price of this stuff! Like the previous guy's said..... never put any gas in a container that it is not intended for, as the bottle's they sell are totally identified as what's in them.
Like I said above, 99 year lease on the bottle, so I know we won't have to renew!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol.
 
no problem toolman i thank you guys for the help
 
We picked up a refill of 75 argon and 25 CO2 mix for about 50 bucks for a 5 foot tall tank.
We refill the little tank on his portable unit about 30 times from the big tank.
Makes really nice welds.

Flux wire sucks
 
steelcutter said:
don;t buy a tank. rent it. then you just exchange it when it empty. 35$ for a 2000lb bottle that's what it is down here in Humble,Texas.

68 Dart GT
Click to expand...

This depends on your locale and the companies involved, and may depend on state regulations. In this area there are a couple/ three companies who "universally" will EXCHANGE Owner tanks, IE the popular 80 Oxy and matching Acet, 10, 15, 20 Lb CO2, etc.

My tanks were originally bought through CENEX/ COOP about 1975. Then they were traded for the co. I worked for, then I went to work for "Brack Supply" in Coeur d Alene, and traded with them, THEN went to ??? and that eventually was bought out and become OxArc. I have been lucky, never had a tank with an expired hydro-test, and other than the "price of the gas" I have never paid a DIME for rental, lease, or anything else.

Only extra cost was when I traded/ upgraded, as I mentioned earlier.
 
As 67Sart273 mentioned the downfall to owning your own tank is having to pay for the hydro test when it goes out of test. That will usually run about 50- 75 per bottle and needs to be done every 10 years (5 on Aluminum)
 
toplscuda said:
As 67Sart273 mentioned the downfall to owning your own tank is having to pay for the hydro test when it goes out of test. That will usually run about 50- 75 per bottle and needs to be done every 10 years (5 on Aluminum)
Click to expand...

I BELIEVE that applies whether the tanks are owners, rented, or leased. IE if you are the guy "holding the bag" when the thing expires..................
 
I have never had to pay for a hydro test on a welding gas cylinder. I own several, and all of the gas suppliers I have dealt with will swap a customer owned cylinder with a full one that is in test.

Now fire extinguishers are another matter. I have paid to have my 20 pound CO2 extinguishers tested.

If you are MIG welding, run straight CO2. A 20 pound tank goes a long way, and a 50 pounder is very common. If you buy an 20 pound tanks from places like craigslist, look at them carefully - if they are marked "PEPSI CO" you may have a hard time getting them filled.

I have run hundreds of pounds of ER70S6 wire with straight CO2 in production welding applications. Never saw a need for Argon with carbon steel & the MIG process.

Keep your oxygen & fuel gas cylinders. You still need them occasionally.

.
 
thanks for all your help guys.. i called a locaal shop today and they told me they have 125cf and 150cf and they would sell me the 150cf for 225.00 not bad i guess and will refill or trade for 35.00 when the time comes...now i guess i need to go out and pick 1 up and a reg. for the tank...

now what do most of you set your reg. on ????does it change with metal thickness or wire??? like i said i have never used gas before so may sound like a crazy ??? but not crazy to me when i can save myself from being blown up ..lol or do you just have to get a feel for it??? thanks mike:D
 
I just bought a 60lb tank with the 75/25 mix cost me less than 200 but I dont no what the refill will be.
 
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