# Price of acetylene



## Nutfarmer (May 7, 2022)

Has anyone else had problems obtaining acetylene ?  Had to wait a week and a half . It was out of stock.  Then the price was 116.46 for a 118 cubic foot bottle. Included in that price was a twenty dollar hazmat fee. Have had crazy price increases on a lot of items lately. Is this a going the going cost or do I need to look for a different supplier?


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## IR-JEB (May 7, 2022)

I was taken back two weeks ago when I got a new refill on a 123 CF tank of Argon in the Toledo, Ohio area.  No shortage noted however I paid $50.00 to $55.00, don't remember the exact cost, which was substantially higher than my last tank.  Bad part is I need to refill again.  I did not have any Hazmat fee with my gas supplier however I did get a pound of ER70S-2 filler rod from my closest supplier and they added a hazmat fee on filler rod.  Go figure!!

At your prices it looks like small TIG torch cups to reduce gas flow when possible.

Good luck


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## jwmay (May 7, 2022)

I think I read somewhere that there was a shortage. That's probably useless information, but I think it's everywhere.








						Welders Affected by Acetylene Shortage
					

This past March, a chemical plant located in Kentucky exploded. The Carbide Industries, LLC plant supplied welders across the nation with acetylene gas, a gas commonly used in welding due to the fact it is easy to use and is very hot, making it easy to heat and bend metal.




					bakersgas.com


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## Nutfarmer (May 8, 2022)

That would explain a lot. Changed the cutting torch over to propane. Still will have to use acetylene for heating and welding.


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## Martin W (May 8, 2022)

I changed my torch, also to propane . Way more economical! Plus you don't have the tank rental to pay each year.
Martin


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## twraska (May 8, 2022)

Nutfarmer said:


> That would explain a lot. Changed the cutting torch over to propane. Still will have to use acetylene for heating and welding.


You can get an LP rosebud tip, works good. I’ve brazed with LP, and a regular tip, but the flame isn’t as hot nor as ‘concentrated’ as acetylene.


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## Firebrick43 (May 8, 2022)

My gas supplier told me they are trying to outlaw acetylene.  Also many of the uses have been eliminated which drives down demand.  I am the only one that welds with it anymore that I know.  Even I don't do much as I have tig.  A lot of shops have a plasma cutter.  Most of your auto shops don't have a torch at all now due to insurance, and have switched to induction heaters "nut busters" to heat rusty fasteners.  

Last gas purchase I had was 1 bottle of argon, 1 large oxygen and 1 number 4 acetylene.  The two torch tanks need hydro tested (~100 dollars) and the total was 500 dollars.


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## Provincial (May 8, 2022)

jwmay said:


> I think I read somewhere that there was a shortage. That's probably useless information, but I think it's everywhere.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"It's deja vu all over again" - Yogi Berra

I remember the same thing happening about ten years ago.  Same price spike, except it wasn't as bad out here in the West.  Just found a report: November 17, 2014.


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## pontiac428 (May 8, 2022)

I went to Praxair for a fill of CO2 last weekend, and I was surprised to pay more or less the same price I've been paying for the last two or three years.  I keep acetylene for heating and powder spray hardfacing.  Not doing much torch cutting anymore since plasma covers that.  Maybe I should build a reactor and stock up on calcium carbide for the future.


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## jwmay (May 8, 2022)

I know the OSHA stuff is getting more strict. Our company started taking the regulators off of anything that wasn't being used at the moment. I told them they may as well give it all away because nobody was going to comply. Chain it to the wall, put a cage around it, put it inside a concrete building... but if you take those regulators off nobody will ever use them again. They'll sit there with a propane camp torch for 8 hours before they do that. Sad but true.


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## aliva (May 8, 2022)

Just before I retired 6 years ago the company I worked for was getting rid of their O2 and Acty. regulators because the new gas bottles  were coming with installed regulators. So no more lost, or damaged regulators, or maintenance


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## erikmannie (May 21, 2022)

I bought a cylinder of acetylene about 2 months ago in Santa Rosa, CA from Matheson, & they had it in stock ready to go at a very reasonable price. Matheson has always had what I needed, when I needed it (as far as gases go).


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