New to TIG and bought my first argon bottle today. How'd I do?

A friend of mine cut the side out of an old acetylene tank and it was full of card board.
 
RWL said:
I'm commenting so that a myth isn't inadvertently perpetuated. You can transport acetylene on its side if necessary but it is not ideal. Unlike other gas cylinders they have a mixture of some sort of filler and acetone to stabilize the acetylene. If you open the cylinder immediately after having it on its side, it will spit out acetone, potentially harming parts in the regulator. I'm not sure if the filler (sand?) can get out and clog up the shutoff valve. My instructor (a long time ago) told us that if you wait an hour after it's upright you won't have problems. That said though, many (most?) of us use B size tanks which will usually stand upright in a pickup truck or car.Good buy on the argon. As long as you can get it refilled where you live, it was a substantial savings.
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acetone is the stablizer, there is also a pores core. I think it is a longer time before use. I try for 12 hours. The acetone eats the packing and seals in the torch head and gages. This is what we were thought by the instructor, and a prax air rep. while I was an apprentice.
 
I was always taught a one to one thing with the acetylene. If its laid down for a hour, you should stand it up for the same. Never have figured out how long to stand that cylinder you found laying in the back of that truck you haven't used for six mounts.


Master of unfinished projects
 
moptracker said:
A friend of mine cut the side out of an old acetylene tank and it was full of card board.
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That's so unusual that it invites the question why? I'd do something like that myself to find out what's inside, but why do it to something useful. Wouldn't the dealer exchange the cylinder? Also, how did he do the cutting?
 
pestilence said:
I'm also wondering what the true capacity is and how much I can expect to pay for a refill.
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For me to fill up my bottle of Argon for my home shop tig welder, it's $90.00. If I take it to work, and exchange it out with the other empties, is only $35.00. Quantity discount I guess, but wow, what a way to gouge/screw the little guy.
 
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I just used to take mine to work and exchange it....lol! We had so darn many of them and it is the same as they used so no one would ever notice. I don't know what size you call it, but it is big! 5' at least and large diameter. I have the next size down for my portable rig, oxy, acetylene, Argon/helium mix, argon, and argon/co2 mix. Then my home boy Oxy acetylene tanks are the smaller as well. I also have a really small NOS steal tank...I bought it for 5.00 at a yard sale as a novelty. :)
 
Friend of mine owns a salvage yard. Over the years I would hate to guess how many. Oxy. Acc. Propane. Tanks I've. Seen them. Cut.. It sometimes costs more to have a tank decertified than to replace it.

You would not believe how much sand and gritty **** can be in a 1000 gallon propane tank.

They have to be cut before they can go to the steel mill.

Scruffy
 
Its ok to transfer Argon laying down. depending on what material you are welding would determine what to do. For steel,stainless set your welder DC negative. one amp per thousand thickness of material except stainless steel. This is a rule of thump setting. Stainless would be around 1/3 less on the amps. Aluminum would be AC setting. I suggest you look at some videos on "You Tube" and start from there.

Thanks in advance for any info.
 
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