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/diy/ - Do It Yourself


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1248802 No.1248802 [Reply] [Original]

What's the cheapest way of procuring welding gas for the hobbyist who does not use lots of it?

Not sure if I should lease the cylinders or just buy them outright.

>> No.1248803

>>1248802
>What's the cheapest way of procuring welding gas
the good ol' grab n' run

>> No.1248812

>>1248802
leasing will cost you more in the long run. really only worth it if you need like 10 different gases. buy it outright but from a place that exchanges tanks rather then refilling that way you'll never get fucked over having an expired tank

>> No.1248813

What gases are you needing? How much do you plan to use per period of time? (2 hours daily, etc).

I have a small oxyacetylene set that is everything a large set on a cart is, except in a smaller compact setup. I usually only use it to warm up rusty bolts. It costs me about $100 and about $30 for both the oxygen and acetylene.

>> No.1248817

>>1248802

Craigslist. I picked up a 250 and 300cf tank, filled, for like $270.

Smaller tanks pop up all the time for ~$70-100. Debating on picking up a pair of oxygen/acetylene tanks listed at $80 for the pair.

I live in a pretty populated area, though, so YMMV.

>> No.1248841
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1248841

>>1248817
If you do buy used...
Look over the cylinder - specifically the crown. Look for the DOT number - "3AA2015" - Should have another set of numbers after it, the month and year of manufacture. If it's <5yrs old, you're good. If it's more than 5 years, it'll need a retest.
So look for another stamp on it - month, a four-character "RIN" number, year. There may be multiples of those every 5- or 10-years.
Wait, 10 years? Yes, 10 years. If a cylinder meets certain specs, it can get a star after the retest year, which indicates it can go 10 years between retests. A "+" indicates it can be overfilled 10%. There may be other characters after that, like "UE" for ultrasonic examination instead of a traditional hydro test. Don't worry about those. You're just checking that the cylinder's in-test.
Otherwise you'll have retest expenses before anyone will fill it.

Check over the rest of it, make sure there's no dents/dings/major scrapes in the sidewall. Be wary of cylinders with a lot of layers of paint, that can hide ugly shit underneath, and some retesters won't accept it unless it's cleaned/stripped.

Check that the valve is the same as what you have on the regulator. There's a "CGA" number you need to match up. Likely be a CGA580 valve.

Valve covers are required for transport. There's coarse- and fine-thread covers, shitty suppliers will thread a coarse cover onto a fine-thread cylinder or vice versa. Make sure you have the right one, and don't lose it.

I used to work in the cylinder retest industry.

>> No.1248858

I never paid a lease, just a deposit.

>> No.1248891

>>1248841
>I used to work in the cylinder retest industry.
how much is a retest?

i've got a argon 'R' cylinder i got for a few bucks at an estate sale and it might just be out of test

also how much is an exchange for a 21cuft cylinder in your area

been meaning to play with tig for a while just haven't gotten around to it

>> No.1248907

>>1248802
You need to lease. The company will exchange the tanks and pressure test them for safety. That is something only they can do and do safely.

Be careful when buying used ones. They can be death traps or "stolen". Stolen as in they were under lease, the person using it died or something, and someone sold it into the yard sale circuit or whatever. Like a milk crate or shopping cart, it is still owned by the company. This becomes a problem when you take it in to get it refilled and a hydrostatic test done. They run the numbers on it and check the last date of the hydrostatic test. Normally, you just get a new tank and they take the old one when you are leasing.

If the place you take it to can't do a hydrostatic test, they won't refill your tank if the last hydrostatic test date written on the tank is too long ago.

I found out all this later when I got a second hand tank. It is worthless now, but I'm going to cut the bottom off and turn it into a giant bell.

>> No.1248924

>>1248841
Most airgas supply's will just exchange you tank without charging you because your old tank is out of date.
I've been welding for over 20 years, I've never been charged a test fee for a personal tank.

If you buy a tank, it needs to be a "blank".
Do not buy one that has a company name embossed on the collar/neck of the bottle.
I also suggest getting an 80 cubic foot bottle- its the smallest that has a screw on cap, much safer for transporting.
Like other anon said, craigslist is a great place to find them.
Do not lease.

>> No.1248934

>>1248802
Depends on where you live...

>> No.1248941

pay a deposit and do exchange tanks

>> No.1248948

Zipcode? That or just locate you nearest airgas and/or praxair shop and talk to them about your intened usage. The ripoff wont be any worse than plywood and gasoline during hurricane season. Keep it safe man.

>> No.1249063

>>1248907
I own my tanks, just go to a place like tractor supply where they exchange rather then refill. That way you always get a good tank and don't have to worry about shit like retesting. If you no longer need the tank just return it and you'll get your money back if you have the receipt. Without receipt you'll get whatever the tank is worth at that time so check prices before you go since you could possibly get back more then you paid