Hot Rods Pleasant experience at the welding supply shop

I went into the local welding supply shop today to get my large TIG tank swapped out.
I never really thought about it much since a tank will last well over a year for me now that I have slowed down. About 80 % of my work is MIG now, and that is a smaller bottle.
I went in and purchased the tank and when I came out the yard guy had it already loaded in my truck. No questions, no comments, just "I thought you might need a hand." The tank weighs 147 lbs and I was dreading getting iti nto my truck by myself. I am 67 years old and can't pick up what I used to be able to. My Dr. told me that if I didn't stop doing stupid things and start asking for help he was done with me.
It was really unexpected and it made my day.
Getting older sucks but with help we can all make it.

 

I know what you mean. I get senior discounts without asking for them....

 

That makes for a good day!

 

Good day!
I have been noticing that my big bottle has gotten heavier over the years, thinking about going down a size next time.

 

Good read there and I just turned 65 but still working on the clock. I'm working for a manager that's 20 years younger and my co-workers go down from there - average is 25 yrs old. Sure want to keep working but the guys I work with are dead set against my generation.

 

This is all caused by global warning...free floating iron molecules bond to solid iron surfaces like welding tanks since, as we all know from the Kinetic Molecular Theory, molecules are constantly moving kind of like shivering. As all those molecules vibrate together they warm up the whole which causes the attraction of the free floating molecules.

Something similar with how clothing items tend to get smaller over time but with global warming clothing items tend to shrink over time making everything snugger.

If you need anymore “scientific” explanations let me know and make up more bullshit!

And I DO believe in Global Warming based on scientific evidence...

 

For years, whenever I gave assistance to an elderly person and someone took notice, I'd say... "Let's hope that when we get older, someone will step up to help us, too."
Well... it's about time. LOL
Good to hear. Some young people were taught correctly.

 

Yeah, except when I only pick up a couple of things at the grocery store, and the kid who's younger than my jeans asks, with fake concern, if I need help with it. My glare usually stops them, and they put it down. Where were these baby faced whippersnappers when I was moving 2 SBCs and 4 Y-blocks into a storage building last weekend? That sucked so bad, it still hurts to think.

 

147 lbs! no wonder I hate moving those things!

 

I always enjoyed watching the delivery guy roll two in at a time and kick it with his foot to keep um in line to roll straight. Video anybody. It`s gotta be two at a time cuz the guy working with us couldn`t even roll one straight. And he went to the gym everyday.

 

At 66 I try and help older guys when I can, maybe I ought to rethink things

 

I look considerably younger than my actual age(Great Genes on both sides : Just got VERY Lucky!), but the problems came in when the younger guys started trying to "carry" me... Yes, in the shop it's easy enough to say "thanks, but I've got it", However in the field, when they come up to help, especially when you are unable to see them, if they don't let you know they're trying to help, it can throw your ballance off, causing an incident. To ALL YOU YOUNGER GUYS WHO WANT TO HELP ONE OF US OLD GUYS : PLEASE LET US KNOW YOU ARE THERE FIRST!!! DON'T JUST ASSUME THAT WE NEED HELP!!!!! YES, WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN, AND THAT YOU DO WANT TO HELP.... BUT PLEASE, LET US RESPOND BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY ACTION TO MAKE CONTACT!!!! Sorry for the RANT, but I did have a couple of close calls because someone who meant well made contact with what I was carrying without getting my attention first, & we both almost fell due to my having my ballance disturbed. And yes, I do miss field work : I only retired, when the last dispatch ended, the next available dispatch would hava meant a 3hr commute each way, & I was 67yrs old at the time.

 

Around here, you have to load your own tanks. I was told that is was a liability thing.
The last time I filled a 330 cfm tank, the guy actually grabbed one side and helped me load it into my truck. I couldn't talk him into following me home to help with the offload.

 

Being 78 years old, I had to come up with something better than lifting heavy bottles into a 71 Ford F250 4X4, remember how high they were, they get higher. So I use one of those small lawn mower trailers with a nice big ramp tailgate, roll them on and roll them off. Sure beats lifting the tanks.

 

Not only are those things getting heavier, the trucks we carry them into are getting taller. At 5' 3" tall, that is a bit much. Why is it that every newer truck is a 4x4?

 

I knew a delivery guy who could roll two full sized
oxy. bottles at one time. The fellow could move them
at a normal walking speed, no problem. I could and
still can roll one about the shop pretty well. Tried
two a few times and just could not do it. When I
was a very young bull of an Ironworker I often
would squat down tilt a full oxy bottle over my
shoulder and carry it away. No longer.

 

Kindness has never gone out of style....

 

I still lift heavy stuff but it strains my groin and I can hardly piss for a day.

Just thought I share.

 

I have a couple of 330 tanks, 1 Argon and 1, 75-25, I have noticed they get heavier all the time, just glad they last longer than the 150's.

 

Back in the day I could move a 15 1/2 gallon 1/2 keg of beer no problem and that was before they had built in handles. Now I have trouble just carrying a 12 pack to the checkout line. A 30 pack? No way.

 

About those "senior discounts"; The younger generation(s) look at me, see that I'm a senior, and then discount any wisdom that I'm trying to pass on to them.

 

I went to Wendy's the other day to try out there $1 biscuit sandwich for breakfast.
Won't stay at $1 for long , it's a big sandwich.
Went to the drive through.
Ordered a large coffee for $1.59, when I got to the window to pay , she said
" Oh , you get a free senior coffee" and returned my $1.59.
$1 for breakfast.
Nice to get the free coffee , but not nice to be old.

 

Reading all these stories reminds me of the first year I spent in a machine shop ... we used to run up a 12 step stairway with a pair of Chev cyl. heads in each hand. One guy I worked with packed Chev V8 blocks around like they were a lunchbox ...

 

You need to switch to an argon/helium mixture to make the bottle lighter!

 

I have 50/50 Argon/Helium and I thought the OP was gonna say the cost went down. Last fill was 2019 and it was $324. The tank wasn't any lighter but my wallet almost floated away!

 

I have some of the big bottles which I bought many years ago. I used to take them back to the same company and swap them out.......which means I did not get my original tank back. That was fine because they recertified the tanks and I didn't have to fool with it.
Then they sold out to a larger company. Still no real problems.
Then the second company sold out to yet another larger company. They archived a lot of the records. When I went back again, I was told I had to have proof of ownership to get a refill. No personal or auction or whatever, they wanted my original "proof of purchase" from the original company. Since it had been about 40 years since I bought them, I didn't have it handy.......actually I didn't have it period. Now I had been doing business with this same location all that time and thats where I bought them. Luckily, I had gotten refills in the last two years and the guy was able to locate my records on the computer. He refilled my bottles and allowed me to take a picture of the computer screen.
Someone also broke into my shop and stole some of my welding equipment. I had to have a receipt for replacement, and they gave me some new sales receipts.

I decided to start using a new company that had a location just a few miles from my house and was a different company. Turns out that the guy on the desk there had worked for the company I previously did business with, and he could tell from the screen picture and the new receipts that I do own my tanks. Seems like they had a box where they put a "C" in and that meant customer owned. Things went fine from then on............UNTIL

They apparently have moved a new site manager to the location and he decided that they might stop filling my large bottles because he didn't want to get into legal trouble for filling bottles "OWNED" by some other company. There are no markings of any kind on my bottles. None of the usual raised cast names. I have receipts.

My son moved back to Ky from Arizona and brought his "purchased' and privately owned (but smaller) bottle back with him. He lost his receipt during the move, so I called the Az company to see if we could get a replacement receipt. I told him that Federal law prevents companies from refilling other companies bottles without proof of purchase. (Didn't know it was only large bottles that it applied to at that time)
He said he had never heard of such a law............

Are these companies full of crap, or is there such a law? Does anyone else have these problems?

 

More true than funny unfortunately! Funny nonetheless, brought a smile to my face to start the day. Thanks.

 

You Cannuckdians know all the cool shit! Must be great schools up there, but why can't they teach you to say "ZEE" instead of "ZED"? "Hey guys, what do you think of my zed'd frame?". I just don't get it, but then, I'm old and feebleminded.... Now where'd I put my glasses?

 

147 lbs.??! (for the small tank!)
WOW...........no wonder you were dreading it.
Not arguing but I can manage my small tank with one hand (not slinging it up into the truck but lifting and carrying it.)
Must be the 'large small tank' U R talking about?!
"Weld on , Brother"!
6sally6

 

I get an additional 20% off for being so damned good looking