Hot Rods Pleasant experience at the welding supply shop

Are you sure it's not just pity?

 

thats nice...now get busy welding already !!!!!

 

Both my Tig and Mig have the big T bottles and at almost 77 they are struggle to get in the back of my 2500 HD pickup. Fortunately the welding shop always unloads and loads them for me. My welding supply company has bottles from several suppliers so there's no problem with brands. I always thank them for their help.

 

When I asked a place, they told me it was either in the # on the tank, or? Dang, can’t recall. I’ve swapped mine at at least 6 different places over the years and never been asked for paperwork, which I know I couldn’t locate and most likely tossed.

 

For whatever its worth, I happen to be a welding gas sub-dealer. That means I have a large company's tanks on my property, and exchange tanks for their customers.

The large 300- 360 CF tanks are the ones that are in the 150lbs range. Yes, they are a brute to get up into the back of some pickups, I find getting them down onto the ground is much easier.

I've been doing this for nearly 30 years now, I still can't roll two tanks at the same time, but I sure can roll one pretty fast. It has been a few years since I had one of the company truck drivers roll two tanks at a time though. These days, they just load the tanks onto a 2 wheel cart and roll the cart up to my shop. The current guy uses the two wheel cart even if there is only one tank, apparently the company policy changed requiring the use of the carts a few years ago when one of the drivers dropped a full large oxy tank and broke the valve off. That tank with a 2500 lbs charge of oxygen with the broke off valve took off like a torpedo. It went through the wall of the building and 100 feet out in the parking lot where it destroyed the door of a parked car. Rumor was he was rolling two tanks when one got caught in a crack in he cement floor and fell over.

Now about the tank purchases. It used to be the companies set their own rules concerning the tanks. I believe the government has set more control over them in recent years, but I don't know how much stuff has really changed as far as the companies control over the tanks they own.

The company I deal with is still under the same family ownership it was under years before I started carrying their tanks. Before my time, all the tanks were originally sold to customers. You paid one time, then the tanks were your tanks, they would just exchange them. That was before the government started requiring the tanks to be pressure tested every 10 years. When the pressure testing first started, the companies would bill the customer for pressure testing the tanks. You can guess how that went over. The companies drew a line in the sand (picked a date) and after that any new customers only leased the tanks, you couldn't buy them. You paid a deposit, then an annual lease (around $10 a year back then). The lease cost has pretty much gone up a $1 every year since that time. (its currently $48/year). When I started handling the tanks, you could only get 125 CF, 251 CF and 360 CF tanks, all leased with the deposit. If you were of the group the originally bought the tanks, you would just exchange the empty tank of a full one for the cost of the gas + tax. The company ate the pressure testing costs for the customer that owned the tanks, and the annual lease paid for the pressure test of the leased tanks. All those larger tanks are owned by the company who's name is around the collar. There are only 3 or 4 company names around the collar I can exchange, those are companies the company I deal with has acquired over the years. I can not exchange a different company's tanks.

About that time, the smaller tanks started becoming popular. At that time, all the small tanks were customer purchased, and the customers were issued purchase receipts. The cost of the pressure testing is rolled into the gas price. The last I heard, it still stands that any tank smaller then 125 cf was customer owned and could be exchanged any place the sells welding gas.

Over the years, I've seen several competing welding gas suppliers come and go here in our little berg. Some were bought out, some just closed. It seems most of the time, when a welding gas supplier was sold, or closed, their customers were caught holding the bag. If they had proof of ownership, maybe another company would exchange tanks with them, if you were at my shop, I'd have to call the company to get approval! No approval, no tank exchange, but you could start out as a new customer with the company I deal with. All you need is a $100 deposit, the 1st year annual lease, and the cost of gas + tax for any tank larger then 125 CF, or you can purchase a smaller tank (for around $200).

Probably by the end of this year, I'm going to quit handling the welding gas. At this point, there is no one stepping up to take my place. If no one does, you would need to go to Rockford (40 miles) or Beloit WI (50 miles) to exchange the tanks I have here. There is no other welding gas supplier within 40 miles of here that I know of. Gene

 

My Grandfather and his friend, who was my next door neighbor worked at
National Cylinder and Gas here in the New Orleans area. After many years
Mr. Dick my neighbor lost his eye site due to diabetes. The company allowed him
To set up a gas distribution operation in his large garage shop building next
door to my house. He distributed mostly welding gases with the help of his
daughters right in the middle of our residential neighborhood. No problem.
I rented a set of ox and acetylene cylinders from them after I took over
my house from my Dad. Quite convenient for me him being my next door
neighbor and friend. This practice lasted even after his death for a few years.
From the early sixties to the latter part of the seventies. His girls now retired
are still my cherished neighbors and friends.

 

Anymore, I just ask them for a "senior-itis" discount...they have to think about it for awhile.. may as well
have fun with it...

 

Proof or ban!

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Not sure, one cashier said if I didn't quit asking for that 20% she was going to have to tell me the truth about my looks and charge me an extra 30% for having to deal with me.
First pic, me today.
Second pic, that's me on the right in1969I don't think I've changed all that much, right?

 

I still look just like I did in high school (1973) but man other people have gotten old!

 

Not at all...neither has the car.....

 

Heck, you are so handsome, your face grew back to a full hemisphere just to spread the beauty!

 

^^^^^
Testify, brother, testify

 

You should check around, I bet it's worth 25%! Know your value!
That rod is very nice, too.

 

I keep forgetting to ask for senior discounts. Still haul my own cylinders to the welding shop, haul my hemi's heads around the shop and my hydro tranny around. Turning 73 next month, need to start acting my age I reckon!

 

My personal tactic is to ask when it's corporate or premuim-priced, but go easy on the mom and pop places.

 

Welding tanks, here's one for you.
The 2 places around me won't give back the tank I own, require me to swap it for one of their marked tanks.
I can get my tank filled 2 hours away in a town where my company had a plant with a company discount that's half what I can get locally.

So, I load it up. Find a reason to be in that plant for the day and get my tank filled.

 

I had a guy that insisted he wanted to keep his tank. When it was empty, he had to bring it in and drop it off, then in two weeks he had to come back and pick it up. That lasted until the tank was out of time on the 10 year pressure test. That time, he had to drop the tank off, wait 2 weeks for it to be pressure tested, then another two weeks before it was returned to my shop so he could pick it up. When he found out how much it cost to get the tank pressure tested, and then found out if he had been just exchanging the tanks, he wouldn't have had to pay for the pressure test at all, he decided he would just exchange the tanks after that.

About 6 months later, I had another guy that was insisting he wanted to keep his own tank. After I told him about the pressure test deal, he thought maybe exchanging the tanks was a better plan.

Years ago, you used to be able to take the oxy and welding gas tanks up the the supply location and they could fill those tanks onsite, but the acetylene tanks had to be shipped out. I don't know if they still fill any tanks on site anymore.

Acetylene is interesting stuff. If you come into my shop and get any size acetylene tank, I can not legally allow you to remove that tank from my driveway if it is in an enclosed area, (a car trunk, the back seat, or in a box in a truck) or if the tank is laying down or is not secured. It has to be transported in the back of an open to the outside air truck, standing upright, and fully secured so it can't move. Gene

 

When you have your tank filled, do they drop the ring around it?
I recall the first tank I bought for my Mig, I wanted it refilled, tank was good looking, lol. AirGas told me they’d have to drop a ring over it, make sure it could still be certified, and charge me like 10 bucks. Or, swap tanks.
I miss the gold shiny tank. Best looking tank I ever had!

 

Hello,

We lived in Long Beach since 1946 and then made our way to the Westside of Long Beach in 1948. The first house was an old two bedroom Craftsman Style House that lasted well after we moved to our final Westside of Long Beach house that we finally sold in 1998. But all of this time, a welding business was one of the largest businesses on the main street of the Westside.

Santa Fe Avenue ran from the City of Lynwood almost 10 miles North to the channels and docks of Long Beach harbor area heading South. (These days, Santa Fe Avenue goes right in front of the latest Lion’s Dragstrip Museum location in Compton.)

When we started our hot rod endeavors, we knew we needed a welding torch set. So, the closest facility was the large Bill Williams Welding Company on Santa Fe Avenue, just a few blocks from our last Westside of Long Beach house. My brother and his friends already knew of this huge building and supply yard.

When anyone drove down Santa Fe Avenue towards the harbor, one could not miss the huge building and painted sign. Our dad used to take us to the popular drive-in restaurant next door on the major corner of Santa Fe and PCH.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/looking-for-mobile-welder-fabricator-in-socal.1217155/#post-13897234 Bill Williams Welding

We were told that two tall tanks, the accessory cutter and welding tip box with hose accessories was all that we would need. So, we purchased two tanks, (oxygen and acetylene) and hose set up as we were talking to the sales guy and forking over our cash. Then, he asked if we needed help in loading the tanks and accessories.

He had a service tech with the two tanks behind us on their mobile cart. So, the worker rolled out the tanks to the trunk of the Oldsmobile sedan and luckily, they fit. We thought that was excellent service at the time. But, much later, when we needed to have our tanks refilled, the same guy with the same cart and two tanks arrived as we were paying for the refill.

Those places know how to do customer service as they also know that repeat customers in that field will continue to purchase the nest level stuff for their business, hobby or gifts. (not only that, but for safety sake and insurance liability plays a part of the customer service, too.)

When we got the tanks home, we had to roll them into the backyard garage and put them against a wall near the garage door opening. We strapped in the tanks against the wall and the hoses reached the work area inside and outside on the concrete pad.

We wanted a mobile cart, so we told our mom that her trash can moving cart was broken and we converted it to a two tank moving cart with an opening latch to keep the tanks upright. The need outweighs the truth… teenagers…Ha!

Jnaki

As good as we were getting in our welding skills, we had the Bill Williams expert shop welders make us a sturdy tow bar hitch for the 58 Impala. It was solid har and very sturdy. As for our 1940 Willys Coupe, we had them make a custom fit tow bar. It was solid, fit perfectly on the front frame mounts and was a workhorse when we needed to take the Willys someplace.

Since the Bill Williams large supply store and work place yard was set up for industrial jobs and for small custom welding, we decided to have them do the tow hitch and bar for our Willys Coupe in late 1959. The solid bar hitch has saved the rear of the 58 Impala many times over, too.

58 years later, in 2017, a surprise visit to the newly opened Lion’s Dragstrip Museum had a shocking display. A red primer Willys Coupe with black rims, had a custom made tow bar sitting under the motor area. To top it off, there was an SBC motor with a large 671 and Vertex Magneto sitting behind the Willys Coupe ready for installation. What a coincidence.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/saturday-art-show-prints-various-artwork-automotive-related.1212188/page-10#post-14116342

My brother had already purchased a twin upright tank(s) welding system from our neighborhood welding shop. The old welding shop is still standing today and doing great business ever since those late 40s days. We found it in the 50s cruising around with our dad to his favorite Italian sandwich shop/market, which was just down the street. (and next door to Mickey Thompson’s Shop location)

This welding shop is still around, today, on the southern portion of Santa Fe Avenue. No one could miss this welding shop. It has the largest sign in the whole city industrial area and the company advertising sign still sits on top.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/looking-for-mobile-welder-fabricator-in-socal.1217155/

You can't miss the place, with its "little sign" on the Santa Fe Avenue frontage. The signage is approved by the city. After all, it is an industrial area, although it is a block or two from homes and apartments. The huge place is still there and still busy as ever.

An old photo from a long time ago... Check out the cool, old, black truck in the lot. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...hood-muffler-man.1097291/page-2#post-12454951

 

Thats what I avoid. Now airgas is the only company that can refill your tank. Other companies aren't supposed to touch it. If the price is fair, that's fine.

I live in Chicago suburbs and the refill price is ridiculous. I refill downstate for much less, then get an employee discount. Company I work for uses that gas distributor and I can get tank fills at "large client" rate.

I work so slow, it's not a huge deal. Just don't like being gouged.

 

Funny, things these days! I just had a guy exchange his empty tank for a full one the other day. The guy was complaining about how much the gas price has gone up the last couple of years. The price sheet I use to bill people from is dated Feb 1, 2019! It is the last price sheet they have given me, and the prices are still current.

Yep, the welding gas supply places are really ripping people off! Gene

 

I get my welding supplies from our local family owned store, Herd’s Welding and Supply in San Andreas. They have always been helpful. When I moved and brought my tanks up from LA, they graciously exchanged them even though they weren’t sure that their supplier would accept them. I guess it wasn’t a problem. The last time I got my tanks filled the guy waiting on me loaded the tanks for me. I use a van as a shop truck and I lay the tanks down in saddles I made especially for the tanks. No one has ever given me trouble about how I transport them up here or down in LA.