My FIL passed earlier this year and we recently went out to his shop and picked up a few things to use here in my little shop. I got these tanks, hoses, regulators and old cart. Ive never owned welding tanks before. If I ever needed to use them I just went out to the farm and used them there. I want to clean them up and repaint them. The hoses and regulators work, but I was thinking I should buy new stuff, no telling how long these have been around. Couple of the gauge faces are cracked or broken. Any advice on how to make sure these are in top notch safe condition is appreciated. Maybe info on what hoses and torch I should be using. I want to learn to weld with these, and of course use them for cutting and heating (that's all Ive ever used them for in the past).
tanks are usualy exchanged not filled so i would not paint or remove any stickers the first thing i would do is contact the welding shop your fil used or the one you plan on using
Yeah, don't fuss with the tanks. Are they owned or leased? Have the welding supply guys check the gauges/regulators. The rubber hoses do not last forever so buy new ones while at the store and maybe have them do a once-over on the cutting torch. .
In older regulators the diaphragm tend to crack and need to be rebuilt, if they are not Victor they may be hard to get kits for. And if you need hoses you might be ahead buying a new set up. Are the bottles owned or are they leased? makes a difference when you get them filled. I also prefer a #1 cutting tip, most sets come with a #2 which is fine for cutting 1/2in. Plate and thicker. The #1works best on thinner stuff. Back flow valves are necessary for your safety. Also when welding thin (sheet metal) I like to use a O tip keeps the heat zone smaller. They also make a double O and even smaller a triple O tip. It just takes practice to get nice welds. I love the welding cart that is definitely a keeper.
as already said , the tanks are usually exchanged. do you own know if your father in law owned them or leased them?
Tanks are owned. I like the cart too, but it takes up a lot of space in my small shop, so not sure what Im going to do with it yet.
Yes, probably best to do a little research on ownership of the tanks. Maybe check your FIL files for paperwork. I have titles to "ownership" of the tanks I purchased in the '70s ; but it does not represent a specific set of tanks.
Inspect the hoses for cracks, abrasions, and burns. They don't last forever but they can last a long time. You can check the valves on the torch with soapy water. If you get bubbles you'll need new o-rings. The regulators may be able to be rebuilt (if needed). Community colleges often offer welding classes at night. Find one that offers instruction in oxy/acetalene welding. O/A is the first welding process you should learn. Being proficient in that shortens the learning curve for the other processes.
Check everything for leaks w/soapy water.... Don't paint tanks !! most anything can be re-built , torch handles , regs. , but sometimes it's cheaper to replace , look for cracking/checking of hoses , consider putting backflow preventers on gauge to hose fittings..dave
As I've been told my our local Airgas, if there is no raised lettering around the top of the tank, they are private owner. If they have raised lettering they belong a supplier.
I own tanks because I bought them from a company that Airgas bought out. Airgas exchanges the tanks instead of filling because they don't fill tanks at this location. I don't have the same tanks and I pay an inspection fee every few years.
To the original poster ....FIRST...locate the firm that was filling the tanks for your FIL...They will have records..If they are owned by your FIL...Find out when they were last tested...They may be due for testing...If you are going to change the supplier,have them give you a statement saying that you are the owner... If they are leased,just return them and purchase new at a supplier near you. BUT ITS MUCH BETTER TO OWN THAN LEASE.
Looks like that setup has been around for awhile. If owned, the tanks should be tested every 10 years. The regulators should be either rebuilt or replaced. If the hoses look old, weather checked or cracked, they should definitely be replaced. That welding cart rocks! The spoked wheels are off the hook! If you feel the need to clean up or restore something, that welding cart is just begging for it!
All tanks have a date stamp punched into them. Most will have the welding supply co. marked on them with a decal or tag. Many companies won't take tanks from other vendors especially if they are out of date, but some do. I would find the welding supply that the tanks are from and exchange them anyway. X2 on the back flow preventers. Regulators can be rebuilt and gauges calibrated. Nice set of torches that will last a lifetime. Paint the cart not the tanks.
Its a nice set, and like the wagon too. Over here it's forbidden to do any thing to bottle that limits the visibility of the numbers and results in a NCA/no refill. Over here if you bring in a bottle they check if it's owned or leased. Owned means: you own two bottles, the initial them with your initials, so only you can get them filled. These comes in all sizes. When handed in they Visual inspect them, if more then 10 yrs, they repainted them, after they gets pressure tested. You pay for pressure testing! And you most wait for them to do it, so can be up to three days with out gas Leased bottles goes like this, either you rent a set of bottles, and pay pro year and you only pay for the gas when filled. Or the best way is you pay a fee to get two bottles, and they you pay for gas. Next time you pay for the volume of gas, and a small standard fee for testing and painting. Around 7-10 pro cent of gas price. And you hand yours over, and get a new one in your hand, and you can go straight home and weld! I would newer weld with out the backdraft valve on the acetylene!!! And take no chances with old hoses, but old valves I would give a got and thorough check every year, and a quick soap check every time I use it. The newer it is I would only do the soap check every month. And you might not know this, but keep them clean, dry and out of harms way because; grease and old on oxygen makes it explode!! And copper on acetylene will make it burn up from the inside, and if full it too will grenade. Threat them with respect and the will be the most versatile tool in your shop. It will cut, weld, shape metal and loosen seized bolts! Damn good tool, and spans from 1 to 16 mm in one set, and 10 to 55 in another set. If you got the AGA kits at least. But should be the same.
I use Airgas and Praxair, here in SoCal. When I bring my cylinders in for exchange, they never look at them, up close. They both just glance at them, from the counter, and get me new ones. I got mine from a friend when his dad died. I have no idea if they were owned or leased. The original cylinders were swapped for full ones a few years ago, so I guess they are assumed to be leased, though I pay no demurrage on them. I've never paid for hydro testing. The welding supply company eats that, as a part of doing business
First thing keep that big wheeled cart. It will make positioning your bottles much easier than a cart with smaller wheels. If those bottles were "acquired' with out a rental agreement, as often happens it may be difficult to find a dealer or supplier that will refill them. Gas bottles have a code stamped near the neck that will dictate the due date for testing and recertification. I think it is a 10 year time frame from original certification. I have rented in the past and after the supplier closed his business he told me to keep them. This was fine for a time and I had them refilled at a small supplier. After he retired the larger companies would not refill them without a business account. Also there was a significant fee for recertification. They would not rent me bottles in single sets but required six or more. I had to purchase them outright and now it is no problem for certification or refills. the cost was around $550.00 For one oxygen and one acetylene of the larger size + refills when needed. I do find them a vital part of old car disassembly as well as modifications.
About the broken gauges. I had a compression tester with a broken glass, and decided to see if I could repair it. I went on the internet and was amazed at the sheer volume and variety of replacement glass lenses are available. I ordered a couple of the right size and was able to replace the lens without much trouble. I was lucky I bought a spare, because the first lens broke about 6 months later. Looking at it, I realized that I had installed the lens with no cushioning, which is why it broke. I had a can of that stuff you dip tool handles in to give then a plastic coating and use a small brush and carefully painted it around the outside edge of the lens and set it in the bezel. After that dried, I carefully painted a layer around the inside edge of the lens. After that dried, I reassembled the gauge and it has held up for the last 5 years.
With leased tanks they generally swap tanks. The cost for hydro testing the oxy tank is included in the rental fees or the cost of the gas. One local supplier would swap customer owned tanks. With them, you owned the tanks but you owned different tanks each time you got a refill. The other local supplier would fill the oxy tank and swap acetalene tanks. Eventually they stopped filling them locally which meant waiting 3-5 days for my tank to get filled and returned. They date stamp the oxy tanks when they hydro test them. I've heard some states require oxy tanks to be tested every 5 years while other states require 10 year certification. As mentioned previously......make sure the caps are on when you transport!
If you haven't taken one yet, I can't recommend a formal use course highly enough for the safe use aspect alone. I've had my set up for about 50 years and now realize just how lucky I was when I started off self taught with random "pick up" information. Just because they don't every time doesn't mean bad things can't happen. When they do it's in a BIG way and FAST, no time to be "going back to the books". A big +1 on the back flow valves in the lines at the torch handle, got away without 'em on my home equipment for years but after seeing a couple incidents at work I wouldn't be without 'em now. Keep the acetylene cylinder upright at all times, keeps the liquid acetylene in the bottom where it belongs. Keep grease and oil away from the equipment at all times, includes greasy and oily rags, gloves and other clothing. Standing to one side, crack the tank valves open slowly with the regulators backed off, acetylene 1/4 turn or so [so it can be shut off quick if trouble starts in use] and oxygen full open. Shut off tanks then bleed down lines and regulators after use [some company safety rules I worked under said unattended even during a coffee break - it was preached the book was written in blood, an incident behind every rule]. Empty barrels do NOT make a good temporary work bench when cutting - a coworker was lucky all he lost was part of his beard, eyebrows, hair, and some burned skin for awhile........... Stay safe and enjoy the benefits of having them. I'd be hard pressed to get along without mine. Ed
Just an FYI. The acetylene tanks are filed with acetone, not "liquid acetylene". Acetylene is a very unstable gas and will explode if compressed to anything over 10 PSI, or so. The gas is absorbed by the acetone and stabilized. If you tip the cylinder too far, acetone will get into the flame and screw things up. You can lean them to around 45 degrees without any problems. If you transport them laying down, allow them to stand upright for 20-30 minutes before use. High pressure cylinders, like oxygen, have back seating valves. they should always be turned on all the way and snugged against the back set to prevent leakage. Low pressure cylinders, like the acetylene should be cracked open. one turn is plenty. I open mine about 1/2 turn. If there is an emergency, you can shut off the flammable gas quickly. Never set the acetylene regulator to more than 5-8 pounds
All above good!----Tanks are stamped for safety with dates tested near top of cylinders. Before opening tank valves, back off the regulators, same when finished using.
Are the tanks empty? Use up what you have before you exchange them for filled tanks. Could last you for a year or two before you have to worry about where to get them filled. I have owned tanks but don't have the title, lost years ago. I work with Praxair and pay a maintenance fee every five or ten years. I never checked what difference there is between the maintenance fee and the leased tank fee. Neal
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