Speaking of Welders n such
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Printed Date: 18 Dec 2025 at 1:54am
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Topic: Speaking of Welders n such
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Subject: Speaking of Welders n such
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2023 at 7:29pm
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I need to buy some Argon mix. This has me wondering about oxygen, acetylene and argon mix prices. Has anyone bought any recently? |
Replies:
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2023 at 8:14pm
| Last tank I picked up was DOUBLE what paid two years prior. That was LAST Spring, oughta be about insane now. |
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2023 at 8:37pm
That’s what I figured. |
DMiller wrote:Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2023 at 8:53pm
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What do you weld with the ARGON ? You doing aluminum ? On standard steel, i just use CO2 ... Cheaper and works great.. Doing that for 25 years. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2023 at 9:58pm
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I usually use C25 mix which is 75% Argon and 25% CO2. Lot less spatter and it produces a better wetting action at the toes or edges of the weld puddle. Straight argon is for aluminum welding only in my usage. ------------- That's All Folks! |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2023 at 10:35pm
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Ditto what Steve says, Thad. I used to use the 75/25 Argon mix til they wanted me to give them the numbers to my credit card,,,,,  I had a fire extenguisher from work tested by and repurposed by AirGas for straight CO2 which is MUCH cheaper and works great as an all purpose sheilding gas,,,, I go even farther and now use propane gas instead of acetalene on my cutting torch set,,, works great with the correct tip,,,
 |
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2023 at 4:58am
I’ve always used 75/25 mix for mild steel. If I can save a $ I’ll try co2. Does it use the same tank and regulator? |
Posted By: IBWD MIke
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2023 at 7:35am
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I run straight argon when tig welding. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2023 at 8:51am
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Thad..........., the CO2 runs at a lower pressure so normally the tanks are MARKED and remain that way for a SPECIFIC GAS.. Since your going to a REDUCED pressure, the FILLER may change the TAG and fill with CO2... ask them.... The regulator can also be used, but the fittings on the bottle / hose are different, (so you would need a new adaptor / fitting to go on the bottle..... assuming the FILLER will change the fitting to a CO2 type.)... Possibly they can remark the bottle and use the same fittings ??? That would be entirely up to the filler. My son got a Wire feed bottle with CO2 and it would not FIT our hose.. I bought an adaptor for it... I think they had a Argon/mix bottle and remarked it for straight CO2 and left the Argon fitting on it........ thats what you need.
------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2023 at 9:05am
| Have ran the Argon/CO2 blend here as seems as noted less spatter, and with shop doors open less shield drifting. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2023 at 9:18am
Here is a photo off the internet.. I cant give a PERSONAL opinion, since i have never used the MIX.... I have used CO2 for 25 years.. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2023 at 9:37am
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75/25 is called 'Autogas' or something similar. Used for thin tin welding like doors,fenders, etc. ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 19 Dec 2023 at 3:55pm
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Have used 75/25 for years , tried some straight CO2 and spatter was problem . I have couple old CO2 fire bottles I keep filled with other gas , extra Oxygen and straight Argon , I made up a jumper hose to fill them from new bottles when I get one . Acetylene is hard to get , local welding shop does not handle it , MAPP gas now only. I have been using Propane for cutting and heating after changing tips on cutting and buying a Propane rosebud . Propane will work for brazing but somewhat slower on gas welding , Acetylene cost is out of site now but as I have 3 empty tanks I might get one filled just for gas welding . I have 322 cu ft Argon / Co2 tanks and oxygen tanks and a few 122 cu ft tanks also , somehow I seem to have acquired around 15 different certified tanks over the years along with my cheater Co2 tanks . Couple Oxygen 322 tanks also ------------- Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel. |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2023 at 8:27am
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Hey Coke,,,,You know,, the supplier also told me some time back that acetylene was getting real hard for them to get so they started raising the price to consumers,,,,sound familier,,,?
I finally quit that circle and went with propane and the correct tips and I can fill the bottle from my big house tank. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2023 at 8:43am
| Acetylene is formed by Calcium Carbide placed in water, is a mined stone and getting more difficult to find in quantity. |
Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 22 Dec 2023 at 4:41pm
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Big problem is Acetylene is Unstable gas and inside the bottles they use Acetone to absorb the Acetylene to make it stable for use . The bottles have a core material in them to hold the gas in suspension . Mississippi Welding here does not handle it now - is where my son gets his supplies from . They recertified my tanks and marked them as customer owned so he has to exchange his own tanks and they charge for the fill - rather than full bottle exchange . I see Fleet Farm does Acetylene bottle fill or exchange here in Hudson WI . ------------- Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel. |