Identifying Oxygen/Acetylene Tanks

[paulharvey]

I picked up a torch set sunday. It has 2 full sized oxy and 2 small acetylene tanks. They have been stored at in-laws garage for years, possible decades for the acetylene tanks. How do I find out if I can get them filled? Obvious choice would be to just go down and try, But I've heard of gas suppliers seizing tanks if you can't prove there yours. These are or should be owner tanks, but nobody has paper work.

The acetylene tanks are about 2-2.5' tall and about 6" diameter, the oxygen, one is about 6' tall by 6" diameter and other is roughly 6' by 8". I don't have picks, was too dark, but I can get some tonight.

How rusty can an acetylene tank be, and be safe or more importantly how rusty be no one will refill.

If I use oxy-propane can I use the acetylene tanks for argon or CO2?

 

[nybirdman]

If they are that old you may want to have them checked any-way.They won't fill acetylene tanks with argon or Co2.Different tanks for a reason.Why take a chance,you have nothing invested.Trade them for new(er) and tested tanks.They should give you some kind of credit for the old tanks.
You may want to have your torch rig inspected also.Keep any oils away from the oxygen tank and regulator.You are dealing with 2000 psi.

 

[CNC Dan]

any company name on the neck ring?

 

[paulharvey]

any company name on the neck ring?

I didn't see any, but ill check closer tonight. There are numbers stamped in it, but I didn't see a name

 

[Shield Arc]

Seems as every area is done differently. In my area the welding supplies use a decal with a big P to identify customer owned bottles. You'll never know until you take the bottles to your local welding supply and ask.

Here is a chart that may help you identify what size bottles you have.

 

[Rock knocker]

......... I've heard of gas suppliers seizing tanks if you can't prove there yours. These are or should be owner tanks, but nobody has paper work.

They can refuse to fill them, but more than likely they have no legal ability to sieze them. If they try, offer to call the cops for them

 

[bcp]

Everywhere I've been, you leave your empty and take a full bottle. They don't refill yours for you. You never get the same tank twice, or see yours again.

Bruce

 

[CNC Dan]

I didn't see any, but ill check closer tonight. There are numbers stamped in it, but I didn't see a name

Thats a good sign. Some places will try to take them if they are from some other gas company. I think they have a bounty or something.
But with no company name embossed on the neck ring, they can't realy say that it isn't a customer owned tank. Stand your ground if they give you a hard time.
You can just take it to another LWS and try again.

 

[paulharvey]

As always y'all have been a big help. Ill get some pics, take some measurement, and look over the numbers closer.

I probably wont be filling them for a bit, too many irons in the fire right now, but it was either me or the scrap metal man, and I hate to see anything usable go to scrap.


For someone who's only gas welding experience is a micro map-oxy rig (used only to burn bolt holes in 16 ga) , would propane or acetylene be better to learn on, cutting, heating, and possible brazing?

Edit: I know I need to look at multifuel hoses, but I think I will need hoses anyways, are they significantly more money?

 

[Gary Fowler]

I bought my used torch off craigslist and it had one acetylene and 2 oxygen (an 80 and a 122_). When I took them to local welding supply, they charged me $30 IIRC per tank to retest the O2 tanks and nothing on the acetylene. I think the high pressure requires retest every 5 years. They set up an account for me that shows owner tanks so I just drop them off and pick up a different set, never get my old bottles back.

 

[adirondackmtnman]

I just bought a set that was many moons old...the last hydro date on the oxygen tank was in 1980, and they're due every 10 years, or when they're presented for refilling if it's been more than 10 years. The company I deal with charged $30 as well for the hydro, and they had to verify the serial number had never been reported stolen. Once you're set with your bottles, exchange them before the hydro date to avoid the test fee, its significantly cheaper to exchange. The acetylene bottles will never be good for filling with anything but acetylene, they're filled with a packing material which holds acetone, in which your acetylene is dissolved. If you're unsure how they've been treated, your best bet is to exchange them before using out of them, if any of the acetone has been drawn out, it can make the acetylene unstable...not "cheap" to exchange, but IMO worth it for safety.

Sent from my LGL35G using TractorByNet

 

[paulharvey]

Ok, here's what I've found

Oxy tank #1 is ~7" x 45" to where cap would thread on. It says Union Carbide Linde Div. It has 10-72+ 10-85+ numbers, and UN1072 on sticker.

Oxy tank #2 is ~8.5" x 51" to where cap would thread on. It says "Property of National Cylinder Co" and has 5-56+ 6-61+ 7-65+ 8-76+ 9-60+ numbers and a 2A-8335.

Acetylene tank #1 is 5.5" x 18" and has no threads for a cap. It says "The BOC Group" and says "to be refilled at BOC gas authurized facility only". Googled it, and said BOC Gas was defunct in 2006. Also says Airco on paper sticker

Last Acetylene had nothing other than a part of a paper sticker saying acetylene.


Regulator says "Prest-O-Lite" and Torch says Smithfield Equipment.

 

[adirondackmtnman]

The X-XX numbers on your oxy tanks are hydrotest dates...those are some OLD cylinders. The first number is the month, second is the year.

Sent from my LGL35G using TractorByNet

 

[adirondackmtnman]

I would take them all to your local gas supplier. Mine wouldnt even charge me if the hydrotest came back bad...worth a shot. The oxygen cylinders you've got are bigger than I can purchase anywhere around here, so they're definitely worth a hydro test

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[paulharvey]

Looks like a type-K and a type-S oxy tank per airgas size charts.

 

[Arc weld]

Do some phoning around first or go to the welding supplies(without the cylinders) and find out what size of cylinders you have. If it says Union Carbide, that's Praxair and they don't usually sell larger cylinders, only small ones up to about 80 cu. ft. Same thing goes for BOC that is now Linde. Yes it's confusing because the Linde is the same Linde as on the Union Carbide cylinder but they are 2 completely different companies. Linde was the first or one of the first to figure out how to separate air to get pure oxygen. I'm in Canada so there may be different rules where you are. Worst case is you need to take out a lease. Even if the cylinders weren't supposed to be sold, they might be useless to you. If that's then case, I've heard you can remove the valves and sell them to the scrap dealer. I wouldn't mess with an acetylene cylinder though. Just need to do some checking first. Sometimes cylinders are stamped COP-customer owned property.

 

[Ken45101]

For someone who's only gas welding experience is a micro map-oxy rig (used only to burn bolt holes in 16 ga) , would propane or acetylene be better to learn on, cutting, heating, and possible brazing?

Edit: I know I need to look at multifuel hoses, but I think I will need hoses anyways, are they significantly more money?

There is not a big difference is price, if any.

In my limited experience, acetylene is easier to use than propane, but that could just be my inexperience. People say propane is cheaper, which is true, but it uses more oxygen. A 20# barbecue tank will outlast a 128 cu ft oxygen tank

The big problem with acetylene is the limits on withdrawal from a acetylene tank severely limits what you can do with a smaller tank. (Safety limits acet to 1/7 per hour.) With that small acetylene tank you have, you will probably be limited to cutting thin material. Likewise, using it for heating will be very limited.

 

[BukitCase]

Actually Ken, the new recommendations are even more cautious -

Fuel your safety knowledge - Safety Tech Cell - TheFabricator.com

I bought my A/O stuff when the 1/7 rule was still gospel - even then, I had to get the smallest rosebud Victor made at the time, and the LARGEST single tank (size 5) in order to stay below the 1/7 rule.

In 30 years, I've not had a hose problem staying below 1/7, although in all fairness I don't use the rosebud very often... Steve

 

[paulharvey]

The pictures I took of the tanks.

 

[dstig1]

There is not a big difference is price, if any.

In my limited experience, acetylene is easier to use than propane, but that could just be my inexperience. People say propane is cheaper, which is true, but it uses more oxygen. A 20# barbecue tank will outlast a 128 cu ft oxygen tank

The big problem with acetylene is the limits on withdrawal from a acetylene tank severely limits what you can do with a smaller tank. (Safety limits acet to 1/7 per hour.) With that small acetylene tank you have, you will probably be limited to cutting thin material. Likewise, using it for heating will be very limited.

I can say you will use at least 3 of that size O2 tanks, and STILL not be out of a fresh 20# propane tank. Then it went over to grill duty and kept going for quite a while there too... This was all cutting torch work too, so that is the worst case for O2 use.