Mig gas Bottle Questions

[toxicjeeper]

I borrowed my FIL's tank and tryed running gas with the flux just for my own amusement.. I could not get rid of the porosity in the weld. they did come out shiny after knocking the flux slag off but full of holes..I dont do this for a living either and this is the first time i have welded with gas so maybe i am missing something?? I did like the fact that the welds ran quite a bit cooler compared to flux. I am gonna have to call and get pricing on a spool of soild core, smooth rollers and a tank before i go too much farther. AT least my machine came with a regulator But I dont want to spend a fortune..

 

[lostcause]

I am gonna have to call and get pricing on a spool of soild core, smooth rollers and a tank before i go too much farther. AT least my machine came with a regulator But I dont want to spend a fortune..

i'm not sure on the specific rollers for yours, but ebay and similar places usually have lots of drive rollers in the $20-$40 range. a 10lb spool of solid wire will be in the $25-$30 range, and around here the cheapest way to get a bottle home is a 1 year lease at $30-$50 for the year, and $30-$50 for the gas in the bottle. a 1 year lease isn't the most economical solution, but it is the cheapest way to get a bottle home, and also a good way to tell how much you will use without making a long term commitment right now.

figure $100-$150 anyways to get you started. no clue if your prices are close or not, but we're only a few hundred miles apart, separated by a border and some guys in funny hats

 

[toxicjeeper]

Yup Maine definitely isnt too far away..LOL..150 isnt bad. I guess a one year contract isn't as bad as i thought. Just so many thing i want/need for the shop.. gotta buy a mill soon too..This hobby/part time work is draining me..but would love to get into it full time and work out of my shop for a living..

 

[Scooby074]

You can only buy the small bottles up here. Size 9 (1.5m3) in Air Liquide language.

Anything bigger is lease. Off the top of my head something like $40 was what i used to pay for a 22, could be wrong that was several years ago.

To buy a bottle new its something like $150 but that includes the first fill (again, its been a while since i bought mine). A fill is around $35. I never really looked.. just pay:laughing:

I have an account at AL so there is never any issues with swapping cylinders. Never get a question. Now if you just walked in off the street, i dont know if you'd have to prove ownership. I have gotten tanks stamped Praxair in exchange. I honestly dont think they consider it a big deal for the small tanks. At least between AL and prax. Who knows what would happen if you tried to introduce a foreign tank.

Also there is no issues with hydrostatic. Its just a straight exchange.

Praxair follows the same rules as far as ownership goes in my experience. Their costs are about the same too. It just comes down to who is closer.

One thing you do have to watch for is Hazmat/MSDS charges. AL works on a flat fee where others charge a percentage. AL has the cheapest MSDS charges in my experience. Not only will the charge apply to gas it applies to filler metal , grinding wheels as well. And its a per visit charge so it makes sense to stock up in one visit over several.

 

[Shield Arc]

I could not get rid of the porosity in the weld.

What type of flux core / dual shield are you using? Some of them require up to 45 cfh of gas. Can you post some pictures?

Here is a vertical up with ESAB's 710X.

 

[toxicjeeper]

Thanks for the tips scooby. Those would be the two main companys here in Fredericton as well.. I may bite the bullet and buy a small tank and switch to soild core..

dang those look good compared to what i can do..LOL.. I was around 20cfh with my borrowed bottle and the flux core wire is genuie Lincoln brand. I will go grab a few pictures and check..

 

[Shield Arc]

I haven't run much dual shield in years, use to get a pretty steady diet of it at times.
Proper gas flow, and stick out, make all the difference in the world with dual shield. Some wires require 3/4-inch stick out.

 

[toxicjeeper]

dang bottle ran out of gas while i was laying a bead to take a picture..I need quite a bit more practice so i think i will just keep sluggin away with the flux core..The welds arnt the prettiest but they get the job done 90 percent of the time..

 

[Shield Arc]

You need to look up the manufacturer's specification sheet, and try the suggested volts, amps, and wire speed. Some dual shield wires are very sensitive to voltage. Some react badly to the slightest change in stick out which equals volts.

Flux-Cored Gas-Shielded Wire | Lincoln Electric

 

[deereman75]

If your using the same flux core wire for both gas shielded and self shielded, I think thats your problem.