Well of all the blanket blank blank!

[gwstang]

I got out the mig welder and dragged the large tank of mig gas out and hooked everything up. I had a broken bolt to remove from a block. Of course, I had broken an easy out off in there... So I crank everything up and open the gas...wait, what? Tank is empty! Valve was tightly closed and the tank was filled about two years ago and never used. Now what? I think I received an empty tank instead of a full one by the kid that was on the dock at the airgas place. Innocent mistake but annoying of course. :confused2: I won't leave there again without putting a pressure gauge on to check the dang thing.

 

[bcp]

It might not be a mistake by the kid on the dock. Maybe their supplier or tank filler made a mistake.

I had that happen but I called back the same day and they replaced the tank. I only had to drive 50 miles extra to make the exchange.

Bruce

 

[PILOON]

While on topic of tanks;
I have a small potable kit of oxygen acetylene and my gripe is the OX valves.
Seems they must use an impact to shut them as my 'key' simply cannot open that valve, only vicegrips will do it. As to re closing, forget it, even vice grips wont suffice.

I refer to the no deposit, swap an empty for a full tank.
Now I know that this a costly way of getting welding gasses but for my limited usage it avoids annual contracts and more qty than I need.

Last time I used that setup the small porta tanks were actually enough to do all of a chevy van body work for repaint.
Did both rockers, sliding door and both body lower panels plus a few patches.
I estimated that I had about 1/3 left but never got to use it due to leaking valve.

 

[4570Man]

Sometimes the tanks come back empty from the supplier. Some tanks even though they have been tested they leak. Somebody could have accidentally opened the valve in the 2 years it sat. Don't blame the kid on the dock.

 

[Stimw]

Having swapped out many tanks through the years at different job sites and welding supply houses I will never trust the "Full" bin/storage area!
For most cylinders the sound test is good enough.
Learn the sound of a full and empty tank when you knock on the side of it with a wrench or piece of metal.
Empty tanks will ring differently than a full one.
This does not work on acetylene tanks because they have stabilizers in them.
Be careful cracking the valve too! Saw a guy crack the valve on a full SCUBA tank (3200psi) and blow the hat off of a little kid standing near by.

 

[joefromga]

Always carry A spool of rosin core wire just in case. Get you out of a pinch.

 

[4570Man]

I always have a spare tank. I could just use my stick welder. No need for flux core wire.

 

[k0ua]

That is the beauty of a stick welder... "got sticks?" well I guess we can weld it.!

 

[Underdog57]

That is the beauty of a stick welder... "got sticks?" well I guess we can weld it.!

AMEN!!!!!! :thumbsup:

 

[muddstopper]

I have received enough half full, almost empty, tanks that I always make them put a regulator on one before they load it in my truck. I figure if I am paying for a full tank, I should get a full tank. Got in a debate with the dock hand about pressure amounts in a tank just a couple of weeks ago. He wanted to try to tell me the tanks where sold by cuft the tanks hold and not by the amount of pressure in the tank. Now I realize a xxcuft tank will hold xxcuft of gas, but there will be a lot more cuft of gas in a tank at 250psi than there is in a tank with only 150psi. And why does one oxy tank have 1800psi and the other 2200psi. for the same size tank. After some debate, I made him load the tank with the most pressure and let it go at that.