gas- What a ******

[sprayerDrew]

hi all i have bought a mig welder and tried to get everything set up before i start to learn weld ! i really wanted to get started this weekend. i did fancy argon/co2 as i hear it is brill but i couldnt find any in my area other than boc who im sure want close to £90 rental. For me this is no good as im not a full time welder who will get the benefit i just want to learn weld and do it when i feel like. i eventually got co2 for £34 non rental! but im concerned as i have heard mix reviews! some welders hav told me they wont use anything other? Anyway i purchased everything this weekend and 1 thing stopped me from welding - machine mart didnt have the bloody regulator i needed, typical so im still not an expert at welding lol hopfully i will be sorted for tomorrow!

 

[sprayerDrew]

ohh i forgotte to ask what pressure should a co2 3ft bottle be running through my welder at?

 

[grandads_shed]

ohh i forgotte to ask what pressure should a co2 3ft bottle be running through my welder at?

its flow m8 not pressure,
10 litres a minute.

im suprised that machine mart do not have the regs as i bought mine from them a few weeks ago, cant they get one in from their suppliers?

failing that try weldquip on this forum, i have bought from him as has many people and he soon gets the bits delivered, and not high on prices

 

[steve202]

yep Weldequips the lad for regs and more.

 

[Furry Freak]

I do share you view on the seemingly rather high prices for gas and cylinder rental, I am in the same position as yourself. Flurries of welding and then nothing for ages. BOC rental does sound a lot and I have no intention of prying into your personal affairs as it were, but at £5 (roughly) per month and I pay monthly, it's barely even a round of drinks or a packet of fags. I am not tying to convert you and I have no interests in BOC, but I went through the same agony and realized that I was paying 3 times that for broadband access, twice as much for a mobile that I don't use and Lord knows what for a gallon of diesel, so I opted for rental. Safe in the knowledge that I was going to get good cylinders, good gas and a no quibble service (so far I have been right). The thing with BOC is that you can take your empty back and not take another. Rental stops at that point. So if you do all your jobs in one month, use up the gas and take it back within the month, you pay gas, rental and collection, but you get a lot of gas. But as you get charged a collection fee, you may as well keep it for a bit longer.
I've now gone to a bigger cylinder and the rental has gone up. Why, just because the cylinder is slightly bigger? It's not a car that I'm renting, it's a bottle. It doesn't do anything different to the last one. The gas is better value, the swap charge is the same, but I only need to change it half as often. It may last a whole year.

If there was a cheaper, reliable and safe option, I'd certainly take it myself.

FF

 

[sprayerDrew]

hi guys thanks for the reply the problem is you hear that many diferent stories from people you start to think what will be best?
machine mart did have a regulator and i actually bought it but when i go it to my car the thread was the rong size and the other they didnt have in stock i just cant wait get my mig all setup and see what i can do because at the moment i have very minimum knowlage in welding. i have bought new shrouds and tips , wire and gas i just need link it all up.
10litres a min sounds a lot i hope my bottle will last long with me practicing!

How do you people find co2 ?

 

[scouse]

get a guage of weldquip mate i did.
order tommorow and you will have it the next day
iv'e also just got a c02 brewery bottle and got it filled for £9.20
but thats a place in liverpool so thats of no use to you..
danny

 

[scouse]

just a thought try these out they are listed for a air liquid dealer Moorland Trailers & Engineering Supplies Ltd

Oak Cottage
Stanley
Stoke On Trent
Postcode: ST9 9LT
Agent Phone Number: 01782 502780

 

[shenion]

10litres a min sounds a lot i hope my bottle will last long with me practicing!

How do you people find co2 ?

CO2 is a liquid in the bottle. So it is about 390x as much volume (1l liquid is about 390L of gas.) It will last a long time.

As a gas, it is 1.9g/l. It is sold by the weight of liquid. So, a 10KG tank is 10/0.0019 = 5200 L of gas.

CO2 wors fine. It does require a decent wire feeder as it has a lower tolerance on the wire speed. If your feeder varies, you will get a lot of spatter.

It also has a wider penetration profile, so you tend to blow though more on thin stuff.

Argon mixes are nicer, but CO2 can do for most DIY stuff.

 

[sprayerDrew]

hi fellas thanks for all your useful info!!
i rang the supplier and to get co2/argon it is free for an account and around £5-6 a month and £35 is for the gas !
When i run out of the co2 its worth thinking about, depending on how i get on.
i also found a local welding supplier which is a really handy shop with just about anything you need!
w i r e s
fenton industrial estate
Stoke on trent

i will be happy to help if anyone needs advice on refinishing

 

[Woody.v8]

Thatll be W.I.R.S also my local supplier and very helpful. Fellow stokie DREW?

 

[sprayerDrew]

Yes mate i live in parkhall!
i must say this has got to be the most helpfull forum i know of