Regulators (The difference).

[ROGER]

Help! Help!
Hi!
I have just joined the forum. Over the years done a reasonable amount of welding keeping old cars on the road, using gas, mig,ect.
Anyway you know more than I, I hope.
I have just purchased a secondhand sealey 170/1 to replace an old xt100. I want to run larger CO2 gas bottles. I may have found a local landlord to supply pub gas. However the bottles have a smaller male thread on instead of the bull nosed female thread ( i think I am right?)
Is there an adaptor to convert CO2 regulars to the pub fitting?
The website is the best I have seen by the way...Good work!!

 

[shenion]

Sounds like you have a regulator for argon mix bottles.

There are adapters available. I picked up one to run my MIG on a US CO2 tank.

However, it was almost the cost of a cheap regulator. Check ebay for a regulator with a CO2 fitting.

weldequip probably has a CO2 reg in stock, you might want to PM him.

You might look at getting your tank filled by something like a fire extinguisher service. Pub gas has impurities that can effect the weld.

 

[ROGER]

Thanks. I have a shooting CO2 bottle 12 lts which still has a test cerficate left. I am not using that at prsent and needs to be drained. I may use that at present. These are £130 to buy new and last 5 years, so I might buy a new one.
Thanks for the advice.
Does the quaility make that much difference?

 

[shenion]

There have been posts here with poor results on pub gas. Others have had no problem.

I think it depends on the source. "Pub gas" is generic and may contain nitrogen or other gases. I have read you have to explicitly ask for only CO2. That is why some have used fire extinguisher services to fill them.

CO2 works and I have a 20lb bottle here of pure industrial CO2. It worked fine for lower currents and has a bit of spatter. Welds are flat and at full penetration, the welds will be flat on top with a bead on the back.

You might check gasman, he may service your area. I seem to recall he can do non-rental tanks.

 

[richweld]

If you use CO2 make sure you ask for soft drinks CO2. Pub gas for beer is often 75/25 nitrogen/CO2 mix - not suitable for welding.