Byob!

[MarkG]

What is the deal with cylinder exchanges?? What if I buy my own bottle (that I've painted to match my stuff) and don't want some old beat up relic from Airgas that's been through who knows what? To me, it seems like paying for a tool and then letting everyone else use and abuse it.

For you guys that own your own cylinder----for whatever reason-----do you have to wait to get it re-filled, like say, at Airgas or can they do it while you are there?

I'm hoping I can take my empty Airgas cylinder back to Airgas along with my own new custom-painted (eventually!) cylinder and have them fill it. IMHO, they are the ones getting the good deal, since I already paid for their cylinder!

[Wyoming]

I can't tell you about other gases or mixtures, but acetylene will have you leaving your bottle to be refilled and waiting for them to get around to it. Not a management ploy, just a realistic cause and effect of the filling process for acetylene due to it's much slower fill rate from percolation.

Other gases and mixes? Well, only one of my two suppliers fills on-site, so one of them at least will mean an exchange or wait for sure. Upside of just exchanging your tank for one of theirs is that you don't end up paying for a tank test when yours goes out of date.

[vicegrip]

They are gass bottles not easels as far as the industry is concerned.

I own my bottles, I can swap them out on demand,
or I can leave them to be filled and pick them up on the next cycle.

That's reasonable service, they are not my Momma.

Phil

[Dale M.]

It will be a lot easier if you get over the "clean bottle syndrome".... Owning your own cylinder only means you are entitled to have a cylinder in your possession there is no license or serial numbers on your papers... Its so much easier to exchange a cylinder and then be on your way than having to double back to pick up your personalized cylinder in a week later IF it come back to "your" gas dock..... Most gas facilities do not actually fill on site so you your personal bottle needs to be trucked somewhere, filled and then trucked back....

Dale

[mikecwik]

I doubt anyone is going to care to get "your" bottle back to you. I envy the guy that has the time to paint his compressed gas bottles though.

[MarkG]

I doubt anyone is going to care to get "your" bottle back to you. I envy the guy that has the time to paint his compressed gas bottles though.

I envy the guy who has enough work NOT to! Anyway, I painted my wheels today----'Hobart Orange' of course. The bottle sure would look nicer orange too, eh?

[SnowmanPA]

Awesome welding cart!

Great looking cart!

[gatemaker]

forget keeping your baby cylinder

Just exchange and be done with it in 1 trip. No hydro test fee either for one of their cylinders. I like that orange color. Maybe I should find some for steel and paint a utility trailer that color. At least it would stand out.

[MarkG]

Great looking cart!

Thank you.

[66vette]

I purchased a argon cylinder at a farm sale, what companies in Ohio will fill on site. All I have checked with will not fill, want you to purchase their cylinders.

[drujinin]

Purchasing is a Gray Area

Buying bottles at Auction can be a money saver or a pain in your Wallet!
If it is imprinted on the neck "AirGas", then take it to an Airgas owned Welding Supply store and tell them its yours and exchange it for a full one.
If it is the brand carried by Tractor Supply, then do the same.
If there is no name on the bottle, then some smaller locally owned Welding Supply stores may fill it.

This is a case of GOOGLE is your friend to find all the Welding Supply stores in your area.

Word of Warning though is only certain sized bottles are considered "Owned", larger are typically leased.
In this case search your network of buddies for someone with a similiar sized bottle, then go in to the LWS and exchange your bottle for a full one, say it is his and you are paying cash for his full as you owe him.
As long as they have an account with a name for that lease size bottle, then there will be no hassles of them accusing you of stealing it.

[Dale M.]

Um... Sort of off topic, but I always wondered why people do this.... Seems its a really good way to possible damage MIG gun at worst possible time...



I just perfer to have a couple of horns on side of cart where calbe can be looped over and gun just hang....

Dale

[DoorBreaker]

Dale, Horns are good for storage, but I use the holster as a place to set a hot tip during use. Just easier while at the table for me. It seems like every time I set down a gun when I'm working I manage to either knock it off the table or set it down so the trigger activates.

[MarkG]

Hi all,

Wonder no more, Dale. That's my cart. I designed and built it that way because it makes a very convenient, secure and accessible place to put my MIG gun while working on my various small projects. Works great for me and apparently many other guys, too. After using it this way for a while, I wouldn't change it in any way. It's one of the best features of the cart! The hot tip is totally inside the tube, the trigger will not be accidentally activated spooling out all kinds of wire, and it stays put at a convenient height and position for a lot of work. I suppose guns could be damaged in ANY kind of holder by someone who isn't careful and can also be stepped on if they're left lying on the ground, etc. too. All kinds of bad things can happen if you're not a careful worker.

Also, +1 for what DoorBreaker said.

I guess that's why everyone builds their own! Make your own to suit your own style and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. That's the beauty of building things yourself.

Mark

[Fireman]

i know this is an old thread but this is what i build and use for my mig stinger to sit in. I make them out of old bush hog blades and pipe. Im able to move it around on my work peice and if it hit hard enough it will allow the gun to move so it will not be damaged..........