I GOT MY BOTTLE! How much pressure?

[blueoval557]

Hey everyone-
I FINALLY BOUGHT MY BOTTLE! OH MY GOD WHAT A HUMUNGOUS DIFFERENCE! WOW! I LOVE IT! My question is, how much pressure should I have coming out of the gun? I am putting it to where it BARELY registers on the gauge because I want to save as much gas as possible...is this ok? Also, I seemed to use alot already. Its now at about 115 or so, and when I got it yesterday, it had 150 in it. I have done more welding than normal but at this rate, it will only last about 2 weeks or so. I checked for leaks and its all fine...should it of had more in the bottle when I got it? Its a 80cm bottle...any help would be greatly appreciated!
THANKS EVERYBODY!
Kyle

[vipermanz]

on my tig machine regulator, i keep it about 18 psi output, it registers 2000 on the tank, i guess i'm doing this right, i have an 80cf too.

[customwelds]

When I am MIG welding with the Powerwave 455's we have at the Vo-tech, I set it at about 20-25 CFH. We use BIG 300+CFU bottles though. I'm not really sure wether that kind of consumption is normal or not though. Maybe Franz or someone that has used a smaller one can chime in and let you know! Hope that I was at least semi-informative to you!

[cutter]

pressure

Yep, 17 - 18 cfh seems to be working for me. I might could get by with a little less except that I am welding right in an open 8 ft. overhead door & it gets a little breezy.

[Franz]

Guys, I'd love to be able to tell you exactly how many CFH to set your machines at, BUT, there are so many variables to the answer, it's impossible.
Those output gagues indicate in CFH, but they are really a pressure gague.
Add in the breeze factor. If you're weldingin a perfectly still environment, you can lower the gas flow to almost nothing, and produce fine welds. Slight breeze requires more gas, more breeze, even more gas.
Then, there is the stickout factor, longer stickout requires more gas flow.
As you gain experience you'll learn how much gas you need to produce a good deposit. At this point, the best I can do is offer a suggestion. Start out with the gas shut off, and run a few inches of wire thru the gun. It won't weld worth a ****, but you'll see how MIG performs with insufficient gas.
Now, turn the gas on and start around 15 cfh on your gague. Weld a few inches on a test piece. Lower your gas to 12 cfh, and weld another pass half an inch over from the first. Again, lower your gas a couple CFH on the gague, and run another pass.
When you get to insufficient gas volume, turn the gas back up 2 cfh, and you're set for the conditions you are welding under.

After you've been at it for a few tanks of gas, you'll know real quick if you don't have enough gas flow.

I'd also suggest you read thru Welding 101 on top of this page, there are a lot of good ideas there.

[Mike W]

I have never changed the setting on my CO2 regulator in 20 years.

[malibu101]

Hello, I'm new here but have been lurking for quite some time. This is a goldmine of valuable information from people in the trade and hobby. Anyway, Mike W says he never changed his regulator setting in 20 years. I always release the regulator adjusting screws (on my mig and oxy-act set) to be loose. I was told that opening the bottle with the screws turned in could be a bad thing. While 100 wrongs don't make a right, am I wasting my time to release them? Am I safe if I don't? What do you guys do? Should this be posted as a seperate question?

[cope]

Originally posted by malibu101
Hello, I'm new here but have been lurking for quite some time. This is a goldmine of valuable information from people in the trade and hobby. Anyway, Mike W says he never changed his regulator setting in 20 years. I always release the regulator adjusting screws (on my mig and oxy-act set) to be loose. I was told that opening the bottle with the screws turned in could be a bad thing. While 100 wrongs don't make a right, am I wasting my time to release them? Am I safe if I don't? What do you guys do? Should this be posted as a seperate question?

HAs been posted before. Do a search. Better safe than sorry; I do the same as you but many here just leave the Mig gas as is.

[blueoval557]

so what does your bottle reigster on the pressure gauge when you get it filled? as i said, mine only read 150 PSI, and i thought maybe it wasnt all the way filled when i got it or something???? i was thinking about calling my welding shop and just asking them....
thanks, kyle

[Dave Haak]

bluoval 1557,

Ref: "what pressure should a full cylinder of inert gas have":

I'd say 2,200 PSI, plus or minus. The temperature at which the cylinder is stored can make the pressure vary somewhat.

Maybe your high pressure gauge isn't working?

Dave

[R. Nelson]

tank pressure

I am with DAVE, your pressure should have read from 1500 to 2200 psi, if you read 150 psi, you have better gauges than I do and yes, they ripped you on filling your bottle. Generally, about 20 CUBIC FEET PER HOUR is what you will use.

[Roger]

The shoulder of high pressure gas cylinder has stamps with lots info.
3AA2015 stamped on shoulder is metal specification and 2015 is the max pressure. It could be stamped 3AA3000, 3AA2250, 3AA1800 just some that I have seen. Each time the cylinder was hydrostatic tested is also stamped on the shoulder. Argon, argon mixes and O2 cylinders are filled by pressure.

CO2 and propane cylinders are filled by weight not pressure because they change to liquid under pressure in cylinder.

Weight is also best way to gage how full Acetylene cylinder. There is 14.6 cubic feet acetylene for every pound of cylinder weight over the empty weight.

[MAC702]

Could it be that your high pressure gauge is a "x10" scale? Meaning that 150 on the gauge is actually 1500 psi?