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Originally Posted by socotech

I have been snapping the little square stems off my acetelene tanks lately. Wasted full tank.

The same thing happen to mine. They put the retaining nut on to tight. I loosin the nut a little now before opening the valve.


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I have been snapping the little square stems off my acetelene tanks lately. Wasted full tank.

Originally Posted by uniservice

I have to purchase my bottles of gas from a NAPA auto parts store here, or go 100 miles upriver to a larger town to purchase from an airgas place. My problem is half the time, I receive tanks that are only half full or empty. Back when I lived in the real world, I bought all my weld gas from a refer supply house, and they always put a regulator on all tanks at the time of purchase and showed you that the tank was full. Suggested this to the auto parts guys, and they blew me off.

Check it before you leave.

Locally we are not allowed by our DOT to have any sort of permanent knob on our acetylene tanks, nor travel with a ratchet or key attached. One supply house did not know and had some tanks with the knob they exchanged, and the poor technician was written up during a surprise DOT stop. I don't mind a nitrogen tank getting bumped and pissing gas in the back of my truck, last thing is to have my acetylene getting bumped and letting that build up.
Acetylene is a weird gas, more to the tank and filling than most people know. Your acetylene tank has internal core and also there is acetone added to the gas to stabilize it. That is why if your tank is stored or had fallen over during transport and has been on its side for more than 10 minutes, you should not use it for a few hours or so. You need the denser acetone to settle back to the bottom of the tank. I know it all sounds far fetched, but do your research and will find it all very interesting. The process is called dissolving, that is why the MSDS label on your our tanks is called "acetylene dissolved".

during that accet. shortage over the summer, matheson told our local supply house that the bottles had to be filled at 50% to keep them from exploding.......My brother-in-law fills tanks for a gas supplier......he said they are supposed to be 80%.

I think there were some shinanigans going on there.

I have to purchase my bottles of gas from a NAPA auto parts store here, or go 100 miles upriver to a larger town to purchase from an airgas place. My problem is half the time, I receive tanks that are only half full or empty. Back when I lived in the real world, I bought all my weld gas from a refer supply house, and they always put a regulator on all tanks at the time of purchase and showed you that the tank was full. Suggested this to the auto parts guys, and they blew me off.

just get knob to fit and keep it when you turn in the bottle......or keep a wrench permanently attached to your rig.

don't worry, even nice new bottles end up lookin like the returns eventually!!

Originally Posted by AccurateHT

I wondered the same thing when trying to keep an acetylene tank with a thumb screw valve. I was told it is not done locally (near Chicago) and it is a very slow process. Please let us know if you find it is possible in your area.

I really like the little MC tanks with a knob on them.. Ive only found them at Southside Control, and you usually have to ask for them..

Just as an update..I continued to ask and search around with no luck. Just ended up swapping 'em out

Last I heard, it takes 7 hours to fill an acetylene bottle, size doesn't matter.

I wondered the same thing when trying to keep an acetylene tank with a thumb screw valve. I was told it is not done locally (near Chicago) and it is a very slow process. Please let us know if you find it is possible in your area.

You want to keep the new shiny tanks don't ya? Gonna have to swap them sometime. Just ask the supplier for some new shiny replacements. I usually hand pick mine.

Air Gas should be up your way. Looks like there is one in Camebridge. Check the web site or the superpages.

...Ron

Getting oxy and acetylene tanks refilled?

I know you can just swap them but I just bought a new set-up that came with new oxy and acetylene tanks.

Does anyone know of a place around the Boston area where I can get them filled?