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Posted by tim.mecklem@gmail.com on October 26, 2007, 3:57 pm
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I'm getting into welding as a way to continue the tradition from my
grandfather (Navy airplane mechanic/GE aircraft engine inspector until
retirement) to me and get a chance to hang out with him. He's got a
Lincoln buzzbox and a MIG setup, and I'd like to complement those with
a gas setup of my own. I've read through Welder's Handbook by Richard
Finch about 10 times and I've got most of my setup planned or
purchased, apart from the actual torches and tanks.
I'm stuck on whether to get the portable tank/torch kit and do
exchanges on that to get started, or to jump right in and get a torch
kit and lease some ~120 cu ft tanks. Anyone have any recommendations
from having been there? Also, I don't know much about my area
(Northeast Cincinnati) in terms of good welding supply places, so can
anyone point me in the direction of a good supply shop? I'm leaning
toward Weiler Welding or Airgas for the tanks at the moment, but I
want to make sure it's a friendly shop and one that's willing to be
patient with a lot of basic questions.
Tim
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Posted by jp2express on October 26, 2007, 4:16 pm
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Portable -vs.- big. Right?
I'd say, if you get a torch cart, the big one is portable and will do jobs
that the smaller unit never will.
Rent or buy?
I'd say buy. My bottles can sit in my garage all year long and not cost me a
dime. After you've rented that same bottle for a year, you could have bought
it.
Hope those ideas help!
~Joe
http://www.joeswelding.biz/
> I'm getting into welding as a way to continue the tradition from my
> grandfather (Navy airplane mechanic/GE aircraft engine inspector until
> retirement) to me and get a chance to hang out with him. He's got a
> Lincoln buzzbox and a MIG setup, and I'd like to complement those with
> a gas setup of my own. I've read through Welder's Handbook by Richard
> Finch about 10 times and I've got most of my setup planned or
> purchased, apart from the actual torches and tanks.
> I'm stuck on whether to get the portable tank/torch kit and do
> exchanges on that to get started, or to jump right in and get a torch
> kit and lease some ~120 cu ft tanks. Anyone have any recommendations
> from having been there? Also, I don't know much about my area
> (Northeast Cincinnati) in terms of good welding supply places, so can
> anyone point me in the direction of a good supply shop? I'm leaning
> toward Weiler Welding or Airgas for the tanks at the moment, but I
> want to make sure it's a friendly shop and one that's willing to be
> patient with a lot of basic questions.
>
> Tim
>
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Posted by tim.mecklem@gmail.com on October 26, 2007, 4:24 pm
Please log in for more thread options Thanks for the tips. Do you have to sweet talk a supply shop to
refill your owned tanks, or are they pretty good about it? The author
of this book spent a good deal of space emphasizing that if you're not
careful you can get stuck with tanks nobody will refill if the shop
you bought them from goes out or you move. Is that a realistic
problem?
Tim
> Portable -vs.- big. Right?
>
> I'd say, if you get a torch cart, the big one is portable and will do jobs
> that the smaller unit never will.
>
> Rent or buy?
>
> I'd say buy. My bottles can sit in my garage all year long and not cost me a
> dime. After you've rented that same bottle for a year, you could have bought
> it.
>
> Hope those ideas help!
>
> ~Joehttp://www.joeswelding.biz/
>
> > I'm getting into welding as a way to continue the tradition from my
> > grandfather (Navy airplane mechanic/GE aircraft engine inspector until
> > retirement) to me and get a chance to hang out with him. He's got a
> > Lincoln buzzbox and a MIG setup, and I'd like to complement those with
> > a gas setup of my own. I've read through Welder's Handbook by Richard
> > Finch about 10 times and I've got most of my setup planned or
> > purchased, apart from the actual torches and tanks.
> > I'm stuck on whether to get the portable tank/torch kit and do
> > exchanges on that to get started, or to jump right in and get a torch
> > kit and lease some ~120 cu ft tanks. Anyone have any recommendations
> > from having been there? Also, I don't know much about my area
> > (Northeast Cincinnati) in terms of good welding supply places, so can
> > anyone point me in the direction of a good supply shop? I'm leaning
> > toward Weiler Welding or Airgas for the tanks at the moment, but I
> > want to make sure it's a friendly shop and one that's willing to be
> > patient with a lot of basic questions.
>
> > Tim
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Posted by jp2express on October 26, 2007, 4:31 pm
Please log in for more thread options I guess that could happen - especially if they are the only welding shop for
many, many miles, they could be particular.
Personally, I buy my bottles on eBay, and my local welding store refills
them for about $14.
Give them a call! Tell them you have some tanks that you want filled and see
what they say! The worst they can say is No. Right?
~Joe
http://www.joeswelding.biz/
> Thanks for the tips. Do you have to sweet talk a supply shop to
> refill your owned tanks, or are they pretty good about it? The author
> of this book spent a good deal of space emphasizing that if you're not
> careful you can get stuck with tanks nobody will refill if the shop
> you bought them from goes out or you move. Is that a realistic
> problem?
>
> Tim
>
>> Portable -vs.- big. Right?
>>
>> I'd say, if you get a torch cart, the big one is portable and will do
>> jobs
>> that the smaller unit never will.
>>
>> Rent or buy?
>>
>> I'd say buy. My bottles can sit in my garage all year long and not cost
>> me a
>> dime. After you've rented that same bottle for a year, you could have
>> bought
>> it.
>>
>> Hope those ideas help!
>>
>> ~Joehttp://www.joeswelding.biz/
>>
>> > I'm getting into welding as a way to continue the tradition from my
>> > grandfather (Navy airplane mechanic/GE aircraft engine inspector until
>> > retirement) to me and get a chance to hang out with him. He's got a
>> > Lincoln buzzbox and a MIG setup, and I'd like to complement those with
>> > a gas setup of my own. I've read through Welder's Handbook by Richard
>> > Finch about 10 times and I've got most of my setup planned or
>> > purchased, apart from the actual torches and tanks.
>> > I'm stuck on whether to get the portable tank/torch kit and do
>> > exchanges on that to get started, or to jump right in and get a torch
>> > kit and lease some ~120 cu ft tanks. Anyone have any recommendations
>> > from having been there? Also, I don't know much about my area
>> > (Northeast Cincinnati) in terms of good welding supply places, so can
>> > anyone point me in the direction of a good supply shop? I'm leaning
>> > toward Weiler Welding or Airgas for the tanks at the moment, but I
>> > want to make sure it's a friendly shop and one that's willing to be
>> > patient with a lot of basic questions.
>>
>> > Tim
>
>
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Posted by RoyJ on October 26, 2007, 4:57 pm
Please log in for more thread options You need to check with the various suppliers as to their policies on
owned tanks vs leased. You really need to weigh cost vs convenience.
In my area, one shop did a 5 year lease for around $165 per tank. At the
end of 5 years, you paid them another $165. My dealer has a zero dollars
per year lease with a $165 deposit. Absolutely no hassles on swaps,
certifications, etc. and when I want to get rid of them, I get my
deposit back.
My neighbor has owned tanks, he had to bring them in, have them filled,
pick up a couple days later. Just kills you when you have a project to
get done. Not to mention paying for a cert now and then.
tim.mecklem@gmail.com wrote:
> Thanks for the tips. Do you have to sweet talk a supply shop to
> refill your owned tanks, or are they pretty good about it? The author
> of this book spent a good deal of space emphasizing that if you're not
> careful you can get stuck with tanks nobody will refill if the shop
> you bought them from goes out or you move. Is that a realistic
> problem?
>
> Tim
>
>> Portable -vs.- big. Right?
>>
>> I'd say, if you get a torch cart, the big one is portable and will do jobs
>> that the smaller unit never will.
>>
>> Rent or buy?
>>
>> I'd say buy. My bottles can sit in my garage all year long and not cost me a
>> dime. After you've rented that same bottle for a year, you could have bought
>> it.
>>
>> Hope those ideas help!
>>
>> ~Joehttp://www.joeswelding.biz/
>>
>>> I'm getting into welding as a way to continue the tradition from my
>>> grandfather (Navy airplane mechanic/GE aircraft engine inspector until
>>> retirement) to me and get a chance to hang out with him. He's got a
>>> Lincoln buzzbox and a MIG setup, and I'd like to complement those with
>>> a gas setup of my own. I've read through Welder's Handbook by Richard
>>> Finch about 10 times and I've got most of my setup planned or
>>> purchased, apart from the actual torches and tanks.
>>> I'm stuck on whether to get the portable tank/torch kit and do
>>> exchanges on that to get started, or to jump right in and get a torch
>>> kit and lease some ~120 cu ft tanks. Anyone have any recommendations
>>> from having been there? Also, I don't know much about my area
>>> (Northeast Cincinnati) in terms of good welding supply places, so can
>>> anyone point me in the direction of a good supply shop? I'm leaning
>>> toward Weiler Welding or Airgas for the tanks at the moment, but I
>>> want to make sure it's a friendly shop and one that's willing to be
>>> patient with a lot of basic questions.
>>> Tim
>
>
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> grandfather (Navy airplane mechanic/GE aircraft engine inspector until
> retirement) to me and get a chance to hang out with him. He's got a
> Lincoln buzzbox and a MIG setup, and I'd like to complement those with
> a gas setup of my own. I've read through Welder's Handbook by Richard
> Finch about 10 times and I've got most of my setup planned or
> purchased, apart from the actual torches and tanks.
> I'm stuck on whether to get the portable tank/torch kit and do
> exchanges on that to get started, or to jump right in and get a torch
> kit and lease some ~120 cu ft tanks. Anyone have any recommendations
> from having been there? Also, I don't know much about my area
> (Northeast Cincinnati) in terms of good welding supply places, so can
> anyone point me in the direction of a good supply shop? I'm leaning
> toward Weiler Welding or Airgas for the tanks at the moment, but I
> want to make sure it's a friendly shop and one that's willing to be
> patient with a lot of basic questions.
>
> Tim
>