Old Oxygen Tank

[engineer2]

Cleaning out the attic, I found an old Linde 100 cu.ft. Oxygen tank I had forgotten about. A co-worker gave it to me many decades ago. The last test stamp is 1966. I don't plan on doing any oxy-acetylene stuff anytime soon.

If it was a lease tank, I assume the guy who owned it would have returned it. If Linde owns it, they can have it back. I want to get rid of it, but not sure of what my options are. Any thoughts?

 

[rlitman]

Sell it on CL.

 

[The Cobbler]

If you just want to get rid of it, put it out on the street for the scrap guys.
if you want to get it to it's rightful owner, call some welding shops to see if they own it ( or want it .)
try to sell it. I'm sure it has a value

 

[engineer2]

LOL, I went to the linde.com website and it's one of those corporate sites that runs you around in circles and has very little useful info. I'll look for a serial number on the bottle and call the local Linde dealer to see who, if anybody, owns it.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I cut them in half and weld an eye to the top and hang it. I put a line hanging down from the inside with a hockey puck on it. It makes the nicest sounding wind chime you ever heard. A very long low pleasant sound. I used to sell them for a very nice profit. They weigh about sixty pounds though.

 

[hammerhead611]

LOL, I went to the linde.com website and it's one of those corporate sites that runs you around in circles and has very little useful info. I'll look for a serial number on the bottle and call the local Linde dealer to see who, if anybody, owns it.

I work for Linde Gas (although I'm in a different division)...bottle that old is of no use to them

You can try one of the Linde distributors in the Chicago area and see what they say

American Gases Corporation
5439 West Diversey Avenue, Chicago, IL 60639
773-745-1070
Fax: 773-745-9280

American Welding & Gas Inc.
5318 South Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60632
773-471-7777
Fax: 773-737-1136

Welding Industrial Supply Company
2200 North Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647
773-384-7622
Fax: 773-384-7273

 

[rlitman]

LOL, I went to the linde.com website and it's one of those corporate sites that runs you around in circles and has very little useful info. I'll look for a serial number on the bottle and call the local Linde dealer to see who, if anybody, owns it.

There won't be a serial number. If the neck ring says Linde, or the stampings have a "window" stamp, they probably own it, and I'm sure they'll be happy to take it off your hands.

 

[M_George]

Sell it on CL.

There ya go, vintage oxygen tank $500...

 

[GrayFlattop]

There ya go, vintage oxygen tank $500...

Only if you work the word "Steampunk" into the listing!

 

[TractorJeff]

Drop it off at my place on your way up North for the weekend.
I'm not proud I'll take it off your hands!

 

[neophyte]

Cleaning out the attic, I found an old Linde 100 cu.ft. Oxygen tank I had forgotten about. A co-worker gave it to me many decades ago. The last test stamp is 1966. I don't plan on doing any oxy-acetylene stuff anytime soon.

If it was a lease tank, I assume the guy who owned it would have returned it. If Linde owns it, they can have it back. I want to get rid of it, but not sure of what my options are. Any thoughts?[/QUOTE

Something I found over on the Miller welding forum.

“The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires all cylinders to be hydrostatically tested every 3, 5, or 10 years. The time allowed by law is determined by a variety of factors such as the type of material, the gas it contains, its age, and special permits the cylinder may have been manufactured under. What is a hydrostatic test?
A “hydro test” is an approved way to test the structural integrity of a compressed gas container. It is performed by removing the valve, filling the container with water, and then pressuring the container above its operating limit. The expansion of the cylinder is measured, recorded, and analyzed. If cylinder expands beyond certain limits, the cylinder must be condemned. ”

As far as who owns the cylinder, Adverse possesion would likely come into play after 20 years if not sooner, especially since the tank is something that could have been sold or acquired in the past in a manner that would have been considered a final sale rather than a rental or lease.
The lack of safety testing is proof that the tank was not returned to the vendor, so at this point the tank legally likely belongs to you.
If you don’t want it, post it on craigslist for sale or for free, or just drive to a linde facility hand it to them and walk out the door.
They probably have to deal with disposing of damaged taks occasionally so would have a procedure for it.
Giving it to some begginer welder who needs a tank would be the nicer option since some people have limited disposeable income.

 

[rlitman]

...The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires all cylinders to be hydrostatically tested every 3, 5, or 10 years...
As far as who owns the cylinder, Adverse possesion would likely come into play after 20 years if not sooner, especially since the tank is something that could have been sold or acquired in the past in a manner that would have been considered a final sale rather than a rental or lease...

This is misleading.

First off, DOT regulations are with regard to refilling only. There is nothing necessarily wrong with a cylinder dated 1966. It just needs to be re-certified to be refilled, but it can still be transported and used as it sits. OSHA regulations might ding you for having an expired tank on a job site, but I can't say that for sure, and that doesn't apply here anyway.

Secondly, no, adverse possession does not apply here. I don't recall if Linde was a brand that always maintained ownership of their cylinders (I do not think so), but if they were one of those guys, then a rental cylinder will remain a rental cylinder until the day it is destroyed. Sure, you can hold onto it without paying the "rent", and you can sell it to an idiot, but you won't get anyone to fill it, so if its a rental, it's only value is sculptural.

 

[neophyte]

This is misleading.

First off, DOT regulations are with regard to refilling only. There is nothing necessarily wrong with a cylinder dated 1966. It just needs to be re-certified to be refilled, but it can still be transported and used as it sits. OSHA regulations might ding you for having an expired tank on a job site, but I can't say that for sure, and that doesn't apply here anyway.

Secondly, no, adverse possession does not apply here. I don't recall if Linde was a brand that always maintained ownership of their cylinders (I do not think so), but if they were one of those guys, then a rental cylinder will remain a rental cylinder until the day it is destroyed. Sure, you can hold onto it without paying the "rent", and you can sell it to an idiot, but you won't get anyone to fill it, so if its a rental, it's only value is sculptural.

The DOT information was to point out about how often the tanks would be tested, which basically proves about how long the tank has been out od Linde’s possesion.
Adverse possession of goods varies, but can be as short as 30 days, or as long as twenty years, with a few exceptions for longer.
This tank has likely been out of Linde’s possesion for 50 years or close, so the tank pretty much belongs to however has it in there posession.
Linde may not be willing to fil it, but someone else might.

 

[rlitman]

The DOT information was to point out about how often the tanks would be tested, which basically proves about how long the tank has been out od Linde’s possesion.
Adverse possession of goods varies, but can be as short as 30 days, or as long as twenty years, with a few exceptions for longer.
This tank has likely been out of Linde’s possesion for 50 years or close, so the tank pretty much belongs to however has it in there posession.
Linde may not be willing to fil it, but someone else might.

Again, I don't think that Linde owns Linde marked tanks, so if that's the case, all you simply need is possession. There's nothing adverse about it.

In the case of a rental tank from one of the companies that does not sell tanks, nobody is going to be willing to fill it. Sure, you may be able to convince a judge that you "own" it, but in the eyes of any filler, it's still stolen. I don't think you understand what sort of a cabal you're dealing with here. ALL the fillers have to deal with each other, and nobody wants to be caught filling a stolen cylinder, because they know they also don't want their competition filling cylinders stolen from them.

 

[AngularContact]

Someone above mentioned the “window stamp” the origins of which are very interesting. Linde is a German company and the US confiscated a lot of gas bottles after the war. The “window” was originally a ******** and I’ve seen bottles to prove it when they got missed. I have a picture somewhere and I’ll try to find it. The current company that owns Linde (Airgas) will take the bottle back but they don’t necessarily want it back.

 

[engineer2]

The bottle is in the shed, it's below zero outside, it's Friday night, I'll try to get some pix this weekend, LOL.

 

[El_Guapo]

I had a couple of old CO2 tanks that were my granddads and WAY out of hydro. Took to Airgas to see if they wanted, and they just exchanged them out for refilled. 60 bucks and I'm good on MIG gas for a pretty long while.