Old Welding Tanks

[andyvh1959]

Good points. My dad was one to save or repurpose everything, often if it made sense or not. He had a pretty small air compressor so he figured the old oxygen tank was a good way to increase its working volume. He may have considered the tank scrap value versus using it as an air tank.

 

[gorilla]

Back in the early 70's I worked for a company in Calastoga Ca. I was changing a oxygen tank one day and noticed a lot of re cert stamps on it the first was in 1917.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

jjust swap them at a refrigeration appliance parts house, as far as recertifly, that just aother gimmick to charge money, they just going pump air into it to see if they leak. Its not like they blow up under pressure, they just leak

OOOHKAAAY... You have PVC air lines, don't you?

 

[iamrfixit]

Never had any issue exchanging tanks no matter the test date. I just took in a pair of tanks with 1985 dates. Didn't say a word, just loaded up the new ones. One tank even looked kinda older and had an odd looking cap.

 

[BlindViper]

My oxygen tank ran out of cert in 1966. I get it tested when its empty

 

[old_smokey]

I was in the identical situation to you a few months ago. I was picking up some tools I bought second hand from a recent widow and while loading them up she asked if I wanted her husband's old 'welding stuff'. It turned out to be an oxy-acet setup from the '60s. Really nice torch and regulators etc. The tanks were marked as Air Liquide, a gas supply chain here. The tanks were way too big to be owned outright, plus they were marked with the AR name, so I offered to return them to the gas house for her, to avoid her paying an annual fee (I assumed her husband had been paying an annual lease).

When I brought them in the guy said there was no record of these tanks in their system as they hadn't been brought in for a refill in at least 30 years. It was likely they never had! Guy probably bought the torch, tried it a few times, and it sat outside in the shed ever since.

I asked about safety concerns, recertification, what to do with 'em, etc. He said if I returned them, they'd empty the tanks, refill and return to circulation. BUT if I wanted to keep them and use up the gas....by all means. So I left with two good tanks, plus an offer for 20% off my next MIG refill if i bring these tanks back to him.

Like the earlier guys said - these have value! If you use gas of any kind, you can probably get something out of them at the gas supply house.

 

[webscrounger]

Old thread but if anyone is out there ... I rescued two cylinders from gramps estate. Externally the are clean, and look to be in good shape. Internally??? Both tanks appear to full (maybe partially) but haven't been used since, I'm guessing, 1979 - 1985. I believe the acetylene tank is a G and the oxy is an F. The Oxy tank has a date of 5-79 and the acetylene tank has a lot of stuff stamped on it and it looks like the date stamp is 30-6 and wears a worn brass label permanently attached to the top of the tank (I'm guessing tank mfr info). The label needs to be cleaned up before I can decipher it.

Any opinions on using them as-is or am I looking at a potential disaster? How about aging valves, do they also ever go bad cause problems?

Update:
Acetylene tank is old Prest-O-Lite. Embossed on the tank side and printed on the brass label.
Valve is Prest-O-Lite and is offset, not centered on tank.
Tank is 6" side by about 21" tall.
Impressions around tank top: K 1102878, 30-6, ICC 8, 10T40, T14, T08, then connected/reversed L under P stamp.

Update: Actual tank

 

[NUTTSGT]

As the former owner of a welding supply company, who signed checks for a LOT of $$, buying cylinders, much of this discussion made me cringe. Acetylene cylinders, from MC to the bigger 420’s and every high pressure cylinder, is expensive. When re-certified, they’re safe and perform a very useful function. I would implore that you don’t make a gong out of a perfectly good cylinder. That’s like making a coffee table from a standard bore 427 Chevy block. If I have to explain that, you won’t understand.
Bill

I'm just seeing your response about the recert.

Ill just clarify that my tank, that I turned into a gong was deemed out of service by gas supplier. I had a cousin that worked there and got the tank for me instead of it going in the scrap pile. I believe the date on my tank is from the 40-50's

 

[webscrounger]

Guess it'll make a nice door stop (when empty)!

 

[brownbagg]

they will look but they rather have you has a customer so they will take them no hassle, airgas dont care

 

[Crazyjake8493]

You could likely get them recertified. I don't know much about oxy and acetylene but for CO2 and nitrogen tanks if they're out of date you just pay a re-cert cost on top of the fill cost when you swap an old tank.

 

[Jason280]

airgas dont care

It depends entirely on the Airgas (and who happens to be at the counter that day). Some are pretty easy to get along with, and will exchange damn near anything....others are much more difficult.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'm just seeing your response about the recert.

Ill just clarify that my tank, that I turned into a gong was deemed out of service by gas supplier. I had a cousin that worked there and got the tank for me instead of it going in the scrap pile. I believe the date on my tank is from the 40-50's

I couldn't find the exact date now that the tank has several layers of primer, paint and clear on it as opposed to a bare tank. You can read the stamped dates from the hydro test. 1966, makes this older than me.





You can see the even older date stamp of 61 here and what appears to be another date of 51 or 57.

What it looks like now.

 

[iamrfixit]

Old thread but if anyone is out there ... I rescued two cylinders from gramps estate. Externally the are clean, and look to be in good shape. Internally??? Both tanks appear to full (maybe partially) but haven't been used since, I'm guessing, 1979 - 1985. I believe the acetylene tank is a G and the oxy is an F. The Oxy tank has a date of 5-79 and the acetylene tank has a lot of stuff stamped on it and it looks like the date stamp is 30-6 and wears a worn brass label permanently attached to the top of the tank (I'm guessing tank mfr info). The label needs to be cleaned up before I can decipher it.

Any opinions on using them as-is or am I looking at a potential disaster? How about aging valves, do they also ever go bad cause problems?

Update:
Acetylene tank is old Prest-O-Lite. Embossed on the tank side and printed on the brass label.
Valve is Prest-O-Lite and is offset, not centered on tank.
Tank is 6" side by about 21" tall.
Impressions around tank top: K 1102878, 30-6, ICC 8, 10T40, T14, T08, then connected/reversed L under P stamp.

Update: Actual tank

I exchanged my grandfathers oxy/acetylene tanks just a couple years ago, last test date was from the early 80s. The oxy bottle was slightly smaller and the acetylene tank looked obviously old, with an odd shape and different kind of cap. Took them to a local welding supply I use and they exchanged with replacements, no questions asked. Didn't even look twice at them, certainly didn't look for a date.

Have exchanged lots of tanks over the years at several places, couple of different auto parts stores, farm supply business, welding shop and a local millwright/crane company that retails welding supplies, can't say I've ever seen any of them ever check for test dates. Take them for exchange, if they refuse then go somewhere else.

 

[turbowoodworker]

Nutts , your yard gong looks great. Happy 4th!

 

[webscrounger]

Yep! Very cool tank! Thanks for all the info. Guess I'll exchange it and the O2 tank for certified replacements wherever I can.

 

[gtae07]

I was about to post a thread on the very same subject. It's taken me a long time to get through my argon tank--I've had it six years and still have 1000psi left.

 

[MarineScott]

I made a wind gong (wind chime) from one.

I made 2 gongs/bells from oxygen tanks.....super loud too!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Nutts , your yard gong looks great. Happy 4th!

Thanks.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I was leaving my shop one morning and someone had set about 12 oxy small tanks and several plumber size acetylene tanks on the shop apron. I set them in my truck and drove to the nearest Welding refill store. The salesman was a total jerk and suggested that I had stolen the tanks and he was not going to pay anything for them. I told him I was not expecting any money for the tanks and I thought it was a shame to toss them out at the recycle transfer station. The jerk got really loud and threatened to call the police. So, I called the police and explained my situation. The cop suggested that I take the cylinders to the next welding shop. I did and all was well.
No good deed . . . . . . . . .

 

[Uncle murph]

I should have added "Start with maybe 1/2lb & work up from there".. Not 4lb to start like we did. No idea where the hell that bowling ball ended up, but it did clear the adjacent ridge line by a considerable height

So that’s where it came from!

 

[Uncle murph]

I couldn't find the exact date now that the tank has several layers of primer, paint and clear on it as opposed to a bare tank. You can read the stamped dates from the hydro test. 1966, makes this older than me.





You can see the even older date stamp of 61 here and what appears to be another date of 51 or 57.

What it looks like now.

Man,that’s fantastic!

 

[webscrounger]

Just FYI - My date. So old I think they did it in reverse back then.

 

[Swervyjoe]

Just FYI - My date. So old I think they did it in reverse back then.

I've seen some from the 19teens that were month-year. Someone probably just screwed up

 

[PCustoms]

? For you guys that are bringing these old tanks in for exchange.

Are you emptying them first?

Scrapper "accidentally" broke the brass valves off the acetylene tanks, then picked the tanks up on the next trip. I currently have what I assume is oxygen but have not looked at it further. Not sure I trust moving a tank under pressure that has been exposed to the weather for years.

 

[brownbagg]

i know people think there cute and likabale but not everybody like gongs and wind chimes, people really like quiet. they would not last long in my area. we got trackhoes

 

[86turbodsl]

I don't think high pressure gas cylinders functionally ever go bad, that i've ever seen anyway. I've had tanks last certed from the 60s and they just swap my tank for another and off we go. I just picked up another big gas cylinder at auction for $17.

 

[dr_clyde]

Smart welding supply houses know they will make money off the sale of gas and supplies, not haggling over certification fees and other BS that keeps customers away.

If a supply house gives you much grief over a hydrotest, they probably don't want your business and are trying to get you to go away. This is usually done by the big chain houses who cater to industry and don't really want to deal with hobby shops.

My local joint (Purity Cylinder Gases) will exchange any cylinder with their neck ring no questions asked. If you bring them a cylinder from another LWS still in business, they will refuse it unless you can show proof of purchase, as most big places only lease larger cylinders and they don't want to deal with the headache of buying something that isn't theirs. If you bring them an old cylinder with a neck ring from someone not still in business, they will charge you a small fee to recertify it and put it back into the system with their label on it. This all seems fair enough to me.

I've had a welding shop in some form or another for the last decade, and I've never been given the run around on cylinders. If I find a stray in the wild, a simple call to my salesman usually nets me a straight swap, as they know their money is made on the gas, not the cylinder. Purity will sell you cylinders of any size, so I have a pretty large fleet now. The gas delivery driver NEVER looks at the cylinders, just rolls them onto the truck and brings out fresh ones.

 

[HenryAZ]

Not welding tanks, but an interesting large wind chime in my small town.

 

[karoc]

I got stuck with mini pair of oxygen and acetylene tanks that are past their recertification dates. What do you do with them?

I know guy who took bigger tanks made wind chimes. He said their great but I think it take hurricane to make music
I see he’s not only one with idea, nice

 

[ZRX61]

On the subject or re-certing old tanks: There are WWII (& older) tanks out there still being used. If I got one of those I'd probably take it out of circulation & hang on to it.

 

[Nthill93]

We have a bunch of h2 bottles at work for h2 cooled generators. Oldest date stamp I’ve seen was 1917. At least 1/2 are ww2 and older. My LWS will swap bottles as long as you give them a bottle. Out of cert no papers doesn’t matter they’ll take it.

 

[bdbecker]

On the subject or re-certing old tanks: There are WWII (& older) tanks out there still being used. If I got one of those I'd probably take it out of circulation & hang on to it.

I used to handle a lot of cylinders at work and would always look at the date stamps out of habit. I want to say the oldest I've ever come across was from the late '40's. There always seems to be a few from the 50's in the rack. It's almost harder to find a bottle made in the last five years than it is to find one that's fifty years old.

 

[pcmeiners]

"I should have added "Start with maybe 1/2lb & work up from there".. Not 4lb to start like we did. No idea where the hell that bowling ball ended up, but it did clear the adjacent ridge line by a considerable height "

Next time use smokeless powder, the bowling ball will clear you county.

 

[ATC]

I have a 300 or 330 cu-ft O2 tank that no one will touch. Anything over 125cu-ft is considered leased tanks, not customer owned.

Not sure what I'm gonna do with it...