Oxy Acetylene welding

[LA1]

can Oxy Acetylene tanks be left in an unheated part of a house like a garage?

 

[Caman]

Most places around here store the tanks outside year round so I don't see why not.

 

[38 Dodge Coupe]

I agree with Caman. Mine have been stored in my garage with the heat off when I am not working in it for over 30 years and I have not noticed a problem.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Ambient (temperature of tanks temperature of equipment) rules I believe.. Having said that, for many millennia, human kind have been welding outside in the elements without issue I believe..

As an aside... my shop teacher from high school use to keep his tanks in doors until one evening when me and another friend were at his house talking ... shop... what if the valves leak and the home fills up with neutral mix? KABOOM! (how many have seen the experiment with balloons filled with oxygen, acetylene, then neutral mix... its educational...

 

[justanengineer]

They were on our wreckers outside year round down to -70F'ish in AK without issue.

 

[LA1]

that's what I thought, just wanted to check it out first. Is the HFT oxy acetylene rig worth buying for just minor work?

 

[Ozwelder]

Oxy acetylene uses a large amount of gas when used in the cutting mode,therefor purchasing a small set of cylinders might be OK for the odd silver solder brazing and welding job but not for cutting.
Aside from that what about the quality and safety of the equipment.Is the HFT plant made to your American safety and quality standards?

Oz

 

[Lwel9226]

that's what I thought, just wanted to check it out first. Is the HFT oxy acetylene rig worth buying for just minor work?

NO...... Do not buy Oxy-Acetylene rig from Horrbor Freight, they typically cannot be repaired if the need should arrise ...
Get a brand name like Victor or Smiths......

 

[Bondo]

NO...... Do not buy Oxy-Acetylene rig from Horrbor Freight, they typically cannot be repaired if the need should arrise ...
Get a brand name like Victor or Smiths......

Ayuh,...... Agreed,... I bought a Victor set, 30 years ago, that's lived in the back of my pickup for the last 22 years,.....

 

[Kaizen]

I've had the little victor for a few years. only use it for cutting stuff I can't get a grinder on and heating up nuts/bolts. it does go quick and definitely not cheap to refill. if you want to weld you can get a 110 mig for about the same cost 300-400bucks. you won't be running out every weekend to get gas either

 

[Zeke]

Most gasses won't freeze but the regulator diaphragms might get sluggish, I don't know. Don't have a weather problem here. On the subject of HF and other imported regs, they aren't so bad for home use. I doubt they would need repair in a homeowner's lifetime for hobby use. It's the tanks that cost the money. The little tanks are for portability and small soldering jobs where a propane torch is not enough. Expensive to fill and don't last at all if used for cutting. In fact, given the 1/10th rule, I wouldn't think of using a little tank for cutting.

One has to ask, how minor of work? Once you get torches in hand they find more uses than you anticipate (at least for many of us). OTOH, I have rather large tanks and don't get them in for filling but once every 2 years. I use far more Argon/CO2 than I do other gasses in the shop. And I don't have a very big tank.

It's hard to get it right unless you know what your use will be.

 

[Gerald O]

that's what I thought, just wanted to check it out first. Is the HFT oxy acetylene rig worth buying for just minor work?

http://www.harborfreight.com/oxygen-and-acetylene-welding-kit-98958.html
I bough this torch set years ago on sale for $99. It has held up fine and works like it should. Has good reviews. I would avoid the complete kit with bottles as the bottles are too small to do anything useful, and the local welding gas supplier might refuse to fill/exchange them. Get your own larger gas bottles from the local supplier.

 

[Falcon67]

I have the same HF kit but haven't used it yet. I would convert the regulator and tips to using oxy/propane before I'd go with acetylene. Not really keen on having acetylene around the house. There has been talk -maybe real or imaginary- in the past about homeowners insurance not paying should there be an accident involving an "industrial" type gas.

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

I had this kit in my service van, it did the trick for small jobs of cutting and heating.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019RO22K/?tag=atomicindus08-20

But the tanks do not have enough volume to do welding of anything more then a quick tack or braze.

My home insurance is void if I store a commercial oxygen tank on my property, but medical tanks are fine, go figure...

 

[Professur]

Having said that, for many millennia, human kind have been welding outside in the elements without issue I believe.

Um ... Acetylene was only discovered in 1836.

The standard rule of thumb for acetylene is to keep your flow below one seventh of the tank volume. In any temperature cold enough to need gloves to keep your hands warm, I'd stretch that out to one tenth or less. The critical detail being how quickly the acetylene gas can bubble out of the acetone solvent. Gases dissolve better at lower temps, just as solids dissolve better at high ones, so it will bubble out slightly slower.

Found this.
http://www.esabna.com/literature/ar...ther_care_of_fuel-gas_dist_equip_f-3088-j.pdf

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Um ... Acetylene was only discovered in 1836.

The standard rule of thumb for acetylene is to keep your flow below one seventh of the tank volume. In any temperature cold enough to need gloves to keep your hands warm, I'd stretch that out to one tenth or less. The critical detail being how quickly the acetylene gas can bubble out of the acetone solvent. Gases dissolve better at lower temps, just as solids dissolve better at high ones, so it will bubble out slightly slower.

Found this.
http://www.esabna.com/literature/ar...ther_care_of_fuel-gas_dist_equip_f-3088-j.pdf

Agree with Professur.. that is what Dr. Joe Freeze & Jim Phillips of ISU taught me.. Pulling the acetone out of the tank is bad.

I believe (its been a while since reading/refreshing on this) that is one of the reasons for the lower pressure threshold / limit on acetylene gages too.

 

[crf731]

can Oxy Acetylene tanks be left in an unheated part of a house like a garage?

Yes they can.

I have a 20' shipping container that is built into a tool shed. Has workbench, vise, grinder, oxy / acetylene tanks, as well as many other tools.

It has been out in the winter for the last 15 years, no issues yet.

 

[maxpower_hd]

Just to offer confirmation, yes you can. I work in the gas and chemical industry and we store gases on an exterior, fenced dock all the time as does the supplier we purchase them from. I'm in the northeast and it gets quite cold in the winter.

 

[silvertop]

can Oxy Acetylene tanks be left in an unheated part of a house like a garage?

Yes they can, however your home owners insurance company may not approve. Would be a good idea to check with them about your coverage.