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Will this CO2 bottle work for mig welder
- Thread starter nfwo2
- Start date
csp
Well-known member
You don't really want to use straight up CO2 for welding steel.
Does it have a regulator? How many pounds does it hold?
Does it have a regulator? How many pounds does it hold?
No. You can trade it in at your LWS for one that does not have the "liquid feed" (dip tube), though.
Nothing wrong with using straight CO2 for welding. It's cheap, and a tank lasts forever. You will have more spatter, and welding thin material will be more of a challenge.
Nothing wrong with using straight CO2 for welding. It's cheap, and a tank lasts forever. You will have more spatter, and welding thin material will be more of a challenge.
ranger302
Well-known member
Change it out at your local welding supply store. Get a #20 bevreage tank ~$25 to fill. Set your welder up for co2 use and have fun. Using co2 will burn hotter and allow you to weld faster (more ipm). You can find the sweet spot with co2 and get very little spatter, (just right before globular transfer) Hope this helps.
rlitman
Well-known member
If it's still full, you can turn it upside down, and use it that way for gas feed.
Once you've used up the contents, exchange it for something without the siphon tube.
Once you've used up the contents, exchange it for something without the siphon tube.
rlitman
Well-known member
It is, if you can strap it to something so it doesn't fall over.
Are you sure it has a siphon tube though? If it was for refilling paintball cylinders (that's what I mostly use CO2 for), then it does. Usually there's a stamping somewhere, or it will be marked on the sticker. It could say "siphon" or "dip tube", or something like that. Unfortunately, there isn't a good universal standard for this identification.
Lots of people do their transfers using non-siphon tanks turned upside down. They say they get every last drop of CO2 out. I even saw a rig that was a tripod with a collar that threaded to the neck ring (like the cap does), to facilitate this.
Are you sure it has a siphon tube though? If it was for refilling paintball cylinders (that's what I mostly use CO2 for), then it does. Usually there's a stamping somewhere, or it will be marked on the sticker. It could say "siphon" or "dip tube", or something like that. Unfortunately, there isn't a good universal standard for this identification.
Lots of people do their transfers using non-siphon tanks turned upside down. They say they get every last drop of CO2 out. I even saw a rig that was a tripod with a collar that threaded to the neck ring (like the cap does), to facilitate this.
jrlp
Well-known member
You definitely want to run 100% co2 for steel. It makes more splatter, but has far more penetration than c25. You didn't say what mig you have, etc.. My mig welder is an inverter based unit, and it was programmed for 100% co2. It actually makes less splatter on 100% co2 than a transformer based machine on c25.
I have 3 20lb co2 tanks currently. 2 are for mig welding, and 1 for my powertank setup (xp400 reg) I use for running my impact, airing tires, stuff like that. I sometimes keep one in my truck even though I have an OBA setup that does 5+Cfm@90psi, but it mostly lives in my landcruiser.
I could easily have bought larger tanks for the price of the 20pounders. They're easy to carry (integrated handle / some valve protection with reg installed), small, and light. I think the rule of thumb for mig is you can do 15' of 1/4" plate single pass on 1 pound of co2, or 7' of 1/2".
I have 3 20lb co2 tanks currently. 2 are for mig welding, and 1 for my powertank setup (xp400 reg) I use for running my impact, airing tires, stuff like that. I sometimes keep one in my truck even though I have an OBA setup that does 5+Cfm@90psi, but it mostly lives in my landcruiser.
I could easily have bought larger tanks for the price of the 20pounders. They're easy to carry (integrated handle / some valve protection with reg installed), small, and light. I think the rule of thumb for mig is you can do 15' of 1/4" plate single pass on 1 pound of co2, or 7' of 1/2".
jrlp
Well-known member
You definitely want to run 100% co2 for steel. It makes more splatter, but has far more penetration than c25. You didn't say what mig you have, etc.. My mig welder is an inverter based unit, and it was programmed for 100% co2. It actually makes less splatter on 100% co2 than a transformer based machine on c25.
I have 3 20lb co2 tanks currently. 2 are for mig welding, and 1 for my powertank setup (xp400 reg) I use for running my impact, airing tires, stuff like that. I sometimes keep one in my truck even though I have an OBA setup that does 5+Cfm@90psi, but it mostly lives in my landcruiser.
I could easily have bought larger tanks for the price of the 20pounders. They're easy to carry (integrated handle / some valve protection with reg installed), small, and light. I think the rule of thumb for mig is you can do 15' of 1/4" plate single pass on 1 pound of co2, or 7' of 1/2".
I have 3 20lb co2 tanks currently. 2 are for mig welding, and 1 for my powertank setup (xp400 reg) I use for running my impact, airing tires, stuff like that. I sometimes keep one in my truck even though I have an OBA setup that does 5+Cfm@90psi, but it mostly lives in my landcruiser.
I could easily have bought larger tanks for the price of the 20pounders. They're easy to carry (integrated handle / some valve protection with reg installed), small, and light. I think the rule of thumb for mig is you can do 15' of 1/4" plate single pass on 1 pound of co2, or 7' of 1/2".