Welding and Metalworking - filling tanks

hello all I just bought a new oxy/acet tanks and torch kit . my question is is it hard to just walk into a supply place and get oxy and acet tanks filled . i just herd that sometimes they dont like to fill private tanks . and i wont be using them enough to rent them from a supplier ????;)

Most good welding supply places will not have a problem filling your bottles.

I own my own, and never had an issue.
If they exchange your bottles, witch they may do from time to time.
Make sure they give you an owner bottle back.


Travis

good just the answer i wanted . i might be back to ask for help using the torch . thanx again:)

What ever help you may need, there is someone here that can answer any question you may have.

Good luck



Travis

.
If they exchange your bottles,....
Make sure they give you an owner bottle back.Travis

With the exception of the real small bottles, what's the difference between an owner and rental bottle?

I bought my 1st set of bottles from a Linde dealer in fla. Whenever I needed them filled, I brought them in and they exchanged them. When I moved to tenn, the Linde dealer always gave me a hassle because they only rent the bottles but since I still had the purchace receipt - they did exchange them.

Then the local Linde dealer closed up shop, since it was too far to drive to another linde dealer I bought bottles from air gas. I had the option to either buy or rent - the bottles were the same.

If you always refill the same bottle, wouldn't you have to pay to recertify it every so often?

I had a set of owner bottles exchanged just like I have done for years. The co. gave me a set of rental bottles.(I did not notice until it was too late)
I needed to get them filled one day at another place. They told me they could not fill them because they were from another co. I told them they were mine.

Then they showed me that the bottles I got back were not owner bottles, and I would have to go back to the place who's name was on them.

It took me 2 months get it all straighten back out. I almost lost my bottles.
With owner bottles, you can get them filled anywhere.
Rental, you have to go back to where the bottles where rented from.

I have 4 bottles I have to keep tabs on. Each time I have them filled, I make sure they give me owner and not rental bottles.

Because most of the time they exchange them, the date is always up to date.
It's kinda like propane bottle exchange.



Travis

Maybe they do things different in texas:confused:
My linde bottles can only be filled/exchanged at a linde dealer and my air gas bottles can only be filled/exchanged at an airgas dealer. If airgas would fill my linde bottles, I wouldn't have had to buy a new set.

Yes, it's an annoying way they try to sell more bottles. I can understand not filling someone elses bottle that is clearly marked as a rental, but an owned bottle should be filled by anyone (at least that's the way I think it should be). I own my bottles and exchange them with my supplier. It's a nice arrangement since they take care of hydro testing at no charge when you do exchanges. The only problem is if you want nice pretty bottles because you never know what the bottle you get back might look like. If I give them my shiney new bottles to fill and request my specific bottles back then I am responsible for hydro testing, but I have nice looking cylinder :) .

Maybe they do things different in texas:confused:
My linde bottles can only be filled/exchanged at a linde dealer and my air gas bottles can only be filled/exchanged at an airgas dealer. If airgas would fill my linde bottles, I wouldn't have had to buy a new set.



It's the same way here.
Maybe I was unclear.

If say "Bob's Welding Supply", name is on the bottles. Nobody else will fill BOB's bottles. But since I own my bottles, there is no name on the bottles. I can get them filled anywhere. If they had Bob's name on them I would have to take them back to Bob's to get them filled.

Unless I'm mistaken, the gas company's name has always been on my bottles even though I've never rented any bottles. I did buy my linde bottles from a linde dealer and my air gas bottles from an air gas dealer.

I don't know about all the vendors but a linde acy bottle is shaped different than the others - no exposed valve, it's recessed.

is it very dangerous to cut / weld without them . oxy/acet that is . and how do you find rods for oxy acet welding ???

Most all welding shops sell them. They are call brazing rods. There are many different sizes.

Some of the better shops can help you with the size and type of rods you need for the particular job you are welding.

All it take is lots of practice.:thumbup:


Travis