hiltsbilt Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I finally got my oxy&acl tanks today, I have had my torch for a while now, things kept coming up and I never had the cash for the tanks. So I started cutting and welding up my fire pot and built a stand for my box bellows today yee haa. Some pics to prove it lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Looking good! Its crazy how easy the torch makes a job that would have been nearly impossible before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Lodge Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Yeah, I've been doing all my cutting with a 4 1/2 in grinder. Thankfully it's all be small stuff nothing bigger than 1/4" plate, but I sure wish I had the cash to get some tanks and a torch setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiltsbilt Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 the torch is the cheep part its the tanks that will kill ya, but worth every penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRON FIST RICH Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 im interested do you have a blue print you are following? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulF Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 If you want to start a whole new tool lust try a plasma cutter! no gas to buy paulf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Been lusting after a big enough plasma since we got one at a place I used to work that would cut 3/4 inch. I don't have the several grand needed at this time. Even the used ones are commanding top dollar. There is a reason they get the dough, they work and work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiltsbilt Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 im interested do you have a blue print you are following? no blue print, it's 12 in. square on top, and 6 in. square on the bottom, and 6 in. tall. The tuyere sticks 1-1/2 in. above the bottom so I dont have to worry about clinkers. Here's a finished pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Check tank pricing. When I jhad my shop we figured out if we were keeping the tanks more than 5 years it paid to buy them outright. The shop took our owned tanks in on trade for full ones, handled the testing etc as long as we got our gas from them. Worked out well for us. They do show up on Craigslist from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backwoods Blacksmith Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Why do you need to buy tanks? Most welding supply houses supply the tanks when you buy the gas. If you own the tank you have to wait for them to be refilled, which could take a week or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hammer Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Why do you need to buy tanks? Most welding supply houses supply the tanks when you buy the gas. If you own the tank you have to wait for them to be refilled, which could take a week or more. In most cases, the tanks you buy are just exchanged when you go in for a refill (even if you have an "owned" tank). There ARE some cases where they will not exchange (nor fill) the tank (if you didn't purchase the tank from that particular business), but it is not the norm anymore. In fact, I used to have a large ACET tank that I would drop off and pick it up a couple weeks later, but most places (nowadays) will not fill any tank they do not exchange. I ended up scrapping that tank. I bought the tanks I currently use from Tractor Supply Co (TSC), and there is no question it saves me money in the long term. The alternative to buying is usually leasing. I haven't checked in a while, but the average purchase price used to be well less than five years of the cost of leasing. If you buy a tank from someone other than a business that fills them, be sure you get a receipt AND that you can find a dealer that will exchange or fill it before you buy it. In general, the largest tanks are only availabe via lease (although I have a 250 CF oxygen tank from TSC). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratel10mm Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 BOC & most other places will charge you rental on any gas bottles in the UK and here in Oz. So if you can get your own bottles (not sure if that's actually possible in Oz?) you'll save a bundle of money. On the other hand, the suppliers are responsible for the safety testing of their bottles. Not a responsibility or expense you want in a high Health & Safety conscious environment. ;) In that case rental may actually be economically more sensible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 No Ratel, not possible in Oz. The mongrels have it stitched. Tanks are now bar-coded as well. As to cost of a gas-axe set up, unless you're doing a lot of cutting of odd shapes, or wanting to weld with it, a couple of grinders, 4" and 9" are a cheaper option. A 9" grinder with a cutting disc will handle 3/4" plate, or RR line. The more you need to cut, the more discs you'll use of course, but a cheaper option to buying a gas set up. (Unless you get a good second hand set). I have access to both gas and grinders and pesonally, I'd try to find the funds or save up to have both. Once you have gas available, you won't want to be without it. If getting gas, make sure you have blow-back arresters on your gas lines, between the torch and the bottles, otherwise that saying "one flash and you're ash" is a real possibility. Probably more like "one flash and you're small cooked chunks, plastered around what's let of the work shop" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Oh yeah, Hiltsbilt, nice looking set-up you're making. Let us know how she fires up.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratel10mm Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Whirly, I thought that was probably the case. And yes, BOC have a good system (AT LAST!!!!) to track bottles. Pain for us small guys admittedly, but I've experienced what happens when you use a LOT of BOC product under the old, useles tracking system. Let's just say it was expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 nice start I always mount my fire pots from the under side that way no lip to rake coal into the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Hey hiltsbilt, have you arced this baby up yet???? Does it work as good as it looks? Think I can see one like this getting built here in the future..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiltsbilt Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 ya works grate, only have had 2 forge fires been moving and might be a little while befor i can get set up at the new place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiltsbilt Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 well the torch was stolen today along with $90 worth of steel and my welding helmet and gloves, the rest of my tools and stuff where at my new house so that's good, but when i went to cut up my long pcs of steel and get the rest over to the new place everything was gone, mabby the police will find it, but i doubt it my luck isn't very good. im glad my anvil wasnt there its the only one i have seen for sale in my area in 8 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Ah Man, sorry to hear it, that's a mongrel trick. Hope your stuff does turn up and hope the XXXXXX who took it get a bit of Karma visited apon them. Perhaps in the form of being T-Boned by a Semi. They'd be no loss to society..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.