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This topic has 7 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 20 October 2009 at 20:18 by Ian Abbott.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

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14 October 2009 at 22:06 #4795
Michael Gray
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@michaelgray16785
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14 October 2009 at 22:06 #44199
Michael Gray
Participant
@michaelgray16785
Ian, I bought one of these years ago in the dreaming hope it woudl help me. All it did was drain my bank account buying new oxygen bottles.

Finally found a secondhand shop in Prince George that sold me a plumber”s oxy-acetylene set with small tips ideal for model engineering for 200 bucks – and both tanks were full!! Best buy I ever made.

regards, Mike
15 October 2009 at 08:53 #44205
Frank Dolman
Participant
@frankdolman72357
I can endorse Mike’s remarks. I borrowed one from my brother, ignoring

his warnings, to braze a 1.25″ tube into a hole in 16 swg sheet. The job used

three bottles of O2. @£6.
15 October 2009 at 10:13 #44208
keithmart
Participant
@keithmart
Hi

I purchased a similar set up and have the same problem.

Oxygen cylinders last about 5 minutes, at around £6.00 each.

Cheaper to buy a big set!!

regards

Keith

Leeds UK
15 October 2009 at 19:51 #44230
Ian Abbott
Participant
@ianabbott31222
I bought the Bernz set as something that I could literally stick in my pocket and carry on to the boat or into the middle of a field, where the big bottles just weren’t practical. I started with a couple of bottles of each gas, which I’m still using after about fifteen years. On the job, the price of gas wasn’t a consideration though, the customer paid.

It works well for what it is and does the job at a reasonable price. If I were looking at buying £500 worth of equipment for the occasional hobby job, £6 a bottle for oxygen might be a sensible alternative.

Having said that, I wouldn’t even try to use it for a job where more than a couple of minutes heating is required, but I have brazed 1/4″ stuff with it.

On full size welding sets, I bought two new commercial Oxy-Acetylene sets in 1981 for something like $50 each. I used one until we left Canada last year which I sold for $75. Now, I’m getting out the “brand new” set which has been in it’s box for 28 years.

And, I picked up a £40 stick welder from Lidl a couple of months ago which we’ve been using to weld 3/8″ steel on the combine harvester and hedge trimmer on the farm. It’s got a slow recovery cycle, but at £40, I can talk to the cows while I wait. The thing is that it can be turned down to handle 1/6″ sheet quite happily.

Ian
20 October 2009 at 02:48 #44354
David Burns
Participant
@davidburns72582
Gday from Australia; I agree with Ian Abbot on the Bernz kit . I bought a kit about 20 years ago and found it ideal for small bronzing jobs in model engineering.

Unfortunately our lords and masters down here dont allow the oxy bottles to be sold any.more. Dont know why.

Could be the big industrial gas sellers have pulled some strings.

Dave.
20 October 2009 at 17:40 #44363
Michael Gray
Participant
@michaelgray16785
Posted by David Burns on 20/10/2009 02:48:12:

(snip)

Unfortunately our lords and masters down here dont allow the oxy bottles to be sold any.more. Dont know why.

Could be the big industrial gas sellers have pulled some strings.

Could be they were ashamed of the huge profit they were making on the itty-bitty oxygen bottles?

regards, Mike

Edited By Michael Gray on 20/10/2009 17:41:14
20 October 2009 at 20:18 #44370
Ian Abbott
Participant
@ianabbott31222
I did entertain thoughts of a link between the big bottle of oxygen and the little one to top it up, but sense prevailed, not knowing what the pressure in the small one would be, there being no gauge. Next time I go to our gas supplier, I’ll find out what it’ll cost me for a new one when I finally use up the originals.

I did think that the small bottles would make a nice reservoir to even out the flow of air from the little 12v compressor, so that I could use it on my airbrushes. Much more convenient than a 2hp job, which I haven’t got around to buying new yet. Better than junking them.

Ian
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