IF I understand the question correctly then it is a portapac type oxy set by BOC if so then search for BOC agents there all over the country. Not cheap and you will need an account, though that is a formallity. OR you can start again with another company but you will be unable to use the bottle you have. The fittings are standard so your gear will fit Good luck. Noel

Someone asking the same question in 2014 and he didn’t seem to have any luck so could now be obsolete.

They use the name Porta  as the bottles can be used with Portapak and Portaflame sets. I think the BOC set uses an E size bottle.

There are/were several “Porta……” units about that used disposables for both fuel and oxygen. Some of which can be converted to refillable bottles like your link with the right fittings Though if used once in a blue moon then disposable may be less hassle.

I remember a portable set called the Portaflame system in the 1970s or early 80s.

the fuel gas was in a disposable canister but the oxygenwas in a cylinder smaller than the BOC Portapack cylinder (which I had).

The cylinder was refilled from full sized cylinders on-site I always kept well away when the service guy who owned it was refilling because it needed great care plus not letting the receiving cylinder temperature rise too much.
Not forgetting it depleted the welding guys main oxy cylinders!

As to using one now, certainly not for me!

And read Nicks comments above (written while I typed slowly).

On 27 June 2024 at 09:10 V8Eng Said:

I remember a portable set called the Portaflame system in the 1970s or early 80s.

[…]

 

More uninformed input from me … just in case it helps:

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/portaflame-welding-kit.298757/

Post#1 has a photo

MichaelG.

I had a set like the one in Michael’s link, back in about 1983. You could send the oxygen cylinder back to the people who sold it for a refill (which rapidly worked out rather expensive), or they would sell you a hose for re-filling it from a normal cylinder. I found a local commercial vehicle mechanic who would let me re-fill it from his cylinders, but I found the process, despite my youth and recklessness, decidedly terrifying, and got an account from BOC (which also meant I could get acetylene rather than MAPP gas, which isn’t really suitable for welding).

The cylinder was made from aluminium, with a flat bottom. Someone later told me it was actually a scuba air tank – I have no idea whether that was true, or whether it was really suitable for oxygen. I noticed, after it had been left on an earth floor for a few years, that it had developed deep corrosion pits on the base.

By the way, Hobbyweld no longer seem to supply acetylene – none of their agents in Kent and East Sussex that I contacted had it any more. This was something of a blow, since I had some welding to do on my Morris Minor Traveller (which is my sole transport). Needs must so I bought a gasless MIG welder (I have no undercover place to work on cars). For the princely sum of £104.99 I bought one of these:

Professional 140A Gasless MIG, TIG and MMA 3-in-1 Welder Non Live Torch model 230V No Gas with Mask & Welding Wire

I thought that at the price it was worth taking a chance on it being useless, but it actually works remarkably well, and its a lot cheaper to use than OxyAcetylene (I might get a propane regulator so I still have gas/O2 for freeing rusted fastenings, cutting etc.).

The MIG does have the option of using gas (and I do have a CO2 cylinder), but it was rather windy when I was using it, and a reel of  gasless wire came with it, so I used that (though I ended up having to buy some more – these jobs always turn out to be bigger than they seem at first). I hadn’t used the gasless wire before, but it wasn’t nearly as messy as I’d expected/feared. Can be a bit hard seeing exactly what you’re doing though.

I haven’t tried it with gas yet – a delight yet to come!

(Good point about needing a propane nozzle, I must remember to order one)

On 27 June 2024 at 20:16 Andy Stopford Said:

Can be a bit hard seeing exactly what you’re doing though.

 

Strongly recommend buying an auto-darkening welding helmet – it stopped my MiG and stick welding from being littered with failed start points and missing sections – the ability to see exactly where you are going to start welding up to the micro-second after the arc starts is truly transforming.
Simon

Air Liquide are owned by Linde as is BOC, so Albee Gas must be part of the same company. Interesting ! Noel.

A friendship with the local publican may well fix you up with CO2, but be sure it’s not the modern CO2 Nitrogen mix. Noel.

Hi, an Argon mix, like Argoshield or similar, are better than CO2, but do cost more, but pure argon isn’t any good for MIG welding steel.

Regards Nick.

Knowing NOTHING about MIG welding 50 years ago I bought a BOC Autolynx, you could say I fell for the salesmans patter( it was £750 in 1974) ! But may be not, during the intervening years I have learnt a lot, not least that the machine I bought was probably the best small MIG welder ever made. I have used migatronic, other later BOCs, Etc all expensive machines but the one thing with hand held MIG welding is that the wirefeed MUST be absolutely steady ! It is this that lets the cheap welders down, to the point that they are almost useless, or will give a very poor weld. A toy car electric motor mounted on a bit of plastic can not do the job of wire feeding. Stepped voltage control you can live with ! While a proper gas may give improved welding over Co2, the most important part is the quality of the machine.

Back to the thread ! The cost of bottle rental at about £130 p/a for a big 5′ tall one  may seem expensive but put it in the context of getting the job done at commercial rates, be it heating, cutting, welding Etc at may be £95/hour and it suddenly doesn’t look so bad ! I would not be without the argon, co2 or oxygen I have and a few paying jobs help cover the costs.  Noel.