Welding Tips and Tricks

If your LWS can't mix a bottle of gas for you then you need to find a real LWS.

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If you buy premixed gases will they stratify in the bottle if it sits for a long time?

xryan wrote:If your LWS can't mix a bottle of gas for you then you need to find a real LWS.

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You know what, I was thinking the same thing.

Next job, I'll start there.

Adam



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[THUMBS UP SIGN]

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Adam,

The regulator is a high pressure (150 psi) inert gas regulator that can be set at 105-115 psi into the mixer. Outlet flow from the mixer to the torch can be set from 10 scfm to 50 scfm with the small dial in the mixer. I bought two ESAB regulators on ebay yesterday. The ad said he had 5 of them.

I'm sure that Len or Otto will comment on this - but I have used & see no issue with using am oxygen reg for shielding gasses ( valve fitting & fill pressure is the same in the UK ) - only real difference is the output pressure gauge is calibrated in PSI on one & CFH on the other - but that flow is a theoretical figure based on pressure - for your higher pressure requirements on the mixer a standard cutting reg should work - I've used a low pressure 2stage oxygen gauge ( like for gas welding ) on argon as that's all I had at the time but it had the advantage of steady flow without excessive pressure so reduced the surge on valve opening - I only ever set flow by ear as was the norm a few years ago - now with cheap floating ball flow gauges available the units marked on the output gauge of the reg is irrelevant - by dialing the pressure down &trimming the exact flow on the floating gauges needle valve you can save quite a bit of argon.

Adam Mc Laughlin wrote:Hey Jim do you mind sending me a link for the regulators to use at the helium bottles?

Thank you

Adam



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These are the ones I have. http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 53&alt=web
Got them from this seller too.

BTW only use these if you have a mixer. Do not use then if you are just doing a Y fitting

Adam,

The regulator information I sent you was for use with a Smith mixer. Not for a Y setup.

Jim

Jim
( and others )

If I don't have a gas mixer and have two jobs to do this weekend - what would you all recommend that I use for combining the gas using a Y fitting between the two ?

Adam



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Something that does sound attractive about having independent tanks is the ability to vary the argon to helium mix ratio - if you want less or more helium in your shielding gas you could adjust this

Sounds cool - prolly the only advantage of having individual tanks

( unless I'm missing something ? )

Adam



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Adam Mc Laughlin wrote:Something that does sound attractive about having independent tanks is the ability to vary the argon to helium mix ratio - if you want less or more helium in your shielding gas you could adjust this

Sounds cool - prolly the only advantage of having individual tanks

( unless I'm missing something ? )

Adam




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So far, that's the only way I've done it... mixing "in flow" after two flow-meters from two bottles. Set each flow-meter initially by venting to atmosphere. The helium bottle, with the ball of an argon flow-meter "just" stable (no longer bouncing in the tube) will be about 10-12 CFH. Set the Argon regulator to 10-15 CFH actual, then connect them with a tee or wye to your machine input. This will put you in the 50/50 range, and you can fine-tune from there if needed.

I have a stack of tables for estimating CFH versus volume and pressure for various gasses, and could custom-mix a bottle, but unless you're travelling with it, it's just easier to use two bottles.

Steve S

Hi Steve

That's kinda what I was thinking, especially since I thought I could fine tune the mix for a lighter / heavier helium content depending on what I am working with that day.

That is a very good bit of information in regards to the helium in the argon regulator - I did know that the gas didn't read exactly the same on an argon regulator when passing helium through it

A new helium regulator is worth about $125 on the low end , but something that I think is worth it considering I already got the bottle at the house

Well done Steve

Adam



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Adam,

I'll be working tomorrow, and it's a bit like "the inmates running the asylum" on Saturday. If I get the opportunity, I'll work on creating a chart that compares Helium flow versus Argon flow-meter readings. (We have flow-meters marked for both, though they're no more sensitive than standard Argon flow-meters.)

Steve S

The Smith H2051B-580 BFG Floating ball regulator works equally well with Argon or Argon/CO2- CO-2-0r Helium. There are scales marked on the glass for any of those mixtures.

Jim































co-2

Hey Jim

Ordered that regulator you cited from Amazon this morning

When it arrives I will give it a whirl and the see how it plays out

Might be a good inexpensive way to get the ball rolling on the project - if I had more gigs of this nature it would be time to look at a gas mixer ( unless the mixer showed up cheap )

Thanks again for all your help guys

Adam



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Adam,

You'll find the multi-gas flow-meter Jim suggested will have the Helium's "10 CFH" marked so close to the bottom as to be difficult to interpret. You'll still need to go by the "It's high enough to stop bouncing" suggestion I made earlier. It's not helium-specific, just marked to include it.

You might be able to interpret 15 CFH of helium with it, but at 50/50, that has you flowing 30 CFH, which is pretty high for TIG.

Steve S

Hey Steve

You're right - that's a lot of gas
With a gas lens and number seven cup on a CK torch doing most of my stainless I've stood at 15 CFH of shielding has for almost all of my projects - I did kick it up a couple of notches when I was playing with the FUPA cups and their wide pattern lenses

While this isn't the best solution it is a ' getting started ' point

I have to resemble the cars engine this weekend otherwise I'd be tinkering with the welding setup

Adam



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