My new welding and cutting equipment! (1024x768 pic)

[ScoobySchmitty]

Nice deal! You're not kidding about bottles. I just bought an argon cylinder the other day for my welder...$262! Granted that is a one-time cost to purchase the cylinder, but it's still not cheap!

[3eyedwagon]

Originally Posted by GeneralDisorder

Oh - and if you are going to buy bottles - NEVER buy them from any place except the place you will be having fill them. You WILL have a nightmare of a time getting bottles filled by places that didn't get your business for buying/leasing them. I know people that have bottles in their garage that they can't get filled because of stupid purchases like that. Trust me - they would rather turn you out in the street than get the $25 for the gas. These places frown on that big time.

GD

Just for a different perspective;

I have never had a problem getting one bottle filled anywhere. We have a bunch of different suppliers in our area, and I've got bottles from Central, Airgas, and Praxair all kicking around my shop. I've never bothered to take specifics ones back to the place of their original acquisition, and I've never had a problem.

Sounds like you have some pissy suppliers in your area.

Nice score on the welder though. We had alot of TA stuff at the college. It was pretty good.

[GeneralDisorder]

Originally Posted by 3eyedwagon

Sounds like you have some pissy suppliers in your area.

Sure seems that way. I don't know what their problem is here - maybe it's got something to do with liabilities in my area. I don't know all the laws but as much trouble as we have here there must be something behind it. Most of the problems I've heard about were bottles that were being "leased". As I own all of mine and always go to the same dealer I've never experienced it first hand.

GD

[3eyedwagon]

Originally Posted by GeneralDisorder

I've heard about were bottles that were being "leased".

GD

"Leased" bottles always cause a pain in the A**, and usually the most likely people to get hassled by lease bottles are the ones whom have never leased a bottle in their lives...

I've asked ALOT of different suppliers about the lease systems they use, and how they identify their lease bottles. The biggest obvious reason being that I sometimes score a killer deal on bottles at swap meets, garage sales, auctions and the like, and don't want to end up getting hosed by accidently buying a rental, or one in need of recertification. The only straight answer I've ever gotten was from my college's Praxair delivery guy. He said that rental bottles are usually painted rather conspicuously by each supplier, and that some of them are stamped uniquely near the pressure test certification stamp. That's about all the info I've ever been able to acquire. I do honestly think that the whole rental problem is one to be more wary of when dealing with much larger bottles, like on a set of contractor size torch bottles. I just don't think many small bottles get rented.

I have had a guy at Central try to give me a rental bottle while I was trading a "K" oxy tank I owned for a full one. I confronted the guy pretty quickly, and he acted like it was a mistake. I wonder just how often that happens to less savy customers....

I guess my only lesson has been to thoroughly check used bottles before purchase, and keep an eye on the new ones you get when you trade.

[ferox]

Originally Posted by GeneralDisorder

I've always had excelent dealings with Quimby Welding Supply.
Quimby deals in Miller/Hobart and Thermadyne (Thermal Arc). They have a couple locations in the metro area - I frequent their Tualitin location - it's about halfway out Tualitin Sherwood highway from I-5. The guy there that runs the store is knowledgable and laid back.

Thanks GD. That's what I was looking for. I have had varied experiences with Airgas myself.

Originally Posted by GeneralDisorder

I feel like I got a good deal. Could I have got stuff cheaper? Probably. But I don't mind supporting my local economy, and they are much more likely to treat me right if I have a problem when I take my business there. The machine has a 5 year warantee on the major components, 3 years on the minor stuff - if I have an issue I can just tool on down to the store and have them make it right as they are the service shop for Thermadyne.

Good guys to work with and very helpful. I may have spent a couple hundred more than if I were to buy online, but when you are talking about a purchase of this magnitude - I would rather have the brick & morter location and the face-to-face interaction than the extra $$ in my pocket. .

I couldn't agree more. Some tools are ok to go cheap on, but not these. You realize that your project list just got longer though right. Oh well, who wants to get to the end of the list anyway. You can just build bigger, better, faster now.

[GeneralDisorder]

Originally Posted by ferox

You realize that your project list just got longer though right. Oh well, who wants to get to the end of the list anyway. You can just build bigger, better, faster now.

My project list has been out of control for years now. Some days I just twirl in circles not knowing what to do first. Currently I have 7 Subaru's here - only 4 of which are drivers and only 1 *maybe* parts car. All of them are project cars to one degree or another.

Then there's the house. I have a leaky water-heater that I haven't had time to replace (new unit is sitting here in the box), yard to care for, ageing parents, girlfriend, etc, etc.

At least my house is clean since I started hiring a maid for 3 hours every other week

GD

[ferox]

Originally Posted by GeneralDisorder

My project list has been out of control for years now. Some days I just twirl in circles not knowing what to do first. Currently I have 7 Subaru's here - only 4 of which are drivers and only 1 *maybe* parts car. All of them are project cars to one degree or another.

yard to care for, etc, etc.

At least my house is clean since I started hiring a maid for 3 hours every other week

Glad I am not the only one. I have to enforce strict personal discipline on my project work in order to not twirl perpetually...and I have only got 4 Subarus and a Jeep.

I currently live on 10 acres of property. I thought it was really cool at first.

The etc, etc keeps getting in my way. Sometimes I fantasize about actually getting to the end of my project list , but I know I would just make another one.

My parents and brother do the maid thing, and I have to say it seems like money well spent. I may do that myself in the near future.

To stay on topic...if you ever build a TIG welder I would really like to check it out. I want a TIG, but can't afford one at this time. BTW you might check out prices on old wood chippers before you turn one into a TIG, they seem to hold their value like tractors.

[GeneralDisorder]

Originally Posted by ferox

My parents and brother do the maid thing, and I have to say it seems like money well spent. I may do that myself in the near future.

It's TOTALLY worth it. For $150 a month, I never touch a cleaning product, vacuum, etc. She cleans every appliance, toilets, shower, dusts every surface, washes the sheets, makes the beds, folds laundry, etc, etc. I can get $150 worth of work *I like doing* done in the time she's at the house every month. She does a better job than I would do (if I did it at all ), it gives me an excuse to pick-up and organize before she comes, and I'm helping her out - she's single with two teenagers and no formal employment other than her maid service clients. I could give you a reference if you like. My mother also uses her and she's done excelent work for both of us. She's willing to travel a bit - comes out to West Linn from Troutdale to work for myself and my mother.

Originally Posted by ferox

To stay on topic...if you ever build a TIG welder I would really like to check it out. I want a TIG, but can't afford one at this time. BTW you might check out prices on old wood chippers before you turn one into a TIG, they seem to hold their value like tractors.

Perhaps we could collaberate on the project. The wood chipper I have for a donor is not worth beans I'm afraid. It's a 1960's Craftsman - has no parts availibility at all, and my grandfather pretty much used it all up. It's been fabbed on with rivets, welds (stick), and it's pretty well toast. Even my grandfather had to eventually admit it was too far gone to function as anything more than a yard ornament and bought himself a new chipper that he used for the last 10 years of his life. The old machine just sits in my shed. It takes ether to start the old Techumseh engine but I'm pretty sure I can make it run (hasn't in 15+ years I would bet). It was drained of fuel and it's been indoors that whole time.

GD

[ferox]

Originally Posted by GeneralDisorder

Perhaps we could collaberate on the project.

I am totally into it, let me know when it comes up in the project rotation I currently live fairly close to West Linn, but I am planning on buying a house sometime in the next few months somewhere closer in to Portland (then the housecleaner might happen). Close enough either way. Sounds like a worthy project to me.

[coldfusion21]

Not that you care but i grew up in west linn, you live there currently? I live in lake oswego now, always funny reading that someone lives so close.

On a related note, sweet setup! I have always wanted a good oxy/acetylene torch, they just seem so damn useful.

I too usually deal with quimby in tualatin. Good people and they have always been honest and helpful. Considering I made my first large purchase there when i was a teenager, thats saying alot. Most places wouldn't give me the time of day.

Looks like you have plenty of welding and cutting fun in your future!


Edit: and while I'm new here and you dont know scat about me i think i have some good stuff for your home made tig project. I picked up a high frequency box a couple years ago to use for a tig setup. Never got around to using it and its collecting dust in my storage unit. It needs some TLC but its a sweet machine and with a good power supply(ac/dc) and torch i think you could have a very sweet setup for thousands less than it would cost normally.