Learned a lesson the hard way today

[76GMC1500]

Originally Posted by Donald Branscom

Look at it this way they may have saved your life. No matter what their motives were.

Don't be so cautious. The life saved isn't his, it's the guy filling the cylinder. But if you're ever in doubt just hydro it. It's not complicated. If it passes hydro it's good (well this applies to steel as aluminum is another animal).

[bert the welder]

Around here, KMS tanks are supplied by Air Liquide, a major chain. All the tanks are A.L. tanks and exchangeable at A.L. locations. In an instant like this, it pays to go with the big boys. Having to have the tank sent away just plain sucks. But, I'd have painted the phuker bright pink. Really hard to lose it then! I finally bought tanks after leasing for years. 2.5 years of lease payments payed for the purchase. Should have done this years ago. Dummy.

[farmall]

The paint idea is good, but if you turn in a cylinder and they lose it, they still owe you a cylinder.

I don't care about individual cylinders, just having the right number of the right size at the end of the day.

[Westcoaster]

Well, just to update. I was into my Lws today for some wire and they told me they had good news and bad news. Good news was their filling plant was able to fill my cylinder and send it back to my local depot. Bad news was, instead of mig mix, they filled it with straight argon. So, back on the truck it went. Maybe get it back in another couple of weeks.

[claymans13]

my lws wont exchange any cylinders without their name on the neck. I had one from their competitor and they refused my and exchange despite me buying all my stuff there and having an account.

[Welding_Swede]

Originally Posted by Westcoaster

I own a 110 cu. ft. mig mix bottle that I bought from a KMS tools several years ago. I used to have them fill it when I ran out of gas. Saved myself rental fees for years from the local welding supplier. Then they closed down the local KMS store a few months ago, the nearest KMS store now is 150 miles away. My local welding supplier said they could fill the bottle for me but they would have to send it away. Turn around time is two to three weeks. Okay, fine, send it away and fill it, I say. Meantime, I need some welding gas because I have a job to do, I can't wait three weeks. So he talks me into buying a 55 cu. ft. cylinder as a backup for those times my larger one runs out. Ok, good idea, I say. We're just in the process of ringing up the sale when I mention that in order to identify my cylinder I have stamped my name and phone number on the neck of the cylinder. (more durable than felt pen or paint) The LWS clerk says they wont fill my cylinder and basically I have destroyed my cylinder by stamping it with letter stamps because now the metal is fatigued!
When the cylinder was hydro tested four years ago, the testing facility put their own stamp on the neck. Apparently though, they have a "special stamp" that will not fatigue the metal.
What seemed like a good idea at the time has cost me a perfectly good cylinder. I didn't know.
Learn from my mistake guys.

Well,

You do realize that you live in serious BFE Canada right? So, the thought of waiting a few weeks for items not carried by your local Grand Prairie Costco (kind of surprised that you even have one of these but...) should be fairly routine right?

Is this why you STAMP your name and phone number into metal objects? What else have you stamped? Cellphone? iPad? dog? wife???

Perhaps the little electric engraver (might find one at Costco) might be a better idea in hindsight. Cylinders are (over) regulated for good reason mostly. Does it get abused by zealous counter sales idiots? Yes, unfortunately. Its been going on for many years.

Personally, I write "customer owned" on my cylinders and am very careful whom I choose to refill them. But I have the luxury of choice since I don't live in timbuktu.

I feel your pain.

Eric

[docwelder]

i'm pretty sure stamping your name on your gas cylinder is harmless but i'm positive grinding/sanding and welding on it is ill advised and you may or may not live to regret it.

[AJM]

Originally Posted by NMWelds

My first thought was bondo and paint it, then swap for another cylinder. But then BIG IF something does go wrong with that cylinder, to someone else, you have permanently stamped your name and number into it to contact for the lawsuit. Cause that's the world we live in. I would still ask if the tank could be hydro tested and put back into service.
I'm curious as to why you want the same tank every time too? We swap empty tanks for full ones and let the WS take care of hydro and maintnance.

you mean the world where people will bondo gas tanks and pass them off as safe to a distributor to give to some unkowning guy who then gets injured/killed , and the only thing your worried about is a lawsuit ? not the guy that you injured/ killed? you mean that world?

[LawsonWeldingLLC]

I had a cylinder come through the shop a week or so ago, 1937 with a swastika stamped in it, highly doubt it was a low stress stamp, but whatever.

[Mondo]

Originally Posted by LawsonWeldingLLC

I had a cylinder come through the shop a week or so ago, 1937 with a swastika stamped in it, highly doubt it was a low stress stamp, but whatever.

Interesting.... That may have been put there when the cylinder was initially tested in 1937 or it may have been added later by some joker.

Can you ID the manufacturer of the cylinder?

- Mondo

[LawsonWeldingLLC]

Originally Posted by Mondo

Interesting.... That may have been put there when the cylinder was initially tested in 1937 or it may have been added later by some joker.

Can you ID the manufacturer of the cylinder?

- Mondo

Linde

[LayoutMan]

Linde is a German company and according to Wikipedia they exist since 1879, so its sounds logic that they ''MAYBE'' passed through this nazi era with a ''pro'' mindset haha

I just hope for you that this bottle doesn't be bad used during that period and keep horrible secrets hehe.

[LayoutMan]

I won't copy all the link i have found but if you do a google reasearch they is many article about Linde gases and the nazi era, sh*i*t*t*y info i know...