It happens.... and as we get older it seems to happen more often. Maybe we're just more experienced and better at it?

 

Harmless enough Bill, I wouldn't sweat it.

 

Recently I went to TIG welding an aluminum tank and it was as if I was welding on some oil soaked dirty aluminum. I spread down the fitting on my machine to find a leak, none. took the complete hose assemble and put it in a bucket of water, no leaks. Then I'm inspecting my TIG torch, turns out the Cup and collet holder were a couple turns loose... Now Im welding like Jodi...

 

Now Im welding like Jodi...

Pics, or it didn't happen...

 

If there's one thing I've learned, it's to never misunderestimate the levels of stoopid I can achieve.
I find myself in awe, it's gotta be on a weekly basis!

 

I’m not playing for a very good reason. I wouldn’t even know where to begin……

 

Willie I would gladly be stupid and waste 50 bottles of gas instead of my stupid act of sticking my finger in the band saw. Going on 4 months now and I'm going to PT to make the joints bend again, it's still very stiff and numb.

 

Flexibility will improve over time but don't be surprised if the "numb" stays. We'll not discuss how I happen to know this!

 

Not trying to one up you WillieB but I left the Ar tank 185 on once, it leaked, all the way out. So I thought the tank was chained or wired to the wall but nope. So when I pulled the welder cart the hose yanked tank and hose connected to Ar/CO2 gauge, well no HollyWood stuf but gauge broke. I guess I was lucky the gas leaked first? I dont know for sure

 

Had a similar problem. Was playing with Pulse mode and accidentally switched from "TIG" to "Stick". Thought the gas solenoid dropped dead.

 

Mine may have been on months. I always shut the tank valve off when not welding, but welding is a small share of the time.

 

I don't have a theory how the second regulator was turned on, it has been months since i had occasion to purge stainless hydraulic tubing.

Poltergeist?
It sounds like you just didn't turn the gas valve on the tank completely off. One of the disadvantages of working alone is there's nobody else to blame when something goes wrong. Trust me, I know.

 

Tank valve was off until I opened it to prepare for welding. first weldment I had 8 pieces of 16 gauge flat to cut, debur & clean. I felt I had noted 500 PSIG in the tank. When it proved empty I told myself I had been mistaken or misread the gauge.

Next weld, fresh 330 CFH bottle of argon. I did the same thing, opened the valve on the tank, set a weight on the foot pedal, adjusted the flowto the torch, removed the weight on the foot pedal. Somebody had made a big mess of trying to weld it with god knows what process. Cut off all the gobbery weld, then decided the hinge mechanism was too buggered & worn out, made up new pieces, might have taken most of an hour. Aligned everything tacked it up, & welded it. When I noticed 700 PSIG on a fresh tank of argon, something was drastically wrong!

 

set a weight on the foot pedal, adjusted the flowto the torch, removed the weight on the foot pedal.

I wouldn't do that. I can see myself getting distracted and leaving the weight on the pedal. THAT would use the gas up quickly!
I have the machine set for 2 seconds preflow and about 10 seconds postflow. I just step on the pedal, walk over to the flowmeter and adjust the regulator. It only takes a few seconds.
Something isn't adding up. We get tanks that typically have 1,800 to 2,000 psi when delivered. It takes a long time to get down to 700 psi at 20 scfh. We usually get 4 or 5 tanks at a time, so tanks sometimes sit there for months without losing any pressure.

 

Do you have pea shooter-type flowmeters for each regulator? I like those flowmeters best to verify gas flow.

 

I do, and I have a meter at the torch. Usually 18 CFH at the tank proves to be about 14 at the torch. One or the other must be wrong.

 

Look at the bright side... you won't have gas anymore...

 

I am a father, raised two sons, each son brought other teenagers, I had tools & cooler machines. I've said I have several "extra sons" I've never passed a gas bottle without confirming it is off. Now the house is quiet. The sons are married, they have children. I see extra sons often, but no one uses my TIG except me. I haven't broken the habit of checking the tank valve whenever I walk by.
I now believe in turning the hundred pound tank 180 degrees, I opened the wrong flow meter, never turned it off. I'm too young for alzeheimers, somehow I wonder.

 

One of the guys at work left the helium on ... 3000 lbs gone overnight. Argon ya know the cheap one of the 2 was full... guess which regulator vaulve worked?

 

Was he gone too?
I once had a project the welder wasn't big enough. I traded a near full tank of tri mix for stainless MIG for a helium tank. If I recall the helium in it was over a hundred. I added 5 CFH helium to the argon with incredible results.
Maine Oxy sells pre mixed argon with helium. Out of curiosity, i asked a price, $350. more than straight argon. I can't guess the value of a large tank of helium.

 

Man, you guys are making me want to go out to the shop and check my argon bottle valve...

 

Hell, I go out to the shop when walkin my 4 legged buddy before bed and check everything is off. Even the circuit box.

 

I think of DC welding aluminum with straight helium as a kind of hail Mary pass. I've been bugging the brass to get me a 315a power source, maybe keeping a small tank helium argon mix, although the gas company is a few blocks away. The company created an emergency, and it was the only short-term solution. The company spent $333k on a laser cutter last year (not including add-ons and paying a crew of licensed electricians a couple of weeks to install it) and $31k on a laser welder, and all I'm asking for is a $1700 315a power source to upgrade my $3k TIG setup that has done 90% of all the welding since I started working here a year and a half ago.
(42) TIG welding aluminum w/ pure helium? | WeldingWeb - Welding Community for pros and enthusiasts

 

I think you need to give the brass an ultimatum. Really a backup AC tig welder of substantial capability is logical. Keep your 250 amp tig setup for DC work, and a robust inverter for thick or thin AC work. It will save money in the long run. Between the 2 of us tiggers in my shop, we have 6 tig machines ranging from 200 amps to 700 amps at our disposal, and bounce between all of them. Helium is a rare treat but expensive. I avoid using mine and save $$$ until I really need it and charge the customer $$$.

 

Ok now it’s my turn! Did something Stupid! My son took me he hunting, he love to hunt with me, we have pretty good adventures. He let me walk to the blind, which is pretty normal. So I waddled to the stand, yessir took my cane with me to insure of no falls waddling over brush, stuff. Made to the blind no issues, had a very nice hunt the wind was very favorable, have my Ravin R 10 crossbow in a death grip tripod. Beautiful day, birds and squirrels everywhere. Finally at dark here steps a buck in to view, let him take a few more steps to get the correct angle. Zap nailed him, that arrow is traveling 425 fps, smacking ribs broadhead expanding to 2 3/4”s cut. Wow he bucked took off running from whatever bit them. Run about 20 yards circled back,
layer down in the brush just in front of me to the left. Sent Keith a text let him know. It’s getting dark, got out my chair, stood up a few minutes to let the blood circulate, gathered my stuff, set it all outside the blind. Waddled over to where the deer was , took a look at it.

not bad, was hoping for bigger but I‘ll take what the lord provides. Keith shows up, tell him he is over here . Without thinking I reached down and grabbed the antlers the pulled on it, my back goes into spasms, my shoulder feels like I pulled it out of the socket. My son is jumping on me like a DI from years gone by, wanting tho know why I was doing something so stupid, he was good at it like he had been trained by his mother to chew my old butt out, and was doing good. He had to help me back to my feet cause the old boy had dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks, I was calling him sir like whipped kid saying yes I will not do that again. He grabbed the deer and drugged it out like it was a rag doll. throwing it onto the truck still chewing on me.

i give my wife a call let her know we are on the way in and what we, of course the phone is one speaker in the truck, he doesn’t waste a breath and tells an exaggerating tail of what I did, “well the truth“. She starts in on me he’s reminded her that’s what he said to me, got my second chewing out of the evening. He takes care of the deer while I’m trying to take all my meds to calm this pain down.

Well guess what had a doctors appointment already set for the next morning with the neurologist, guess what my wife proceeded to let her know what stupid act I performed in front of our sone who was there to stop me from doing stupid stuff like I did.

Butt chewing number three starts, this one is explaining exactly why I should not be doing it, reminding me Im not a young man, I’m a crippled old one. At least she gave me a couple of pressure point injections in the back to help calm that down. Has me set up for another epidural, and an injection into the shoulder. Sorry if this sounds like a rant, but have probably not learned my lesson and maybe this weekend I will get a chance to hunt again. Pulling on something that weighs more that 30 pounds will not happen, well maybe