[lon77]

Can I lay my argon bottle at angle? I'm building a new welding cart with a table on the back. I want to have all sides unobstructed and I worry about the sparks from my chop and grinders. I know the gas isnt flammable but I still dont like the idea of sparks hitting a pressurized bottle.

This is an unfinished picture of what I'm building. The table will be on the fours legs sticking up. The welders (MIG and Stick) are going on the front. I thought of laying the bottle between the two and at an angle. Or I'll just build I bigger table. My current welder cart is an old engine stand and works well but I thought I'd try to save some shop space and combine the two.

[scholman]

lon77,

Putting the tank on a slight angle will be fine. There is no liquid in the tank only compressed gas.

Scholman

[oldred]

You can use that tank or an Oxygen tank at an angle with no problems but NEVER angle an Acetylene tank or CO2 tank. If you try to use an Acetylene tank on it's side you will drain the Liquid filler that the Acetylene is dissolved in into the gauges and make a real mess of things and if you drain the liquid CO2 from a CO2 tank it will create dry ice and freeze your equipment. For years we would hang CO2 tanks upside down and drain them into insulated buckets to make dry ice for chilling bearings, bushings, shafts and beer but it will cause real problems with a CO2 regulator.

[lon77]

Thanks. I thought it would be safe to lay the bottle down, I have to when I take it to get filled. I'm going to finish the table this weekend. I'll post some pics when its done.

[metalmeltr]

Can argon C02 mix be laid down

[oldred]

Originally Posted by metalmeltr

Can argon C02 mix be laid down

Sure, no problem same as plain Argon or Oxygen as these are stored simply as a compressed gas unlike straight CO2 which is stored as a liquid (Acetylene is stored absorbed in a liquid acetone mixture and a sponge-like tank filler). Laying an Acetylene or CO2 tank on it's side is no problem just for transport but NOT for use like you can with the Argon or Argon/CO2. Also NEVER at anytime lay a Cryogenic tank for liquid Oxygen or Nitrogen on it's side!

[Dpgottanet]

i was told storing a bottle in unheated building will cause the two gases to separate below freezing, is this true? and if so, can the gases be mixed again?

[61bone]

I can go to my rest now. I believe i've head it all. Ever see the welding truck go down the road when ite 30 below. He's going someplace to weld something.

[welder4956]

Originally Posted by Dpgottanet

i was told storing a bottle in unheated building will cause the two gases to separate below freezing, is this true? and if so, can the gases be mixed again?

This is entirely true, however "freezing" is actually the boiling point of the gases. The boiling point is where it goes from being liquid to a gas. For argon, the boiling point is -302.8 F. For CO2, the boiling point is -127.4 F.

If you keep them in an unheated building that is -127.4 F or colder, they will separate. So if you live somewhere that gets that cold - beware!

[Old Rotor Flap]

61Bone and Welder4956... thanks for a good chuckle.

For what it's worth.... yeah, I know not much.

The only two that come to mind that should not be tipped and used in that attitude are acetylene and siphon bottles. CO2 is sometimes supplied in siphon bottles which are well labled as such. Other liquids may be supplied in siphon bottles, but I've only used the CO2's

[oldred]

Originally Posted by Old Rotor Flap

The only two that come to mind that should not be tipped and used in that attitude are acetylene and siphon bottles. CO2 is sometimes supplied in siphon bottles which are well labled as such.

Never lay a CO2 bottle on it's side (during use), you can get away with tilting one over somewhat but if you lay it on it's side it will expel liquid into the regulator and cause it to freeze. Argon/CO2 mix, etc can be used lying down but straight CO2 is stored in the tank as a liquid and must be upright to take gas from the tank. It was a common practice to hang CO2 tanks upside down or tilt them at extreme angles in order to draw off liquid which freezes into dry ice as it discharged through a hose into insulated containers, usually just a box full of dry rags. We did this to obtain dry ice to chill bearings, races, bushings, etc but if left upright the tank will discharge only gas. Also cryogenic tanks, liquid Oxygen, Nitrogen etc should NEVER be laid on their sides even for transport. These tanks must continuously vent to prevent building up too much pressure and laying them down will freeze the ventilation port and create a dangerous situation. LP tanks are not to be used on their sides either unless liquid fuel is desired which it sometimes is, in that case they can even be used upside down but you would not do this for use with a torch!