Oxygen Supplies

In the states, I get my compressed gasses from a welding supply shop, check your phone book. No special license is required (here, at least). Generally you 'lease' the cylinder. When it's empty, take it back and they will swap it for a full one. I chose cylinders that were the biggest ones I could still carry alone. Under $20 to fill up, but you will have some initial leasing fee, I imagine. Do some reading on safety, too, they can be very dangerous if not handled properly.

Google throws up a medical supplier

offer them. Presumably you've tried BOC?There is also whichgives details of the regulations for storing LPG where Oxygen is alsopresent.

BOC, unless you live in one of those few areas where there's an Air Products or Linde shop instead. Your nearest town's welding dealer will carry cylinders, if BOC themselves don't have a depot. Most welding dealers are extremely helpful, but they do like to sell you brand new shiny toys and that can get expensive (and unnecessarily so) if you're not careful!

Gas supply is generally still listed as "BOC", but welding hardware is now rebranded as "Murex".

My small cylinders are an M (acetylene) and an X (oxygen) and a variety of sizes of propane cylinders. These are the biggest practically car-portable cylinders and the tallest that fit a Porta-pak trolley. You _must_ have a trolley or safe means of chaining the cylinder vertical - a falling cylinder is something you really don't want in the workshop. Mainly though I use full size cylinders, because I'm welding or forging steel, rather than working glass. I often use a 6" wide oxy-propane flame cleaning nozzle, which is a lovely way to make things red-hot quickly, but it certainly eats oxygen!

Pricing in the UK is quite different to the USA, and much more expensive. Gas is practically free, so don't be afraid to use it, cylinders vary little in cost so get the biggest you can handle, but the annual rental is absolutely crippling for small-scale users.

eBay is an excellent source for equipment. You can pick up torches, brand new hoses, good condition S/H two-stage regulators from BOC, and a pair of resettable flashback arrestors. You can save 3/4 of your equipment cost by this means, and get good quality equipment (ie BOC). Avoid Machine-Mart and any "Butbro" or similar regulators (to some extent Hi-Lo, Milburn or Harris too). While you're at BOC, start acquiring catalogues. Learn to spot equipment models and what's a bargain for modern gear.

Your torch body will probably be a BOC Saffire 3. This is nicely small and lightweight, and it takes an exchangeable mixer so you can use either propane or acetylene. The mixer neck is also interchangeable for different lengths, and there are a range of burners to fit this standard neck. Oxy-propane burners are hellishly noisy (some need ear defenders!) and very powerful - you will probably need a range of a couple and don't be too quick to get a big one.

If you ever come across a BOC Type 0 torch, snap it up. It needs acetylene, not propane, but they're an excellent miniature torch and keenly sought after (sheet lead workers love them).

There are two sizes of hose fitting, generally the same at each end of the hose. They'll vary between large or small regulators and different torch bodies - adapters are easily changed on the regulator end, but try to keep the torch end lightweight for easy handling (generally small hoses for bench work)

As safety equipment you _must_ have one-way check valves on the torch end of the hose, and you _should_ have resettable flashback arrestors at the regulator end. The little non-resettables aren't thought much of.

Regulators are not rebuildable. They are in the USA, but it just doesn't happen in the UK. Personally I hate single-stage regulators, especially for high-flow use with a big torch and I just don't use them - go for a decent two-stage (large diameter) with proper gauges. With a modern catalogue you can easily spot the model year variations to find a recent regulator on eBay (anything still in a box and with a plastic knob is a good bet).

I have no idea if such things are available or usable for oxy-propane, but for benchwork with oxy-acetylene welding I love my economiser. This is a bench-mounted torch-hanging hook that operates a double gas valve and contains a pilot light. When I'm not actively welding I park the torch and the flame goes out. When I want it again, I pick it up and pass it through the pilot light - no parking a flaming torch, no continually turning my careful adjustments on and off.

The newsgroup sci.engr.joining.welding is an excellent place to discuss gas torches, if a little USA-biased.

How large is the work you're planning to do? If you can track down a couple of used medical oxygen concentrators, you can link them with plastic tubing and a simple "T" connection (available in most hardware stores for almost nothing) and although you couldn't power a larger torch, I get plenty of heat from my Bethlehem Barracuda to do solid boro up to about 1.5" in diameter. Maybe larger if I was more patient.

the new generators will charge bottles!!!!!!

It's not nearly as easy to find oxygen concentrators in the UK, I've been looking for ages. Once in a while one surfaces on eBay but they're very expensive compared to what you can find in the US.

I keep searching online but have had no success yet in finding any sort of supplier for reconditioned oxycons here in the UK but I keep trying.

-Su

Try nursing home dumpsters... ;)

(> Kalera wrote:

I know but they don't do things the same way here. I just contacted one of the biggest suppliers of oxycons to the medical services and he said they get them back and then destroy them.

I am working to convince them we'd give them a good home. The NHS makes it a different kettle of fish, things don't just get dumped. They're contracted out and collected when not needed.

Finges crossed.

-Su