Yesterday my wife was working so I had to take my visiting sister-in-law to the hair dresser. And then went on to the local scrap yard. There I pick ed up a handful of swarf. Not any old swarf, but some stainless 316 swarf that was lathe turnings about a foot long. Nice looking chips, tightly cur led. I had shown my wife some earlier and she wanted more to use in decora ting a Christmas tree next December. It will be one of the Christmas trees at the Nemours Mansion. Such is married life.
But while surveying what was at the scrap yard, I saw an aluminum 20 lb CO2 tank. Took a little effort to get to it, but I managed.
The stainless sward, the tank and a little hobby vise weighted 29 lbs. And they charged me $30 for the lot. The price for aluminum is $1 / lb. So t hey slightly overcharged me. But considering how often they have not charg ed me anything for stuff, ZI think I am way ahead.
So I took the tank to the same welding supply supply whose name was on the tank label. and paid $29 to exchange it for a full tank. $25 for the gas and $4 hasmat fee. The tank I got was dark blue with some spray painted la rge letters on it. So I painted it a nice green with a rattle can.
If I needed a CO2 tank, it would have been a major gloat. But I already ha d one tank with my mig welder and another in the basement with a regulator and short hose on it. The hose has a tire inflator adapter on it. I have some plastic soda bottle with a tire stem in the cap. So I can make sparkl ing water. So this tank may go to my son and his grand children.
Yes this in not really on topic, except for the part about using swarf for Christmas decorations,
Dan