Can 98% argon, 2% O2 be used in TIG welding

I suppose it might sort of work on steel and stainless steel, but I'll bet the tungsten will erode very quickly. No idea how much weld quality will suffer, outside of inevitably being ugly. I'm quite sure it won't work at all on aluminum.

There is no commercial gas mix of 98% Argon / 2% CO2 that I have ever heard of. I think you meant 2% Oxygen.

98/2 Argon Oxygen is a very hot spray-process MIG gas for steel. The oxygen content would likely eat your tungsten.

That's what I said, O2.

What just happened is a very educational story in many ways.

I responded to an ad in Craigslist for a gas fired blacksmith forge. Went there, liked the forge, knocked the price down a bit, agreed on price and bought a few more things.

The owner also offered me a 251 cf tank of Argon/O2 mix for $50, which I decided not to buy right away and posted a question about it here when I went on my way.

An hour later, while still driving, I got an email from the seller stating that he could not locate the money that I paid for the forge. I looked in my pocket and there it was, neatly folded.

So I caled, came back and gave him the money. He was understandably very happy, as he probably had all kinds of bad thoughts and felt badly.

So, he gave me the bottle of that mix for free, and who I was to say no.that was10 minutes ago.

This, by the way -- forgetting to pay -- happened to me before.

i

As long as it is an owner bottle, you should be able to trade it for a similar sized bottl with the gas of your choice (after paying for the fill). I have turned in straight argon bottles and gotten C25 or nitrogen, depending on what I needed at the time. A bottle is a bottle as long as it is an owner bottle.

He said it was an owner bottle. I tend to believe him. If it is really the case, I will return the one that I am currently leasing, to get back my deposit.

i

Maybe he's thinking 92% Argon/8% CO2 for spray, or C8.

I was thinking exactly what I posted (see subject of this thread), 98% argon, 2% O2 (oxygen).

i

"Ignoramus31295" wrote

I did that one time on a lawnmower at a yard sale. Got to talking to the guy about the good old days, and we both worked at the same joints and knew a lot of the same people. I saw it after I drove off, and went back and paid him. He said thanks, and he was glad some honest people were left.

Look at the collar for a name cast in there. If the shoulder just comes up to the valve opening, it's an owner tank. If there's a name stamped in cast iron, it belongs to someone, and you may have difficulty or impossibility to trade it out depending on where you live and who you deal with.

"Ignoramus31295" wrote

Yes, but are you sure, Iggy? A long time passes from when you look at it and then come in and type it. What's that, you wrote it down? Well, how can you be sure of that? Pencils make mistakes, you know.

BTW, I think you got it right.

is a two-part gas mixture of argon and oxygen

which improves arc stability and provides a more

fluid weld pool. The filler metal transfer

with argon / oxygen helps reduce spatter

levels, and the fluid weld pool permits

higher travel speeds.

Obviously Photoshopped ! : ~)

Igor, just think of that cylinder as a token which you can swap for any other high pressure cylinder (plus paying for the gas). Oxygen, argon, any of the argon/CO2 blends, helium, nitrogen; all use high pressure cylinders. It's a great score and obviously an owner cylinder.

Grant

OK, thanks. Airco is called Airgas now, right?

It does have AIRCO on the collar, it is on the other side from the label. So, while I also think that it is an owner cylinder, I am not sure that it is fully a given. I am not losing sleep over this question as I do believe that guy and I did not pay for the tank, anyway.

i

It may cost you some to trade the tank, as it is most likely out of date. But probably a lot less than a new tank costs.

Greetings Ernie, A couple weeks ago My son needed to weld some SS tubing. He wanted to use my SP125+ mig so i set it up with some 309 SS wire. The book says to use 98 Ar/2 O2 mix. All I have is straight argon and C25 mix. So he used the straight argon. It seemed to weld OK. I tried welding some sheet first and was able to get sound welds. But the welds do not have the same appearance as tig welds. My tig SS welds don't oxidize on the bead, the tig welds tended to get a black oxide coat, similar to what happens on the unsheilded side a SS sheet when welded. Not sugary, but black and tenacious. Not consistently either. I'm wondering if maybe the SS welds need more gas flow than regular steel mig. Thanks, Eric

You will know when you go to get it filled. Local suppliers DO have some leeway when it comes to these situations, because they don't want to lose a customer over an issue of a tank that the person more than likely came by legally, or at least with no intent involved, even if they did posess questionable goods. I am in exactly that position right now. I have an 02 tank that has yet to be settled upon. I have a new supplier who said, "bring if in, and I'll look at it, and I'll see what I can do." Much better than the sassy, "No way, NO how" of the other guys. Who, BTW, I spent $3,000 with in 2008. If this other supplier takes this tank and does me right, I'm going back to that supplier, make sure I'm talking to someone in charge, and explain why I won't be spending $3 with them in 2009.

It ain't over till it's over, Ig, and it ain't over yet. Attitude means a lot, and if you're polite, and just let them know that you got this thing legal, they may take care of you. (Be sure to explain that you will never forget this, and will be coming back for supplies in the future.) These clowns have a lot more leeway than they let on.

Maybe it's just me, or the equipment I was using, but I never got MIG to do decent SS.