Photos of my inert gas setup

As long as the tank is secured to the wall there's not a whole lot to worry about. But if you're afraid you might drop something heavy on it then go ahead.

Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

Yes, that's what I am afraid of. There is a compressed air dryer on top of the compressor, it is well secured, but I am afraid of something unlikely happening. I would just screw a board of some sort above the regulator... Thanks...

By the way... Should I open the argon valve all the way (like on oxygen tanks), or should I just open it a little bit?

Someone else asked about this in another thread, but I assumed you really did have a TIG setup. Now, from the pics, that appears to be a standard regulator and does not have a flow meter. How are you going to measure flow?

The argon valve is double seated like oxygen so that will help prevent any leaking past the stem seal. But for a short period of use it probably won't make much difference.

Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

Well, I do not know. I read somewhere that if I set my pressure to 20 psi, that flow will be about 20 cfh. If experts here say that I need a flowmeter, I would buy one.

That would be correct with a "flow gauge". A flow gauge has a gauge like a regulator but it's calibrated so that it reads the flow through a orifice down stream from the gauge. If you got a table with the flow rates of argon through a orifice at different pressures you could add the orifice and use this as a flow gauge. Otherwise you're going to be getting way to much flow.

Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

Logically speaking, a table converting pressure into flow should be a part of the manual for the torch. Is that correct? Thanks...

No. As stated when using a TIG or MIG gas setup everybody uses either a flow gauge or a flow meter. Both have a small regulator in them but the gauge uses a pressure gauge calibrated in flow through the orifice built into it and the meter uses a ball and tube flow meter with a needle valve. The later is more accurate and thus is the more expensive type of meter. With enough research and additional hardware it would be possible to convert your regulator into a flow meter/gauge. However I'd recommend selling it and getting the proper flow gauge. Actually Gunner needs a regulator just like that for his plasma.

Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

Thanks Wayne. That's unfortunate, but now I need to do the right thing. Can I get away with just buying a flow meter, a device that measures flow? And then I would adjust the low side pressure to produce the flow that I need?

Send me your shipping address. Ill send you a flow gage.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

I was thinking that you two should trade. Flow gauge for regulator.

Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

Do I need it?

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

If you got that plasma cutter you do. It'll fit a nitrogen bottle as well as a argon bottle.

Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

Ok....I havent picked it up yet...but its mine

Gunner

Confronting Liberals with the facts of reality is very much akin to clubbing baby seals. It gets boring after a while, but because Liberals are so stupid it is easy work." Steven M. Barry