Using Paintball Cylinder for MIG

I think you are going to need a regulator for the CO2. Using a needle valve you could get the mixture right while the gas is flowing. But when the gas solenoid in the MIG welder was off the CO2 would keep on coming until it blew out something.

So I would look on Ebay for a CO2 regulator and while you are at it look for CO2 tanks and CO2 fire extinguishers. I expect some of the places that sell CO2 fire extinguishers would put in a valve as used for welding before they shipped.

A 20 lb CO2 cylinder is not all that expensive, and getting it filled is cheap compared to getting 20 refills of a 16 oz paintball tank.

Dan PS You can get an adapter to allow you to put your arg> I've got a 40 cuf argon bottle with a cheap lincoln electric mig, which

The problem is I haven't had to refill my argon cylinder yet in the half year I've had it, and the pressure is still high. Looking at my argon regulator, I realized that the entire inlet nut can be unscrewed, and it looks like a NPT fitting. So I buy a $15 CO2 tank, $5 hose with a 1/8" NPT fitting, a $20 regulator, and some fittings and pressure gauges for mixing the gasses, which couldn't be more than $70 total, versus a $100 co2 tank, and $20 regulator, not to mention the $30 in fittings. For what little welding I do, it would make sense to save the $50 and get a smaller tank. Any idea how to measure the flow of the gases? Would pressure gauges work?

The simplist thing I know of to check flow is a gallon zip lock bag. Time how long it takes to fill the bag and then do the math to convert from seconds per gallon to cubic feet per hour.

I don't know where you are, but I would try to find a CO2 tank in your local area because shipping costs money. But I would try some searches on Ebay. Both CO2 tank and CO2 cylinder. You might be able to score a

20 lb tank in your area for less than $25. I have found tanks at the local salvage yard, but not often. I think I had to pay $5 for the last one, plus $16.66 to get it hydrostat tested ( and of course some for getting gas, I swapped it for a 40 cft tank of C-25 ). I just think you would be happier in the long run with a 20 lb CO2 tank if it cost less than $30.

Dan

You might get it to work with two flometers and as equal pressure on each as possible.

Or, you can do like I do and run straight CO2 for mild steel. It's remarkably cheap, does a good job, some people seem to not like the fact it spatters a bit more but I don't really notice it. If I'm working on something really nice I'm going to hit it with the sander to get the spatter regardless, and if the work doesn't require that approach then it's no big deal.

John