Thread: C02 for Mag Welding

Originally Posted by RustyArc

Hi Grahame - I was referring to johncar's post where he asked why people "avoid paying for the correct gas". I should have quoted him to avoid ambiguity and I apologise for any confusion.

Sorry please excuse my choice of words, easy to be offended by text being why perhaps so many arguements start on forums and things, didn't mean to come across that way.
Shouldn't have said "correct gas" Maybe "recommended" or "Industry standard" would have been better. There are so many variables in our personal applications and our priorities, it will always cause good debates I guess.
I think so long as anyone who is thinking about setting up for gas shielding they get a balance of different ideas and experiences it is all good.
I too will convert to a good alternative in a blink if I can save a few $$ on my bottle rentals. Thanks everyone for the info on the CO2 setup details..

Found this little comparison when looking around the web for gas info, might be useful if anyone hasn't seen it..

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/welding-gas.htm

Originally Posted by johncar

Maybe "recommended" or "Industry standard" would have been better.

Just as an aside, even within the mixed Argon/CO2 gases there are different mixing percentages for different applications (normally based on metal thickness being welded).

So in theory (there is that word again ) using the same mixed gas to weld 1mm steel and to also weld 10mm steel is probably not necessarily recommended or industry standard. However I'm guessing that much like using straight CO2, you can still get quite acceptable results when you venture outside what is recommended.

I will just shutup, can't get into so much trouble then.

No need to get bent out of shape. I'm simply making the point that when it comes to hobby welders it's rare that they have (or can afford, for that matter) the correct/recommended/industry standard gear and consumables to do every single type of welding job that they inevitably do ... and in some cases they may not even realise that they are in fact working outside the recommended range.

We often have to make do with what we have, but we can, with care, successfully complete a job using gear that may not be perfectly suited to the job at hand.

No I am not bent out of shape at all, just missunderstood, I am agreeing with you 100%. Whatever works for everyone is good, there is no one way to do anything..
The discussion is great because it points out the pro's and con's of different set ups. I was just saying I prefer to use the typical gas mixes and although there is a cost involved, for me it is worth it and I likened it to a burger and coke once a week. Someone else said what they did as a cheaper option which is great, That's the power of public forums