As recorded in a separate recent question, I have just bought a pretty flash TIG welder as a Christmas present to myself and am now planning the next steps. Thanks to several respondents, my questions about TIG suitable auto darkening helmets have been very adequately answered.

Now, the next and probably last question is about what size argon cylinder should I get at the start when I expect to be doing lots of practice.

Cost is less of an issue to me than the weight of the cylinder 'cos even though I have always prided myself that I have been a strong dude, to think that I am now, at age seventy, capable of lifting what I was able to lift twenty years ago would be an old man delusionally romancing with himself.


So, my choices are probably limited to what Bunnings have on offer. Why Bunnings? 'Cos I cannot tell that there is an awful lot of difference in prices for the gas itself across the few suppliers that I have seen online and Bunnings is a pretty uncomplicated retailer to deal with for the average DIY mug.

Bunnings sell the gas in two sizes: D size @ 17.3 kg weight all up and E size @ 44.5 kg all up. I have a high rider single cab/chassis Isuzu ute with a tray back and I shall be loading and unloading the gas bottle off that ute. I assume that some young fit bloke at Bunnings will help me load a full gas bottle onto the ute at the shop but am conscious that manipulating the bottle off the ute at home might be a handful. 17.3kg won't be a problem but a big ungainly 44.5kg bottle might be. I recall lifting a 60 kg TV once when I was much younger and it was not pretty to watch me doing that.

What would be the advice of people be gas usage for a beginner who plans doing lots of practice learning how to TIG weld, please? Would I be unwise just getting the D size bottle ( 2.1 cu m ) or should I get the bigger size that Bunnings have, viz the E size (4.9 cu m argon)?

I know that commercial welders get bigger bottles than these and that they would last quite a while for a mug amateur but I won't kid myself that I could manoeuvre such bottle on and off my ute on my own.

All advice most gratefully and graciously appreciated.


Read the full thread at metalworkforums.com...