Thread: "Cheaper" oxy-acetylene

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

On One side, you have high quality, european / US made wires with all the metalurgical certification to ensure that it's going to lay down the weld you want. Many times, a certifying engineer will specify a filler material (wire, rod etc) to meet a specification- usually the American Welding specification or the Australian/ NZ standard so that they can be assured of the quality of the material in the job.

So would the following be good, bad, or average?

AWS/ASME-SFA A5.18 ER70S-6

AS/NZS 14341-B G 49A 3U C S6, G 49A 3U M S6

Aaron

I don't understand your question. You've given a specification. The spec is what the spec is.

I guess an answer could be 'how good is the boilermaker' - can they produce a sound weld given the requirements of the joint to be made?

Is that specification near the middle or bottom of range of wire quality? It was less than half the price of the other more expensive wire. I was just curious as to if the wire was any good, seeing as you seemed to suggest that cheaper wires were of poor quality.

Aaron

You might be interested in this.
MIG Wire Selection

AWS / AS/NZ standard is a metallurgical standard. It is poorly policed, and in some manufacturing conditions, its a test on a whole crucible of metal which can have markedly different metallurgy between batches poured from this ladle.

Don't get me wrong, there is good quality and poor*er* quality products out there, each has their own place. I just don't see the logic of someone who gets concerned about the price of a premium product when their needs do not require a premium product. Akin to a customer walking into a porsche gallery wanting to buy a used car for under 10K.

On my own personal experience, If someone walked into my workplace and wanted Mig wire, not only could I show them 15+ different kinds, styles and probably blow their mind with all the specs and their applications, but they'd also be guaranteed a good product at a fair price. Many other suppliers will just point to the stack and ask how many you want, and their obligation to assisting you stops when the money hits their till.

That article was quite useful. It shows that there is more to MIG wire than just wire on a drum. It also explains some of the problems that I have been experiencing.

Aaron

In Queensland you can buy your own bottles from A mans Toy Shop or any speed gas outlet. I still have a full bottle, but I will be getting a speed gas bottle or a Bunnings one if they arrive up here. I know I can get Speed Gas if they dont.
http://www.amanstoyshop.com.au/produ....aspx?id=73911
Chris

Originally Posted by cafe latte

I know I can get Speed Gas if they dont.

Ahhh... they are still living in the good old days when you could sell mixed gases for $100 per cube.
What's the rent worth to you guys? $50 a cube? $75? $80? The 'rent' on these cylinders is IN the horrendously high gas charge per cubic meter, and the lump sum you slap on the table to get into the speed swap program. I'd love to see the fine print about the 'deposit'- I dare say it would be null and void when you try return a cylinder out of test... but conveniently speed gas have a broken link on the T&C's on their webpage.

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

Ahhh... they are still living in the good old days when you could sell mixed gases for $100 per cube.
What's the rent worth to you guys? $50 a cube? $75? $80? The 'rent' on these cylinders is IN the horrendously high gas charge per cubic meter, and the lump sum you slap on the table to get into the speed swap program. I'd love to see the fine print about the 'deposit'- I dare say it would be null and void when you try return a cylinder out of test... but conveniently speed gas have a broken link on the T&C's on their webpage.

Not sure I know what you are talking about.. A friend has bought his bottle and has had no issues. There is no rent, you buy the bottle and just pay for the gas, that is it.
Far better than I have been doing up to now.
Chris