Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all
I just finished getting my road runner running and my acetylene (which I my dad has had for 15yrs ) ran out I need more acetylene to restore my 53 split but there is no way I can afford the boc prices so does annyone know where I can get some more. I already have the bottles ( pre boc monopoly. Ba***rds

You will need to get an exchange refill through a Company with a BOC account. Yes - it's expensive.....

Do you know where I can do that around Somerset

You can't do it 'officially' unless you have a BOC account - hence you need to find a 'friendly' Company with a BOC account willing to do it for you.......

expensive and basically illegal unless you are registered,the bottles always belong to the company boc air products etc,you only hire them and buy the gas,Also your houshold insurance co wouln'd be very impressed if there was a fire.Just go and buy the best mig you can afford then you will have it for the next 15 years,less risk of fire and more practical than gas.

The bottles are from before boc owned all of them ( that's what my dad says ). For most of the time I agree about the mig but there's things that the mug just can't do e.g. Burn out nackared bushes or heat up stuck nuts.

Hello Kennatt,

"more practical than gas."

I have to disagree, a MIG is not versatile at all, whereas oxy\fuel has many pratical uses other than simple welding.

Acetylene rental and price depends on the size of bottle, and unless a lot of cutting is carried out a small bottle will last a very long time so is not overly expensive. You also need to rent a bottle and buy gas for your MIG (if used reasonably regularly).

Alec

Have you seen this site,,,,
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/show ... hp?t=11504

I wouldn't be without my oxy/acetylene set -it's MUCH better than Mig - but the gas is indeed expensive, so I use it as little as possible. Your local garage may be willing to get you a bottle if they have BOC acetylene - you can only ask......

Ive not used one of these so cant comment on how effective they are at welding but may be a better diy/home solution
http://www.migtigarc.co.uk/FlameKit/flamekit.html

Wasn't talking about the other uses of oxy/acet. was refering to welding,you can't tell me that if you were welding bodywork you would use gas if you had a mig or tig,I used to have both and found that the gas was only ever used to free up rusted nuts,then I had a small fire ,allthough I managed easily to put it out myself(You all do have good extinguishers as well as gas)someone in good faith called the fire brigade,they attended saw the gas bottles and were not best pleased to find I had a potential bomb in a residential area surrounded by houses.One of the lads said that when they go off they take off like a misile and they usually run like hell cos they don't know where they are going to strike.When the insurance co got round to refusing my claim,on the basis that I hadn't informed them that I had flamable substances stored in the garage(They had got a report from the fire brigade),and that it was clear that the garage was being used as a workshop ,I decided that the tripple increase in the premium to cover commercial use was too steep.Got rid of the gas and bought one of those high output blow torches,hot enough to braze and loosen rusty nut and burn out bushes,but everyone to their own,whatever floats your boat as they say.

There is some defence in only allowing people to hire the gas cylinders rather than refilling their own unless you get your cylinders tested periodically. I don't know what pressure they use for acetylene, but with scuba cylinders they must be tested (visual/pressure) every couple of years or you'll get refused a fill if the test is out of date. Damaged cylinders can explode during filling and that's dangerous enough with air never mind anything flammable.

An acetylene cylinder that has either been heated by an external source, or self heated due to impact must be treated as a potential bomb. There will be an immediate cordon of 200 metres around the location of the cylinder which will be in place for 24 hours. Your friends/neigbours (now ex) will be able to sue you for lost business, hotel costs etc etc.
I used to have 2 full size cylinders, but have now given them away and use mig. I know it is not so versatile, and I do think gas produces a better/neater weld (must be me).
Over 30 years in the Fire Service and attending plenty acetylene incidents encouraged me to get rid when the latest procedures for dealing with then were brought in (approx 8 years ago I think).
Remember, that not only are the cylinders tested, but your hoses, flashback arrestors, blow back valves etc have got to be serviced regularly to keep you safe.

Pete

exactly why no private garage should have large gas cylinders,unless you live in the wilds of scotland

Hello Pete,

while there are hazards with acetylene it would seem that they have been exagerated, you may like to look at this:- http://www.proactivegassafety.com/conte ... ene_update.

At least I don't have to live in the wilds of Scotland, i only have small bottles.

Alec

here is a question for you i have gas bottles as well 2 large and 2 small as in a porta pack i do not have an account but the guy next to me has. question is he has 2 large bottles on account does it have to be 2 large bottles that go back to be exchanged or with him having an account can i get the small ones exchanges.

regards
scot

Hello Scot,

if BOC then I think it has to be like for like?

Alec

Alec wrote:Hello Pete,

while there are hazards with acetylene it would seem that they have been exagerated, you may like to look at this:- http://www.proactivegassafety.com/conte ... ene_update.

At least I don't have to live in the wilds of Scotland, i only have small bottles.

Alec

Alec, I've got to agree with you as I argued with a Home Office woman at a seminar that I considered the new procedures to be ott.
However, when they do go bang it ain't pleasant. I was on a course at the Fire Service College when it was announced at our lunch that an acetylene cylinder had exploded killing a firefighter (may have been 2, but it's a while back).
With current guidelines, I'd not be comfortable with using it in my domestic garage from a litigation perspective.
They have been known to go bang after quite a while under water apparently. When I look back on how we manhandled heated cylinders to place them in a dam I sometimes cringe, but fortunately with a safe outcome.

Pete

Hello Pete,

yes I understand the hazards, but with a lifetime in engineering and with Oxy\acetylene being commonplace in all workshops, I cannot recollect any incidents whatsoever?

Alec

I have seen one with flames shooting out the top..........but it didn't explode. It is VERY important to use a Flashback Arrestor - and I put my cylinders outdoors when welding. Also v important to secure them correctly so they can't fall over. When my dear wife announced the Fire Service were coming to 'inspect' the house.........I had to quickly get the cylinders up into the greenhouse at the top of the garden........
And yes - the chap with the BOC account can ONLY get replacements for the size (and gas type) of cylinder he has on his account. And yes - they are dead sharp on this - there is no way round it.