mixing gases

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Does anybody mix there own gasses, like argon and c02.I'm going to buy owner bottles and don't what to buy three or four tanks of premix for different processes.If this can be done , what would be the best way.Thanks.
Reply:you can buy mixing manifold centers from airgas, i would let them know what gases you will need and see what they can recommend for the best setupsStangnetShop Full Of Stuff. Joey
Reply:The first question is how much gas are you going to be using, and the second is how much is it worth to you to reduce stock. The BEST way is to buy a mixer unit, but you are looking at several hundred to several thousand dollars for this. You can get inexpensive mixing manifolds for a hundred ot two that wil do the job for two gas mixes that work ok, but won't necessarily hold a great mix.Probably cost more than a bottle or two.I Will ask why, tho. How many mixes do you use? I work in a fairly small shop, and have friends that work in shops from very small to large, high production, and don't know ANYONE that mixes their own gasses until you get to auto manufacturing plants. This may be in part due to the economy in the area (middle of NJ isn't exactly the industrial back woods, and whatever you need is available in a few hours), but mostly it is due to the reduced trouble. No worry about screwing up the mix at the mixer, no calibration, no complicated plumbing, etc. Need to change the mix, just swap the line from one regulator to hte next. Ten seconds. Will you save that much by reducing bottle inventory? Do you use more than three gasses on a regular basis? (I can rent a bottle for a day, a week, by the month, if I need a special mix for a single job) Do you need exotic mixes? If you are goinf to need three or four premix bottles, you will need at least three bottles of pure gas, and the cost of the mixer will be more than the cost of a bottle (if you care about a good mix. I you don't, then there isn;t a need for more than one or two gasses anyway)The shops that use mixers around here are shops that bottle gas (dealers and plants that bulk buy gas) and shops that run several welders off a common header on the same process and bulk buy (like auto plants, which purchase by the tank car load).Not to be negative, but I doubt it will be financially viable.