Acetylene Prices?

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My neighbor stoppped by after being at the nearest LWS, they told him that Acetylene prices have skyrocketed due to the only Acetylene plant in the US (kentucky) blew up! I personally don't know what to think. Is it an excuse for a price increase or what?
Reply:According to the web, the explosion at Carbide Industries (the only producer of calcium carbide in the United States) happened in in Louisville, Kentucky on March 21, 2011.TSC stores in Canada sell Praxair gases.Here's the history of TSC stores Canada full retail prices (from flyers) for a swap out of their largest size WQ (60 cubic foot) acetylene owner-cylinder over the last 1.5 years.$69.99 June ?? 2010$69.99 July 23 2010$69.99 Sept 3 2010$69.99 Oct 15 2010$69.99 Feb 24 2011$69.99 March 11 2011Carbide Plant Explosion - March 21, 2011$74.29 March 31 2011$74.29 April 14 2011$74.29 April 29 2011$74.29 June 10 2011$74.29 June 23 2011$74.29 Aug 11 2011$74.29 Sept 2 2011$74.29 Oct 21 2011Clearly the price jumped after the March 21 2011 explosion.However, the effect for the small volume purchaser here has been minimal - only about 6%.Rick V 1 Airco Heliwelder 3A/DDR3 CTC 70/90 amp Stick/Tig Inverters in Parallel1 Lincoln MIG PAK 151 Oxy-Acet
Reply:thread where a lot of this was discussed at the time.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=52806.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:supply and demand. no doubt some lws are going to price gouge. tells you which ones to stay away from. makes some calls.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:Buy some propane tips, grab your 20lb. BBQ cylinder, and never look back!"Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Originally Posted by Stick-manBuy some propane tips, grab your 20lb. BBQ cylinder, and never look back!
Reply:Originally Posted by jbmprodsgreat if you are heating or cutting but good luck laying a bead with it. i thought about setting up a o/p rig but the manager of the local air gas told me not to worry about the acetylene shortage or the price and he has been good to his word. since i have four o/a rigs set up i don't worry about running out on the weekend. i have never used o/p. can you weld aluminum with o/p?
Reply:Originally Posted by Stick-manTrue, that's why I kept a little 75cu ft acetylene cylinder. It will sit there until I decide to try gas welding!
Reply:Originally Posted by jbmprodswell Sticky now that you let Tbone know you have it you may never get to try it.
Reply:I think and quite a while ago the manager at a lws told me that most of the cost in gasses in the cylinder is handling and not really the gas.  I don't know about at the height of the shortage but now it seems for me kind of the walk in with no salesman price is $35 for a 40 cubic foot exhcange of an owner tank and $35 per 100 cubic feet on a leased one.  Some places add fees they don't put in a quote and some don't charge any fees at all. For the lease tanks I much prefer dealing with an outfit that prices by the cubic foot than the cylinder size.
Reply:Fuel gases are like beer. Different beers don't get jealous of each other. You can use one fuel gas (or drink a beer) right in front of a different one and it doesn't complain.Propane is dandy for bouncing around in a truck on the way to scrap runs, and has no overdraw/pressure issues feeding large rosebuds or cutting tips. Since the only difference in required equipment is tips, no problem. I like acetylene too, and I have more cylinders than I need simply by being alert and letting my buds know I want them. "Obsolete process" don't ya know!
Reply:Back to the origional poster's dilema of whether a shortage of product is a fair reason for prices to skyrocket.  Now I didn't purchace any acetylene when there was an issue but think of it this way.  You run a furit stand selling apples oragnes and bananas.  All of a sudden you can only get bananas and not as many as before on monday but still get deliveries as before for the other fruits on wednesdays and fridays.  Your rental of the roadside spot is still the same, it might be tough not to jack up the price of the apples and oranges as well.As to digressing into the propane substitution.  I find propane is better on the internet than in my experience.  It seems to work fine for me with a track device for cutting but popane substituted for acetylene in my experience and experimentation is not as nice. In a number of ways and that includes using specifically designed torch or torch internals not just the tip.   I have posted a picture whith a source in it which to my amazement there seems on the internet a tendency to lecture folks about overdrawing an acetylene cylinder and saying anything goes with a 20 lb barbecue type tank. Attached Images
Reply:I just paid $40.65 for an MC of acetylene (exchange) at Airgas in Knoxville, TN.The guy behind the counter made all the noises about "the April explosion at Carbide Industries" being the culprit behind the more than doubling of the price.  They are the only manufacturer in the USA and they won't be back on line till at least July."Also, they charge $5.75 for "Hazmat Flat rate" AND a Product Surcharge $1.00AND a Volume Surcharge $0.24Got home, did some googling - the plant blew up in April 2011.It lit up the new furnaces in March 2012.I called them atCarbide Industries LLC4400 Bells LaneLouisville, KY 40211(800) 626 - 2578 / (502) 775 - 4100They are & have been shipping all orders on time, per sales.I told her what Airgas said & was charging and she laughed - but then said she really couldn't comment on another company.I called the manager at Knoxville Airgas and complained about the price.  He gave me the same story as the counter guy.  When I told him about the research, he got to talking  about recouping expenses and said he knew nothing about Carbide Industries re-starting.  Also, more hoopla about Hazmat & surcharges.He offered a refund & I will be taking him up on that.Especially since Holston Gas price is less than 1/2 of Airgas.I recommend you do the same.BTW - googling calcium carbide manufacturers USA gives 9 Alibaba "hits".Some are vitamin supplements, but several are manufacturers.So much for the "sole source" bull.
Reply:BOC (British Oxygen Company) are having the same problem in the UK, Supplies are being brought in from abroad until they can build a new plant,thats what the manager at my local depot told me just 3 weeks agoLincoln SP-170 MigHypertherm powermax 45Lorch T220 AC/DC TigButters FM 215 synergic MigKemppi 180 adaptive mig RULES ARE FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FOOLS AND THE  GUIDANCE OF WISE MEN.
Reply:I went to my local Airgas last week and the guy told me that Acetylene is as available and reasonably priced as it was last summer.No shortage or price gouging here.
Reply:In Australia, BOC gases charge $190.05 for 113 cubic feet of Acatylene.That is known as an "E" size cylinder over here, 3.2 cubic meters capacity.One years cylinder rental is $183.00.To pick up one E sized oxygen, and one E sized acetylene, and pay a years rental in advance comes to $565.00And you guys are complaining ?Cheers,  Tony._________________________________Transmig 310 + Argoshield LightOxy acetyleneOxy propanePrehistoric stick welder_________________________________
Reply:Originally Posted by ueritaGroI much prefer dealing with an outfit that prices by the cubic foot than the cylinder size
Reply:I use the largest owner sizes I can get. Cylinder rental isn't worth it. Systematic cylinder hunting will eventually yield plenty of cylinders.Large LP cylinders are cheap to own too.
Reply:Acetylene has not lived on my truck in 7 years, I use propylene, or propane. For cutting and heating it is leaps and bounds better than that old dinosaur gas. I can run a rosebud the size of silver dollar off my 30 pound propylene tank and not have to worry about it, and if I run out propane works with the same tips, oh yeah it is cheap too.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Seems to depend on the supplier.Here I'm paying 43 dollars for 127cf (the number of cf depends on the age of the tank and the acetone still in it I believe, has to do with the packing inside the tank I think )I use "owner tanks" as far as oxygen goes, and 125cf is 13 dollarsAll of the prices are including hazmat fee.Wayne at the LWS gave me my propane tanks (2), they're old chemtane tanks.  Was cool of the guy.  Chipped them in when I bought my first set of propane heating tips and the new regulators.  Of course he's no dummie  I'm now using massive amounts of oxygen   Had to buy 2 new O2 cylinders to run the rosebuds   They set you back 230 bucks apiece "Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Sam I pay 12 bucks for my 330 oxy fills and 25 bucks for 30 pounds of propylene/chemtane. Acetylene is almost 90 bucks for a comparably sized tank, If I am doing a big scraping job I will get a LOX and 100 pounders, and not worry about running out.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:I have a propane tip that fits my Victor handle, I've never fooled with it, I think it's time to run it and see how I like it.  The LWS will buy back my Acetylene tank if I decide to chuck it in favor of propane."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:my local lws  techair .. yesterdday...,,,130 cf acetylene $ 97   154 cf ox  $42...
Reply:If I am doing a big scraping job I will get a LOX and 100 pounders, and not worry about running out.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmallI use the largest owner sizes I can get. Cylinder rental isn't worth it. Systematic cylinder hunting will eventually yield plenty of cylinders.Large LP cylinders are cheap to own too.This is a bit off topic but just for the information side, I use a Multiplaz plasma welder for all my heating needs....no oxy....no acc just electricity, and that gives you 8,000 deg C heating capacity.Ian.