Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

Hey guys,

I just swapped my B tank out for a full one at Tractor Supply and look what they gave me.

Is this as old as I think it is?

The valve is offset, there's two plugs in the bottom of the tank and it says "Preso-Lite" on the side.

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

Maybe not!
Is that a 1946 build date?

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

Not sure, I see a few numbers there.

Like 32-11.

What I'm confused by is I've heard many claim you can't get these tanks refilled etc.

How, and why did Tractor Supply have a nice blue (apparently their color) painted one all filled up and ready to go?

Is this going to be a nightmare for me to swap down the road? :confused:

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

Probably not if you bring it back to TractorSupply.

Keep your receipt.

Its the "old" tanks with the brass pressure gauge hidden in the bottom that can't be refilled. This tank may be one of these with the pressure gauge removed and the tank reconditioned.

Joe K

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

as long as it passes a hydro test . I have an argon tank that was manufactured in 1940 , it gets tested every 5 years .

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

Someone once told me that welding tanks have an arbitrary service limit, which is 100 years!
What a nuisance...if you buy a new one, your grandchildren may not be able to get it filled!

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

Bruce, your children probably could get it filled in 100 years if you go with them.

Gas bottles seem to hang around as long as they pass the hydro. test;

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps7729efb3.jpg

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

That Prest-O-Lite you have has the old style fine valve on it. Folks that use a POL to run their gas headlights can just "crack" that valve open without using a regulator. These old POLs show up mixed in with the new style center valve B tanks.

There are a lot of these POL tanks out there so I just swap my empty POLs with AirGas or PraxAir when I need one for my '14. I prefer to use a small Uniweld regulator and it makes keeping the headlight flames adjusted easier. Western will fill those tanks as long as they can be certified.

Last time I got a tank from AirGas they had two in their stack. One was a fine valve and the other a modern coarse valve.

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

Wow!
So I won't have any problems if I try to swap this tank with AirGas?
That was a huge concern of mine.

I'd love to see some pictures of some original acetylene lights in use.

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

The acetylene lights are very reliable and easy to use with a Prest-O-Lite tank. Light up for the kerosene and acetylene lamps takes about three to four minutes. In the picture, I had just re-lit in the parking lot of the store before driving home. I normally leave the kerosene side and tail light lit unless it is a gasoline stop.

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

Do you know what the reverse swastika means? I had a hydrogen tank with one of them on it, and a 1912 date, wondered what it's history was.

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

It was an old American Indian symbol. Many companies used it as their logo before the Nazi's adopted the reverse image and then everyone distanced themselves from anything that resembled it. Likely in this case it is the logo of the company that inspected and filled the bottle on that date. Your hydrogen bottle was no doubt inspected and filled by the same company.

Re: Really really old Acetylene tank?
 

I suppose the Native Americans may have used it, but it's history is far larger than that.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika


The swastika (as a character 卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious symbol used in the Indian subcontinent, East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is also a historic symbol found in almost every culture with different significance.[2][3] It is known outside Asia as the Hakenkreuz, gammadion cross, cross cramponnée, croix gammée, fylfot, or tetraskelion. A swastika generally takes the form of a symmetrically arranged equilateral cross with four legs each bent at 90 degrees.[4][5] It is found in the archeological remains of the Indus Valley Civilization and Mesopotamia, as well as in early Byzantine and Christian artwork.[2][3]


The name Swastika comes from Sanskrit (Devanagari: स्वस्तिक), and denotes a "conducive to well being or auspicious".[6][3] The clockwise swastika is a sacred and auspicious symbol in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.[2] In Hinduism, the clockwise symbol is called swastika symbolizing surya (sun) and prosperity, while the counter clockwise symbol is called sauvastika symbolizing night or tantric aspects of Kali.[3] In Jainism, a swastika is the symbol for Suparshvanatha – the 7th of 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers and saviours), while in Buddhism it symbolizes the auspicious footprints of the Buddha.[3][7][8]