Originally Posted by kip Foss

I have been oxy welding since about 1958 and have worked many, many years here in the States and overseas as a welder and cutter.

A few suggestions;
Be careful when buying an oxy bottle. You will see many advertised in local 'Ad Sack' type newspapers. The chances are good that they are the large industrial type bottles. These can not be bought and sold by induviduals. These remain the property of the gas company whose name is on the bottle and if you take them into be filled they will confiscate them as stolen. These companies can get very nasty about individuals having these bottles. Basically you are in possession of stolen property.

If you buy 'hobby' type bottles make sure that they are 'in date', i.e., that they have a current hydro test date. The hydro test used to be good for 5 years but that may have changed. This date is stamped around the neck of the bottle. There may be more than one date. Check for the latest.

The standard hobby oxy bottle is about 4' tall and 7" in diameter. I think it is called a no. 4 bottle. It costs about $15 to fill.

Be careful with acetylene bottles. These bottles are about 40" tall and 8" in dia. Used to be that the hobby bottle did not require proof of ownership but now this size is being used in industry and to prevent theft the gas cos. are requiring this proof. Here in Texas the bottles must have a white plastic collar around the top with your name on it.

When you buy second hand bottles be sure to get a bill of sale. In the over all a receipt from an individual won't stand up in court if the gas cos. confiscate your bottles but it will help get them refilled w/o too much hassel.

Before you buy any bottles make sure that your local gas com. will refill them. Don't just call them. Take the bottles over there and make sure. It won't be any fun to find out that the bottles that you just paid $200 for won't make good flower pots.

If you are getting an oxy rig mostly for cutting you might look into a plasma cutting rig. They are expensive, about $1200, but can be run off your air compressor and make a much better cut than oxy. On the other hand you can only cut with them, you can't heat or weld with them. But you can cut stainless with plasma and you can't with an oxy rig. On the other hand how much stainless do you need to cut?

Oxy welding is interesting but not much used now days. Tig and mig welding is much more common and easier.

The advantage of oxy is that you can braze and solder with it. You can also do this with an electric welder using carbon rods but it takes a LOT of practice.

Good luck.