Old O2 cylinder

I looked at the dates stamped on the oxygen cylinder I'm currently using. Oldest date stamped is 5.28 meaning the cylinder is at least that old, May 1928. The 5.28 could also be the first test date making the cylinder over 100 years old, 1923. Cylinders used to require testing every 5 years but later on 10 year tests became the norm. The dot between the 5 and 28 is a little suspect for being a weak spot. Probably why the other dates don't have it. Wondering if anyone else has come across 100 year old cylinders?

Welder Dave said: I looked at the dates stamped on the oxygen cylinder I'm currently using. Oldest date stamped is 5.28 meaning the cylinder is at least that old, May 1928. The 5.28 could also be the first test date making the cylinder over 100 years old, 1923. Cylinders used to require testing every 5 years but later on 10 year tests became the norm. The dot between the 5 and 28 is a little suspect for being a weak spot. Probably why the other dates don't have it. Wondering if anyone else has come across 100 year old cylinders? Click to expand... I have a cylinder dated from 1937. It failed visual last year when I took it in for exchange. It was one my dad had in his barn for who knows how long. Last test date was 1987.

This cylinder is as good as new. If it could only talk...

Here in the States, all oxygen cylinders are green.

Most are green here too. I never looked at the last date. The cylinders aren't mine. A guy that was originally helping with my oval track owned the cylinders. Interestingly the cylinders are lease cylinders and were never offered for sale. He bought them off a guy at a large shop. I'm not paying $200+ea. a year to lease cylinders for what little cutting I do. I've got some smaller cylinders that are customer owned cylinders.

Shimmy1 said: Here in the States, all oxygen cylinders are green. Click to expand... I thought that too, but my current O2 bottle is blue.

Where I work the bottle is marked 1917 first test date.

I was running a dozer in a railroad switching yard that had been stripped of all the iron and left unused by the railroad company that owned it for over 30 years. They were going to renovate it into an intermodel yard. I uncovered a large acetylene cylinder and a large (5ft. high) oxygen tank. Both tanks were in excellent condition. The acetylene tank still had pressure in it. I brought them home and took them to a local welding supply store and asked if I could exchange them for fresh ones. They looked at the test dates on them and said they needed to be retested. I filled out and signed a printed form they had. It stated I didn't know who owned them and that I found them abandoned. I went home with a smaller acetylene tank and a big oxygen tank. They also gave me a document that stated that I owned the ones that I left with. I have exchanged them many times for refilled tanks since then.

Once had O2 bottle with swastika stamped into inspection # area, must have been certified by the Third Reich.

stinky64 said: Once had O2 bottle with swastika stamped into inspection # area, must have been certified by the Third Reich. Click to expand... Thats more common than I thought it would be. A buddy of mine had one too. We had to look it up to see what that was about.

I imagine Germany did a ton of O/A welding during WW II just like the allies did. I think I've seen a swastika cylinder but can't remember. I worked at a few welding supplies. There are millions of cylinders out there, maybe billions. Have seen some old CO2 cylinders too. Cylinders don't really wear out. Acetylene cylinders lose the acetone and the level needs to be checked when they are filled. That's why they aren't all the same price or shouldn't be the same price. On a large cylinder there can be a big difference in the volume of acetylene. I think the porous material in acetylene cylinders can breakdown over time too. Acetylene cylinders typically aren't as old as high pressure cylinders because back in the day portable acetylene generators were quite common. It's harder to read the dates on black acetylene cylinders too.

There was an acetylene generator for sale on Marketplace locally this summer. I had never seen one before and had to look them up. According to the ad, it was still functional and worked well.

There were a couple acetylene generators at the same place as some old equipment I went to see including a Euclid TC-12 and mint Oliver OC18. You can still buy acetylene generators but it's mostly larger shops buying them. They are much safer than the older models. The biggest issue even with commercial acetylene filling stations is getting rid of the paste type substance left after the acetylene is produced. It's hazardous waste that can't just be dumped in a landfill. That's why there's not many acetylene producers.

I’ve never seen an original, unmolested, German Linde bottle before with the swastika still in place. Most of them got re-stamped with a dash "-" punch to square the logo.

Probably depends who's filling/testing the cylinder. I'd imagine most would be modified to try to hide the swastika but a few slipped through.

History buffs and metal artists are searching for them.

colson04 said: There was an acetylene generator for sale on Marketplace locally this summer. I Click to expand... Ford dealer in my old home town had one, it created a skylight one evening. I know a oxy bottle makes a nice torpedo in a river.

Coaldust said: I’ve never seen an original, unmolested, German Linde bottle before with the swastika still in place. Most of them got re-stamped with a dash "-" punch to square the logo. Click to expand... Mine was in fact a Linde bottle. At the time was more interested in full bottle than historic value when swapped. What's the deal were those bottles made in Germany? We had a pretty large Linde factory/complex here in Buffalo years ago.

Truck Shop said: I know a oxy bottle makes a nice torpedo in a river. Click to expand... Kid I went high school with found a big cylinder while floating the Yakima River, he went back with his dads 308--two shots later it was buzzing down river then ricocheted off a couple of large boulders and headed back up stream, the Steelhead were ducking.

Truck Shop said: Ford dealer in my old home town had one, it created a skylight one evening. I know a oxy bottle makes a nice torpedo in a river. Click to expand... Doesn't have to be in a river! Propane is safer than acetylene but what I don't understand is why places selling/filling don't give a safe handling and use brochure or booklet with it. It is literally boiling at below -40 and if leaks will cause severe burns. Tanks are filled to 80% capacity to allow for expansion in the heat but there should still be warnings to keep it away from sources of heat like furnaces or heaters.