Helium Shortage?

[concretecowboy71]

Has anybody else had any issues with this?

Airgas almost would not sell me a tank today when I went to buy some.

I cut 5-6 days a week and go through a tank about every 3 months.

Any ideas how to conserve/minimize usage?

Will we be able to find some kind of replacement or are we just up the creek?

[dietrich10]

How big your tank?
I cut 3-5 days a week and tank lasts at least 6 months

how much psi you have it set for?

[mossboss]

I would not worry to much about it my friend
They are gouging us at present for extra $$$$$
Any way it used to be Collected from the top of the furnace in steel making plants
Blast furnaces so if there is a closing down of a blast furnace such as has taken place in the USA as in other places in the world therefore a shortage
Balloon gas if it is cheaper is fine so check this out
Cheers

[Serif]

Praxair delivered. Hard to get the gauge I wanted, since only needed to see around 0 psi. But the Harris shows plenty (0-30?) and they mated the brass elbow connector directly to the gauge.

Interesting factoid (and not that it truly matters...). Seems they don't want us calling the vessels which contained compressed gases, tanks. Preferred is cylinder, and familiar is bottle. The tank is I think an open top vessel, by definition, or sumsing like zis.






Cool runnings,
- S. C. Futperhour

[concretecowboy71]

The guys told me that they have already stopped selling gas for balloons.

I set my regulator as low as it will go in terms of psi, but will keep working with it to see if I can squeeze more life out of a tank.

[jjgolden]

Some people may cringe,...and take this at your own discretion but:

If there's not a a lot of high end energy, (4k and up) and your not cutting
hot levels, then you can save helium by not using it in those cases.
Just be sure your familiar with the material prior to cutting so there's no high frequency surprises.

JJG

[concretecowboy71]

Yes, I was thinking that also.

An interesting note is that my version of the manual for the VMS-70 says that helium is optional.

Any thoughts on this?

[opcode66]

The machine was made to cut at levels much lower than we generally cut these days. Thus the statement that Helium is optional. But, when cutting at levels of 0VU to +3VU (barried needle) you seriously want Helium.

[jjgolden]

Yea, it's always been optional, much in the way that using the acceleration limiter is optional, but it's there if you need it. I usually keep in mind that
heat is not a friend to the cutter head, and base helium decisions around that. Better safe than out of business though.


JJG

[dietrich10]

maybe we will need to rob some clowns!

[concretecowboy71]

I said something like that to the helium guys and they did not seem so amused.

I think I said "I bet there are some angry clowns out there right now..."

[markrob]

Hi,

In the AES anthology, Hydrogen gas was used in the original Neumann SX series design. Its thermal conductivity is very close to that of helium. I recall reading in the paper that the main problem was the corrosiveness. It wasn't mentioned, but the flammability could be a concern as well. Not sure how the price stacks up to helium, but it might be a short term solution.

Mark

[Serif]

Not sure about the Neumann heads, but the Ortofon manual says that the DSS can operate with about twice the power using Helium as without. It also states that Hydrogen is the ideal gas, in terms of its thermal-conducting properties, but, due to safety concerns, Helium is preferred. Led Zep, anyone? It also states that other gases can be used, without naming them. Hard to believe there's no Helium in Cleveland when there's some in Cincinnati...

I read that the bottle has to be strapped to the wall or some heavier object to hold it up in case it wants to fall over. The regulator can get knocked off as it hits the ground, or something else, turning the bottle into a projectile ordinance in the cutting room. A belt or chain will do, more than half way up the bottle, but below its shoulders...





- Chip Swarf

[opcode66]

I have tank stands. They hold the tanks upright. You would have to tackle it to knock it over. If you want to go overboard you can strap them to the wall.

[mossboss]

Hydrogen as well as Helium will and they do leak through the threads on the neck of the cylinders as well as any connections all the way to the head
They are the smallest atoms known therefore they will escape via the threads as well as miss matched sealing faces or even well matched ones
Our biggest issue is not the lack or cost of the gas but the rental of the bottle which is around the$16 per month
Yes they are dangerous when they fall over and snap the neck they do become projectiles and they are damn dangerous
I have seen it with a bottle of oxygen not a nice sight
The manual also tells all in the 70,s that it is not worth turning the gas on and off as the cost of it was low enough as well as the quantity low enough to let it flow through the head at all times over about 3 months if memory serves me well
I am not aware of any other gas ever being used at present or in the past but if it becomes necessary I am sure there would be some other inert gas that would prove to be good enough for the task

[andybee]

it is also possible, to cool with air, instead of helium:

[Nickou]

with air !
Andy , did you test it ?
it is so evident than I never thaught about it.

yes I agree with JJ, helium is a option.
I did not bought any bottle since years , and when I have a problem , I cut at halfspeedd ...


But I also think than it is not bad for the drive coils to have some ...

[petermontg]

Evidence that jayDC had a happy xmas so.....

[andybee]

no, I did not test it, but it sounds logical!
air is the number one medium for cooling anywhere
.... soo.... why not...

[dietrich10]

Helium here went up 10%