Rant: stop pretending Harbor Freight slag is okay for pressure vessels

I was at the fab shop down in Port Arthur last Tuesday and watched a guy try to weld up an old propane tank with a flux-core from a cheap 110v machine. The slag was popping off in chunks and he just kept going. I told him that tank is gonna fail hydrotest and he laughed at me. Three days later I heard it split right at the weld seam during a pressure check. He could have killed himself or someone else. Why do people think thin cheap filler metal is fine for anything holding 200 PSI? I get wanting to save a buck but not on stuff that can blow. Is there a job site out there where they actually enforce using proper rods for code work?

3 comments

3 Comments

lewis.finley5d ago

Why would you NEED a proper rod for a simple pressure test anyway? I've seen guys run flux-core on air compressor tanks for YEARS without a single issue, and those things see way more cycles than a propane bottle. Harbor Freight filler is fine if you actually know how to control your heat input and not lay a bead that looks like pigeon droppings. The real problem is people blaming the tool instead of admitting they dont know how to set a machine properly.

robin5914d ago

Nothing but truth right there, Lewis. Seen way too many bad welders blame the filler lol.

jenny475d ago

Right, blame the rod when your beads look like a bird's been at it.