Who's using argon injection ???

Steven Kelly

Steven Kelly

Joined
Nov 18, 2007
Messages
277
I just got a new paragon H/T oven and am thinking I want to plumb it for argon. Anyone else using it??
 
Hi Steve - I tried it in my Paragon and determined it would be a lot cheaper and I think better to just buy foil. The expense plus the fact that the Paragon people don't have a clue on helping you out with anything to do with using argon. I spent about 2 bills for the argon gear and wish I had spent it on something else. Have you gone to Ed's just to use his new saw yet? Tom loves the one he got that day.
 
Hi Bill !!!!!!!!!!!

How's everything in the Rainy City??

Thanks for the argon info. I kinda wondered if it was gonna be all it was cracked up to be..
My biggest concern was decarb issues when the blades come out of the oven and into the heat sink.. Also known as that big ass piece of aluminum plat I stole when I was at Toms place...

I haven't been over to Ed's yet. I was supposed to go over this weekend and help him put a new floor in Cindy's kitchen. But now it is supposed to be 40 below here this weekend and I don't like driving in such warm weather!!
 
Paul Bos uses an Argon Retort to do his HT. It stops the decarb and you get clean blades. He does all SS HT but it can be applied to carbon also. You cannot expose some of the elements to the Argon Gas. Make sure yours will take it or make a retort that fits inside your oven. You can make it out of SS and it would last a very long time. It does not take that much Argon. just my .02
 
I use argon when the part doesn't lend itself to foil. Blades lend themselves to foil quite nicely. Foil is cheaper than argon, at least in my Lindbergh Blue, which is leaky.
 
Steven Kelly said:
Thanks Chuck and Nathan!!!

Nathan, How do you have your argon plumbed into the oven??
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There is a port in the back with a pipe thread. I added a barb fitting and I Teed into the argon line from a nearby TIG welder with a flow control.

There is an air escape vent on the top of the furnace (Argon is heavier than air) and the door is wedge shaped and seals (sort of) when closed.
 
My MIG welder uses 75% argon 25% CO2. I was hoping I could use that gas mix with a Paragon oven. Anybody know if that will work?
 
hoghvn said:
My MIG welder uses 75% argon 25% CO2. I was hoping I could use that gas mix with a Paragon oven. Anybody know if that will work?
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That was going to be my next question. I am assuming that Nathan is running a blend for his TIG. So, I would hope that it will be ok. I really didn't want to have to go out and buy another bottle...
 
Steven Kelly said:
That was going to be my next question. I am assuming that Nathan is running a blend for his TIG. So, I would hope that it will be ok. I really didn't want to have to go out and buy another bottle...
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Nope. I run 100% argon. I do a lot of prototype work and low volume production of different stuff, and I don't want to have to change the tanks out all the time. Argon works well for steel, titanium and aluminum, the blends really only work right for steel. I used to run helium for aluminum, but I found I like argon better for that too.

It is my understanding that CO2 does not work well for heat treat. A blend with 25% may be alright, I don't know.
 
Thanks again Nathan!!

Maybe what I'll do is wait until my bottle gets empty and then switch over to straight argon...


Steve
 
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