<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt">Yep, those guys are good. They gave me a similar good deal on CO2 and
compressed nitrogen a while back, and stayed open late for me to be able
to pick it up on a hectic Friday evening. They get a big thumbs up for
helping out in a pinch. <blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Reed Kennedy <reed@notfine.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Christie Dudley <longobord@gmail.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> NoiseBridge Discuss <Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net>; Andy Isaacson <adi@hexapodia.org><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Mon, December 6, 2010 2:25:19 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Noisebridge-discuss] Buying quality helium (Spacebridge folks?)<br></font><br><meta http-equiv="x-dns-prefetch-control" content="off">Awesome. Thanks
everybody. <div><br></div><div>I called up Sal at Airgas in SF and we came to an arrangement. I am going to give him a cash deposit of $150 per tank + regulator and pay for fills of 99.5% pure helium. In exchange, he's agreed to not charge me for the tank rentals and refund my full deposit when I'm done, so long as I bring them back nice and early next week. This seems pretty awesome to me.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div>Reed<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Dec 4, 2010 at 2:02 PM, Christie Dudley <span dir="ltr"><<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:longobord@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:longobord@gmail.com">longobord@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">When I set up the tank rental for Spacebridge, I went to Atlas welding supply in Berkeley, not only because they're open on Saturday (although that was a consideration), but because they had better prices and more helpful staff than anywhere else around. They're great at answering your questions. We debated to a fair extent renting vs. buying, and after some discussion about trading in and commitment and damage to the tanks, it just made more sense renting vs. buying. A full tank of helium was about $100, which is enough to fill about 1.5 balloons. They do not offer any smaller tanks.<div>
<br></div><div>Christie<br clear="all">_______<br><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">"It is the time you have lost for your rose that makes your rose so important."</span><div>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Antoine de Saint-Exupéry</span></div><div><div></div><div class="h5">
<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Dec 3, 2010 at 7:52 PM, Sean Cusack <span dir="ltr"><<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:sean.p.cusack@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:sean.p.cusack@gmail.com">sean.p.cusack@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
Airgas in South San Francisco may have what you need. And they do sell pure as in 99.999% pure helium. Prepare to pay for it though. We typically use it in our labs for some fancy pants chemistry equipment.<br><br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.airgas.com/customer_service/site_locator.aspx">http://www.airgas.com/customer_service/site_locator.aspx</a><br>
<font color="#888888">
<br>Sean</font><div><div></div><div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Dec 3, 2010 at 4:38 PM, Andy Isaacson <span dir="ltr"><<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:adi@hexapodia.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:adi@hexapodia.org">adi@hexapodia.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div></div><div>On Fri, Dec 03, 2010 at 04:07:19PM -0800, Josh Myer wrote:<br>
> Comrade Kennedy,<br>
><br>
> Any welding supply store should have what you need:<br>
> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=welding+supply+near+noisebridge">http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=welding+supply+near+noisebridge</a><br>
><br>
> The standard tank is ~270cuft of helium, which costs about $100.<br>
><br>
> Don't forget to rent a regulator! The 1500psi in the tank is... difficult<br>
> to use as-is. And you can't get the regulator at Home Depot. If you look<br>
> trustworthy enough, you may be able to put a deposit down at a party supply<br>
> store and borrow one, but don't count on it.<br>
<br>
</div></div>Indeed. If you only need 35 cubic feet, the smaller tank will work<br>
fine. I bought a small tank (rather than renting) at Airgas, in the<br>
Bayview, a few years ago; including the regulator and the fill, my bill<br>
came to under $200.<br>
<br>
Of course, then you've got a helium tank. In retrospect, renting would<br>
have been more sensible.<br>
<br>
Note that for "pure helium" (90% helium 10% argon, according to the<br>
internet) you want to go to a welding supply store, not a party store;<br>
I'm told that party store tanks are filled with "balloon gas", which is<br>
a mix of helium and standard atmosphere to reduce the cost. (Kids'<br>
balloons still float just fine.) Less float in there.<br>
<br>
Here's a helpful reference:<br>
<br>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.airproducts.com/NR/rdonlyres/7CCE748B-35BA-45B2-93D4-48AE3D3EEDF3/0/reference_cylinder_information.pdf">http://www.airproducts.com/NR/rdonlyres/7CCE748B-35BA-45B2-93D4-48AE3D3EEDF3/0/reference_cylinder_information.pdf</a><br>
<br>
The "standard tank" jbm references above is a "high pressure A"; the<br>
smaller tank I bought is, I think, either D or 4X (I'll check this<br>
weekend).<br>
<br>
-andy<br>
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