Regulator garage-sale score?

I picked up some regulators at a garage sale the other day, and I'm wondering if I can use them for my pipedream-kegerator. The guy said that they were used in welding but he inherited them himself, doesn't weld at all, and just wanted to get rid of them. I figured at $1 each I couldn't pass it up. However, I don't know if I can use them or not.

The first picture says "acytelyne regulator" around the red ring, and the second one says "oxygen regulator" around the green ring.





The face of both regulators come right off, they were duct taped on. I couldn't get the plastic clean enough for the oxygen regulator though.

So, can I use em?

eh, i am sure you could, but i would much rather sell them both on ebay and use that money to get one good new one...

By the time you add the adapter to connect to the tank, a valve and hose nipple, you're already looking at a chunk of the price of a cheap brand-new double-gauge regulator. By the looks of those gauges, those might need to be replaced too, which will cost quite a bit more. Plus, by the look of that low-pressure gauge on the oxygen regulator, that regulator has a much larger output range than you really need for brewing, making it probably less accurate at the pressures you need. Also, the high-pressure gauge on the acetylene regulator only goes to 400PSI. CO2 can get up to 1000 PSI or more, which the regulator is likely not designed for.

And of course, they both look disgusting on the outside, leading me to believe they may not look so good on the inside either. Don't forget, the gas that is coming out of those regulators is eventually going into your mouth. If you are able to disassemble them and do some real serious cleaning (probably with some heavy de-greaser) then you might be able to turn things around.

Both regulators are inappropriate for CO2. It is garbage. The O2 reg should be junked as use on 100% oxygen is more likely to start an O2 fire (read 2000psi tank explosion, probably killing you and flattening your house) with all the caked in crud in the regulator than anything else. The O2 reg CGA-540 adapter on it for 02 and the acytelyne reg looks like it has a CGA-510. Nether will fit on a C02 tank which needs CGA-320. A new fitting for the acytelyne reg will cost $10-15, and you'll have to dismantle and clean the thing - preferably with a sonic cleaner and replace all the rubber bits with food grade rubber. All to find out that the reg may or may not be able to handle ~1000psi.

You can't use the Acetylene regulator for CO2 anyway, it's a low pressure gauge (acetylene tanks run below 60 psi to prevent auto-combustion). Better to spend $40 on something that isn't going to kill you.

Thanks for your kind and gentle words of encouragement ranging from 'meh' to 'they will kill you and everyone you hold dear'. I know absolutely nothing about regulators and hoses and various gases and all that stuff so I'm glad I asked! Since I'm not out much $$ I thought I would buy first, ask questions later.

I'll clean em up and see if I can trade them for a regular CO2 regulator, otherwise they'll go to the scrapyard.