Hello all happy proficient lampies 8)!
Pleaaase toss me a lifebuoy!!. :'(
I'm a self-educated beginner. I have started with HH and MAPP gas, Effetre glass.
Now few days ago I have received my desired MEGA Minor torch (with Propane and Oxygen tanks).
I was hopping that it will solve some HotHead's limitations, but unfortunately now I feel like I'm again on a ZERO level!
Now with MEGA torch i can't normaly make even simlple beads, which i was making with a HH without bigger problems.
For example, i would like to make a simple bead with flat dots: Effetre Dark Lemon flat dot + on top of Carrot Red flat dot+ on top of Black Transparent base bead.
With HH i was making such beads without complication. But with Mega Minor it seams imposible to melt a nice round flat dots- Red glass sink into the black base bead and completely lose form and shape!!.. And some colours changes to darker
I'll try to attach a picture of both beads- one is made with HH, another with Mega (lower bead is made with HH, higher- with MEGA Minor).
Perhaps the problem is wrong flame – too hot? Wrongly fixed Propane and Oxygene balance? Wrong preasure in regulators??
I was trying to work high in the flame, but it doesn't help.
Maybe someone could explain for a dummy beginner, how to adjust correct flame with Mega Minor??!!!.. And how to start a long happy life with this hot Mega friend??!! ;)
Maybe someone have a picture of how my flame should look like on a MEGA MINOR burner??
I hope someone will understand my problem.. and my far from perfect English :-[
THAAAANK YOUU!!!!!!!!!!!! :-* :-* :-*
And God bless you!!
don't know why, but i can't attach the picture of my PROBLEM.. :-[
it's all problems problems isn't it ::) do you have a photobucket account, you just copy & paste the IMG code here :)
sorry, I don't know about a mega minor, allthough some have said when they upgrade their torch they have to get used to the much hotter flame, I'm sure after you've put a few hours in you'll wonder how you managed before ;D
I upgraded from a HH to a Mega Minor......the first thing I did was melt a mandrel!! ::) ::) One thing I noticed was that the propane is juuuuuuuuust about open to achieve the right flame, then my oxycon is on about 4.5. Don't be shy to work your way up, i.e. work yourself a titchy-tiny flame, make a couple of beads, then turn it up a notch..........HTH!!
Thank you vicki and sparrow for your support!! i veryvery hope after some time of flaming to be rescue!
And thank you vicki for your advice about how to put the picture- thanks to it i have created photobucket account and there is my pic:
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm20/efi75/wrongflame.jpg)
they are great beads ;D (I resize my pics to 500 width before I load them into photobucket...sorry I forgot to meantion that bit :D :D)
I've just switched to a minor, and there's some things I did with ease on a hothead, that I will have to re - learn.. before I wasn't in any danger of things dripping off the mandrel! But I agree with Sabine - it helped to open the propane just a little.
Changing a torch is a learning curve. The sweet spot will be in a different place, the flame will be a different shape, it will be hotter. All the things you used to do without thinking will need relearned. Don't worry, you'll get there, and then you'll love it!
Quote from: turnedlight on May 24, 2008, 11:20:00 AM
I've just switched to a minor, and there's some things I did with ease on a hothead, that I will have to re - learn.. before I wasn't in any danger of things dripping off the mandrel! But I agree with Sabine - it helped to open the propane just a little.
sorry for STUPID question :-[- to open just a little the propane in the TORCH? ::) :-[
(NOT in the regulator?..)
Thank you :)
yep, the torch valve.. control the flame only with the torch valves and you will be fine..
only use a small propane opening and adjust the oxygen flow to give you a nice flame with light yellow tips to each of the little "candles" you can see... the mega minor is going to be MUCH hotter than a HH... so start off with a small flame and adjust from there.. always set the propane to give you the SIZE of flame you want, and the oxygen to make it the right state - ie very light yellow tips for a normal flame - completely blue for an oxygenating flame and longer yellow candles for a reducing flame...
i can take some pics if it helps?
Quote from: glassworks on May 24, 2008, 04:24:41 PM
yep, the torch valve.. control the flame only with the torch valves and you will be fine..
only use a small propane opening and adjust the oxygen flow to give you a nice flame with light yellow tips to each of the little "candles" you can see... the mega minor is going to be MUCH hotter than a HH... so start off with a small flame and adjust from there.. always set the propane to give you the SIZE of flame you want, and the oxygen to make it the right state - ie very light yellow tips for a normal flame - completely blue for an oxygenating flame and longer yellow candles for a reducing flame...
i can take some pics if it helps?
YES PLEASE send some pics!! :) How does the
BEGINNERS MEGA FLAME should look like - i mean as cold and close to HH flame as possible ::) ???
i almost started to be worry- maybe MEGA torch is NOT good choise for the beginers?? is it MUCH hotter than MINOR flame??
i was trying again to make beads with
BIG ROUND FLAT dots with smaller flame, but the same deplorable result :'( dots always
SINK into the depth of the basic bead, migrate and get ugly narrow oblong splay shape..
in this movie the girl is making such bead easy and simple- but i can't repeat the same with MEGA (but with HH i did...) :'(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHXLfD-Zl6M
TANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
I remember when I changed from the hothead to the minor it took a while to adjust. THe flame is much hotter and I think that your problem is coming from the base bead being too hot. If you add your dots to a hot base bead and then try to melt them in they will loose they're shape like this. You want to keep the base bead warm, add your dots and then melt them in very slowly , try to heat the dots and not the entire bead in one go. If you keep the bead just below your flame with the flame just touching the dots and rotate it slowly, they should melt in nicely, stay round and not loose too much colour. That worked for me anyhow. I've just changed from a minor up to a lynx and its the same deal so I think it should work out fine with your torch. Its hard at first because the temptation is there to work too fast, you have to try and resist the temptation!! Hope this helps...