I've been finding it much harder to reduce silver glass on my Bobcat than I did on the Hothead, and I was just wondering what method you all use for reducing. I've been turning the propane up, because I think I heard somewhere that it is better not to fiddle with the oxy too much. Is this right? ???
I have a bobcat, and reduce mostly by turning the propane up. My reason for doing it that way is that the bobcat doesn't like too much propane as compared to oxygen when the flame is small (can over heat the torch). I also took some time before I could easily reduce on the bobcat. I think it might have something to do with the bead getting hot a lot quicker. Many reduction glasses don't reduce well if they are too hot, so make sure you let the bead cool before reducing, and only dip in and out of the reduction flame.
I've got a mega minor and I turn my propane up to reduce...works for me!.. :)
I'm on a Minor and likewise, I reduce by turning up my Propane.
I use a cricket and also go for propane up. I'm still rubbish at reducing though ;)
Propane up for me too ... on a minor with 1 oxy :)
I'm an oxy down - dunno why though! ;D
Quote from: helbels on March 07, 2011, 06:11:15 PM
I'm an oxy down - dunno why though! ;D
Same here, that way I can look at the oxy dial and see what the oxy is outputting.
I have a minor and usually turn the oxy down, so I keep the size of the flame the same, but it is more bushy, and I can control the amount of yellow flame with the oxy ....more or less reduction...while having a long enough flame to put the bead in the tip or dance it in and out of the broad part of the flame, which stops it overheating.
Hi
How are you getting on with your reducing? I hope you are managing to get it to work.
I ask because I just started on a Bobcat and was really looking forward to finally being able to use silver glass but haven't had much luck so far. I seem to have managed to get some purple from silver brown but I moved it all about in the flame and am not sure where I'm meant to be putting the bead. I managed to make a black bead from Triton which was disappointing.
I hope you are having luck with getting some fab colours.
Sally
I'm an oxy down rather than propane up, but maybe that's cos I'm from Yorkshire, and I don't like to waste gas! ;D ;D ;D
I do both in stages because if I just put propane up, the flame would probably burn someting, it's so long.
I'm on a Minor and it's oxy down for me.
I am on a minor and it is propane up for me.
Looks like there's no hard and fast rule here, I'm on a bobcat and it's mainly oxy down for me. Sometimes I just tweak the propane a little :)
So I guess it doesn't matter, as long as I do one or the other :D Thanks for the input!
I'm on a bobcat too and can't do alot with silver glass, psyche hates me with a passion, funny though on my hothead it was the only one I got to work well, typical!!
When I was using a Hothead, I rolled aluminum foil into a 1inch wide "ribbon" by folding it numerous times. I made it about 3 inches longer than the diameter of the torch. I wrapped it around leaving about an inch handle on each side and twisted them to make a handle. Don't wrap it too tightly or you wont be able to move it up and down. When you want to get a reduction flame, you simply pull the foil up over the air holes on the side. when you want to go back to a neutral flame, pull it down off of the air vents.
I'm on a minor and I go both ways :), I try propane up, because if the reaction is quicker it seems less likely to over reduce and go grey, but if I'm not happy with it I'll try the other way!
I also don't always wait for the bead to cool with some silver glass, especially with triton I get 'the shiny' better if the bead is still glowing visibly above the desk.