I have done my years apprenticeship on my trusty HHead and am thinking of upgrading, but to which torch?
Is the only difference with big girls torches the speed that they melt the glass, or are there other differences as well?
Can anyone point me in the direction of some advice on this.
thanks
I swear by my mini CC, large bushy flame that also turns down to be a pinpoint, wouldnt change it for any other torch.
the GTT torches are great and hold their prices well - I've had a Bobcat and now have a Scorpion and have been really happy with both of them. They are also optimised for use with oxycons.
I wish I'd had the opportunity to try a mini CC before I bought my mega minor. I do like this torch, but I know I would have gone for that if I'd had the chance to compare. Is there any chance of you going anywhere to try various torches prior to buying?
Where are you Shirl? I've got a Bobcat and a Mega Minor if you want to come and try - we're in Burton Upon Trent.
Quote from: ARBeads on July 28, 2011, 11:53:06 PM
Where are you Shirl? I've got a Bobcat and a Mega Minor if you want to come and try - we're in Burton Upon Trent.
Thats good of you to offer, I am close to Sheffield.
I need to do a bit more research first before I decide to take the plunge. I think I do need to try some out and find the one that suits my style (slow ;D)
Do you really want to upgrade from a HH? I got more from DH reducing glass with my HH than with either of my two torches
Quote from: fionaess on July 29, 2011, 12:39:24 AM
Do you really want to upgrade from a HH? I got more from DH reducing glass with my HH than with either of my two torches
I dont really know if I want to or not. I do love my hothead and dont really find it too slow, but sometimes I feel like I would like a more concentrated flame for details.
I like to work with silver glass.
Yep, it sounds like you definitely need to physically try some different torches before deciding whether or not to upgrade. You make lovely beads on your hothead, and there are many well known glass artists who have stayed with their hothead for many years. My friend Lauren of Maybeads still works on a hothead, and her beads are fabulous! I personally have never regretted getting a faster torch, but I think that's more because I need to physically work faster due to my arthritis. While you're going to your torch and still enjoying using it, why change it?
Shirl, I don't have any GTT torches, but I have a Nortel Minor, Mega Minor and Midrange for you to play with in Sheffield ;)
I have a Nortel Minor and have used a cricket...minor is definetly my favourite of the two
I think I do need to try out some different torches before I make a decision. I will have to come over Sabine, I keep planning to, but you know what its like, something else always comes up to make you do other things!
My main question is.....what is the difference to my HH, is it just the speed of the melt? If its just the speed then it might not be a good idea for me to have a fast torch as I like to work slow and relaxed ;) OR are ther other differences to make it worthwhile changing?
The speed is one thing, but it's also adjustability - bushy to pinpoint flame, flexibility with the silver glasses, and LESS NOISE!! Which has to be my personal favourite :) Actually, maybe speed is my favourite, because I work fast and hot :)
I also think it's the cleanliness of the flame due to the oxygen.
Kazx
The noise is a big factor too, I'd forgotten how much quieter my minor is compared to the hothead I used to use.
I have Madeline to thank for my choice, she offered me the chance to try her Bobcart and her Mega Minor [is that the one?]. I preferred the minor part of the MM, less gusto but liked the Bobcat fine flame. I settled on a Minor and seem to have a fine flame on m8ine, with a bit of twiddling. Is taking a bit of getting used to after the Hothead but I'm getting there. I just need more than an hour at a time to work with it.
I'd definitely recommend getting out there and trying a few.
Anything after a HH is silent!
Sounds like you might find a simple minor ok for you rather than anything too grand, it's such a versitile torch, although if you are used to a hothead any torch will be a bit of a culture shock as it takes a littlewhile to get used to the extra speed of melting. The quietness of it compared to the old HH is bliss though!
Quote from: Kaz on July 29, 2011, 09:27:56 AM
I also think it's the cleanliness of the flame due to the oxygen.
Kazx
Does this show in the colours of the finished bead then Kaz?
Ooh how exciting, if you do get a new torch do post what you get and how you get on with it. I like my hothead but after seeing Di (East) doing a demo on a recent course and how shhe adjusted the flame (and how quiet it was) I would now like a new torch, just need space in my small house first. I am hoping that I may get to have a go on some torches at Tuffnells next month ???
As one of the newly converted ::) I was well ready to move on to dual fuel and had been thinking about it for quite a few months. I had my torch starting to leave sooty trials, had to keep cleaning my hothead, couldn't get much done in the limited time I have to torch (health stuff gets in the way)
So now, the quiet is wonderful, I can do much more in the time I have to torch. I like the heat, the precision of the torch flame, there's actually nothing I don't like about my bobcat, its wonderful. And I think the beads somehow look shinier, although adjusting the flame and getting the heat right does take a bit of getting used to and playing around, my pearl biege looked like mashed banana. I made the right choice for sure. :)
I have the midrange with Minor top, known as a midrange plus. a mega minor is a different beasty.
but I keep coming back to my bobcat (thats possibly cause the minor has a smelly tank atm...needs changing soon!less soon of course if I dont use it ::) )
yes, big girls torches will often produce cleaner looking colours, however its still comptely possible to produce poop coloured things!
cleaner colours is good if you like to use lots of transparents or clear.
working silverglass on one of these versus a hothead is really quite different. particularly the striking types that need to be got white snot hot and then cooled, just not really possible on a HH.
and the noise level.....ahhhh. however my oxys are both somewhat on the rattly and wheezy side so you win some you lose some!
when I get a spare week or so (anyone seen one of those flying by on the back of a pig perhaps?) I need to service both the oxys and hook em up to the midrange and melt some boro!
as for need a big girls torch...I think if youre not finding any real issues with what you've got then stick with it. but save up anyway, try to get to some meets and try out other torches, if you still like the HH you can always spend the money on glass & tools!
I have had my hot head for a year and a half now and to be honest unless someone was giving me a dual fuel (and oxycon!) for free i would not bother upgrading! I've tried quite a few other torches, minor, mega minor, mini cc and a cricket, the mini cc and cricket i found far too hot for me (i'm exactly like you, don't find the hot head slow at all!) the two Nortel torches are nice but i don't see that they have enough advantages for me to really want or "need" one! The low noise level is rather nice though!
I started on a hothead , then bougt a minor after that a mini cc and for workshops I give I bought a bobcat too .
All 3 torches have different flame charistics so it realy depends on what you want to do with them wich torch would suit you best.
I do a lot of sculptural work and I`m totally happy with my mini cc and bobcat but the minor did not suit my needs. I still own it because I give workshops once and a while in my shop. and want student to try the diffetent torches. But I never use it myselfe anymore.
I always tell students to try before you buy that is the best way to go so if there is someone nearby with the different torches ask if you can try so you can decide what torch is best for you.
Jacky
I have had lots af great information from you all, it has given me lots to think about thanks so much for taking the time to explain and offers to let me try out your torches.
I now know to try some different torches before I buy one, I am in no mad rush. So thats my plan, and I think after I have tried a few then I am in a much better position to make the correct choice and not end up buying something and wishing I hadnt.
That's the best way to proceed, I'm certain of that, Shirl.
Make sure you get LOTS of torch time with each one you are interested in.
I have had a GTT Cricket for about a month now, and although it's great to work with, this week I was getting to the point where I thought I had made a mistake. Reason being - silver glass. I couldn't make it work for me.
All I seemed to get was a large lump of green gunge.
Last night, I set to to make at least some basic opaque spacers to go with a set I had made this week The rest of the time I dedicated to pulling some stringers from a variety of silver rods, and made sure that I spent a lot of quality time experimenting with the silver rods.
I took the beads out of the kiln when I got home this afternoon, and in the daylight, the result was well worth the effort.
The two beads are far from my best effort, in respect of dot balance, but the colours achieved were impressive for me, and after all, this is what I needed to work on.
So sorry for doubting you, lil Cricket. Our love affair is back on :)