Map-Plus?

Flyingcheesetoastie · February 10, 2011, 10:28:49 PM

Okies, I've been on a Hothead for over 6 years now and I've noticed Mapp gas change from Mapp to Map Pro and now I've got a batch of this Map Plus stuff....

I was teaching a one on one taster day today and this new stuff is rubbish! I had to swap cylinders after about 30minutes of continuous working god knows how many times. Not I know the HH/MAPP combo has never been that good, but usually I've gotten a good 60-90minutes out of it before having to change, dunk or break for lunch type thing.

Does anyone else have any experience with this new stuff or is this just a bad cylinder do you think? I can't plan on using it for another class, especially with more that one student if it's going to consistently perform this badly and I simply can't afford to go back to MapP from B & Q at £18 a tank!

Any thoughts?

Rachel x

hollergrafik · February 10, 2011, 10:31:36 PM

why not go over to bulk Rachel, no more stopping then. I got the connector from Martin and the regulator and hose from flea bay.

Trudi · February 10, 2011, 10:40:24 PM

The cost of the kit will very soon pay for itself!!!

Flyingcheesetoastie · February 11, 2011, 03:14:44 AM

Urm, because I teach on Hotheads and if I connect the torches to bulk propane, technically I have to be Corgi registered.

Blue Box Studio · February 18, 2011, 06:01:45 PM

Quote from: Flyingcheesetoastie on February 11, 2011, 03:14:44 AM
Urm, because I teach on Hotheads and if I connect the torches to bulk propane, technically I have to be Corgi registered.

Eh? I don't teach but I use bulk propane, it doesn't take a genius, let a lone a Corgi person to screw the bits together. Surely at worst you'd need 2 jumbo propane cylinders, a changeover valve for when they run out and a load of splitter bits. Who said you'd need to be Corgi (now SafeGas) registered?

What do other teachers on oxy/gas torches do? They'd have to also be registered surely?

Nikki · February 18, 2011, 11:16:33 PM

Hi Rachel

I used Map-Plus and it was a total waste of time, if you get 30mins at a time you are doing really well, I think the total I got out of a can was about 90 mins and the last 20 was so sooty it was a waste of glass, normal mapp is much better but as you say so expensive.

Nikki

fionaess · February 18, 2011, 11:26:11 PM

Quote from: Flyingcheesetoastie on February 11, 2011, 03:14:44 AM
Urm, because I teach on Hotheads and if I connect the torches to bulk propane, technically I have to be Corgi registered.

I may be totally wrong, but I'm sure that you have to be Corgi registered if you're dealing with mains gas.... not cylinders..... otherwise you would have to call out a plumber every time you wanted to change the cylinder in your caravan/boat/portable heater etc, etc

hollergrafik · February 18, 2011, 11:39:34 PM

I asked my Gas Safe (old CORGI) mate and he said you don't have to do a gas safe course to handle propane.

Lush! · February 18, 2011, 11:46:32 PM

Phew!

Flyingcheesetoastie · February 19, 2011, 12:16:19 AM

Thanks Nikki, I'm glad I wasn't going mad.

The issue with the registration bit isn't one of training, I'm more than capable of screwing a few bits together. Mainly when I teach, I am assembling the kit an another venue and when I discussed this with my local calor branch, they said that I would need to be Corgi/Safegas registered for my insurance to be valid on someone elses site. To be honest I didn't investigate it further because I simply don't want to lug a large tank of propane, regulators, splitters etc. round or store it at the studio when not in use.

My classes are billed for beginners, a basic introduction and mostly what beginners start out on is a hothead and Mapp Gas. I do talk at length about the differences, pros and cons, cost implication of going onto bulk propane and later to a duel fuel set-up, but most of the people that come on the classes have a limited income and simply can't afford to start out on that equipment straight away, especially if it's something completely new to them.

I know most of you teach on duel fuel and I myself learnt on that set-up too, but I think what I offer is perfectly valid and gets people of all budgets started on their beadmaking way.

Lush! · February 19, 2011, 12:20:23 AM

Makes perfect sense, Rachel. I thought you could still get Mapp online somewhere?

Flyingcheesetoastie · February 19, 2011, 12:49:42 AM

Yup, this was my latest batch from Tools4Trade, who I've used for years now.

I'm also working on an arrangement with a company offering refillable MAPP gas canisters so I'm going to be making sure if I go with them that it's the old receipe not this one. I've compared canisters and there's different things mixed in, so I'm thinking it;s the propellant that's been reduced to make it so dire.

awrylemming · February 19, 2011, 08:53:57 AM

I noticed this when I was still on Mapp - Tools4Trade do a cheaper version of Mapp, which is truly crud, and I only ever managed to use about half a canister of it and that was only if the connector wasn't faulty. The more expensive one, a couple of pounds per canister up tended to work down to the last drop. I went over to bulk a couple of months ago, such a joy.

ScarletLeonard · February 19, 2011, 09:38:34 AM

Have you tried using the mapp sized propane?
I used it before I went bulk, i think it's a bit slower than mapp (but not by much) and I think I could do 2 - 2/12 hours out of them.

Plus it's cheaper.

Nikki · February 19, 2011, 10:53:27 AM

I found your class great

, I could only start on a hot head (still using it!!!) so it was perfect for me. Do any of the plumber supply places in Edinburgh have Mapp, I remember getting one somewhere but can't think where, I'll PM you if I remember.
Nikki

Map-Plus?

hollergrafik

hollergrafik