is upgrading from a hot head worth it?

[Kalorlo]

I'm sure someone who knows more in practice will come along shortly, but basically you can't do anything that requires an oxygen-rich flame, simply because you can't get one! Also if you need to get glass really really hot, you're probably not going to be able to.

Mostly it's a problem with some of the striking silver glasses - if you have to repeatedly get them really hot *and* use an oxidising flame to get the best colours out of them, they just aren't going to work on a hothead. Reducing will work wonderfully, though  

I'm not sure about techniques that don't work, though. You're not going to get a pinpoint hot flame, but I don't know if that's insurmountable.

[noora]

In my opinion there is only one thing you can't do on a hothead and that's strike glass... for that you need more oxygen than a hot head can supply... Everything else you CAN do, albeit more slowly than a dual fuel torch,,, but you can still do it

Doesn't that depend on the glass? I learned lampwork on a single fuel torch with Bullseye glass, and I got the pink and violet strikers to strike without even thinking about it. When I got my Minor and started working with Effetre glass, I couldn't get some colours to strike properly without considerable effort... :-)

[garishglobes]

I think maybe there's a difference between glasses that strike to make their colour (like reds, pinks etc...) and the silver glasses that "strike" to bring out the extra colours (where you are actually trying to grow silver crystals to produce different colour effects).
I used to be able to do the reds & pinks on a Hothead. Though some needed care not to liver and get grey streaks, some were lovely.
I could actually strike the silver glasses (at the time it was Terra......ahhhh, Terra.... ) with effort, particularly on a small bead, but they were a lot easier with a duel fuel torch. To me, it wasn't just the heat but also the atmosphere - it is hard to get the striking silver glasses hot enough to strike on a HH without the reducing atmosphere that makes them go muddy. The duel fuel wins in this case because you can get hotter in an oxidising/neutral atmosphere.

There used to be a lady on Lampwork etc... a couple of years ago, don't know if she is still there, who claimed to be able to work boro on a HH

[fionaess]

Thanks for explaining my explanation Emma   I could get good colour from Rubino on my hothead... just look what Sara Hornik does in her 'Think Pink' tutorial.. but I could never get silver glass to strike for love nor money on my HH..  Mind you I did have it for over a year before I got my dual fuel and Im convinced that it taught me a lot about glass control, simply because I actually had time to think before I ended up with a puddle of molten glass

[Redkite]

Yes, perhaps striking is just "very difficult", rather than "impossible" on a HH. The other thing I was thinking of was fuming gold & silver onto beads. I was given to understand that the HH wouldn't be able to do this.

[fionaess]

Yes, perhaps striking is just "very difficult", rather than "impossible" on a HH. The other thing I was thinking of was fuming gold & silver onto beads. I was given to understand that the HH wouldn't be able to do this.

You should be ok on a cricket Cath

[madpup]

sexy enough for ya?

Porn for the lampworker,
that torch is the bomb (i have been practising the lingo, word)

[Krysia@No98]

at least it's not pink    (but I guess purple is close enough)

I confess I am now getting to thinking about a more sophisticated torch.  I will hopefully get a play at the flame off, but it's the idea of parting with the best of another £500 (including the oxycon) and then knowing that I can't sell anything is making me hold back.

(damn my lease)

[madpup]

Just a quick update, i have been told by my daughter to apologize for the sentence "its the bomb" or indeed "word"
apparently I'm too old to use such words and i had to promise not to do it again, so sorry about that.   

[theflyingbedstead]

Just a quick update, i have been told by my daughter to apologize for the sentence "its the bomb" or indeed "word"
apparently I'm too old to use such words and i had to promise not to do it again, so sorry about that.   

Too Old!!!!!  (I can only guess what they mean)

Are you allowed to say 'GROOVY' or 'FROODY" instead?

Even with such restrictions I am sure that you can find many, many ways to embarrass your daughter! Mwahahhahahh.....

[jammie]

Just a quick update, i have been told by my daughter to apologize for the sentence "its the bomb" or indeed "word"
apparently I'm too old to use such words and i had to promise not to do it again, so sorry about that.   

Too Old!!!!!  (I can only guess what they mean)

Are you allowed to say 'GROOVY' or 'FROODY" instead?

Even with such restrictions I am sure that you can find many, many ways to embarrass your daughter! Mwahahhahahh.....

I still say cool, is that ok or not these days, i'm a granma

[jobead]

Madpup, to be honest I was going to have to pull you up on that myself, simply because I haven't a clue what you're on about 

Even when I'm not trying to be cool I get told off for trying to be cool, you can't win 


Jo

Don't suppose we will be getting them sparkly posh torches now !? It took me nearly all night to find "the"  thread, not knowing was killing me !!

[Krysia@No98]

probably not, but I'm sure we will find something better.  besides its not the torch its what you do with them 

My sisters who are in their very early 20s tell me that I'm embarrassing and then when we are out as a family, in public, they scream and shout at each other.  Go figure!?!

[JaySpangles]

I'm  just pleased that FAB is back in favour.  I am still using it from its original incarnation in the 60's. (Not admitting to being that old though).

[jobead]

Are we allowed to say Fandabidozy or is that just naff? (are we allowed to say naff?)


It's a minefield

Jo