having to turn oxycon down

[Redhotsal]

Yeah, actually - the Bobcat is a bit more high maintenance than the Minor. The Minor's a bit like a landrover.........not that much on it to go wrong and relatively simple in design.

Yes but does it make you want to stroke it?  GTT torches are soooooo sexy - I want a bigger one when I grow up!

Torch love is just so.......wrong......!  (be careful - you may get your fingers burned!)

[julieHB]

I have a bobcat, and I cannot remember the last time I poked it.... However, I used to get a lot of crud build up, and the reason is that I ran a slight reduction flame all the time. A neutral flame on one oxycon looks very different on a bobcat from that of a minor. When I run the oxycon at 4-4.5l/min you can hardly see any yellow tips on the candles at all when the flame is neutral - easy to test with a bit of silver glass like aurae or triton.  The bobcat is designed for a greater flow of oxygen, and must therefore be treated gently on a low oxygen flow.

When I contacted GTT to get more details on how to adjust the flame I was told that you should never have a reduction flame going for a long period time UNLESS the flame candles are about 1cm long (which basically is the maximum I can muster with my oxycon). If you do there will be a build up of carbon, the tubes can overheat and you run the risk of ruining the torch. You CAN use a smaller flame for long periods, just make sure you cut back the propane until the flame is neutral. If you see that the tubes are getting red at the tip of the torch it is a clear sign that you are running a small reduction flame, and the torch is over heating.

One way I find good for burning off any carbon is to run an oxidising flame for a few minutes.

I love my bobcat, but it can be frustrating when I only get 3-3.5l/min out of my oxycon - good thing is it doesn't use much gas...

Sorry if I am lecturing 

[julieHB]

Just wanted to add, I am not accusing anyone of using their torch incorrectly. I was, though. I had only seen Minors in operation, and thought the flame should look the same on my torch. I used it like that for about a year, until I contacted GTT. After their response I expressed my concern that I could have ruined my torch through over heating, but the reply was reassuring, saying that they are quite sturdy and can handle a good deal of abuse.  I just wish the info i got was included in the instruction manual!

The bobcat becoming so popular with oxycon users is one of the reasons why they developed the Cricket, I think.

[beadysam]

I know about the Bobcat being reducing, isn't it strange how it doesn't look reducing yet is?   I was amazed how much different a minor is.  I did a course with Dora a few years ago where we did sparkly bubble balls using silver that was heavily reduced.  I could only really get the super sparkly bling on a minor, but its much duller on the Bobcat no matter what I try.  I did loads of research before getting the torch from the US, so knew what to expect, so its no hassle and its a fab torch - I'd stick with GTT in the future too.  Different setups get different results, and everyone uses their torch a little differently.  I very rarely reduce anything, and certainly never for any more than a few seconds at a time.  I rarely adjust the flame size either, I just work in different areas of the flame to do what I need to do.  I know a lot of people turn their flame right down for stringer work - well, I don't do much stringer work, and when I do I just use the `sweet spot' on the edges of the flame, so I rarely if ever have a small hot flame either.  I try to be good to Bob!

I check the flame regularly at the moment (new oxycon - purring like a contented cat ) with either rubino, or some amber purple - whatever is at hand.  Its running fine and isn't reducing.  I run it at just about 1/2bar of gas and as much oxy as I can get within reason, usually about 4.5lt.  I think its about 1/2bar, I only look when I change a bottle.  Its easy to set though, as I haven't got one of those pancake regulators, I've got a mouse ears one.

I suspect I am getting to the end of a gas bottle so that could be partly the culprit for the crud at the moment.  Although, its only been a problem since the `oxycon saga' where the torch DID overheat for short periods - before I quickly gave up trying to get the damn thing to work.  Its about time I started saving for an upgrade anyway.....

[puffin]

I am sorry but you all have confused me now talking about torchs, cleaning, reduscing, crud, flame size and the rest.

I have a nortel miner torch and now I am worried that I have been over heating it or reducing it , or the candles are too low . My god I am having panic attacks just thinking about it. ( And I thought I was doing it right, but now maybe not!!! )

So for a nortel miner flame size colour ?
reducing have I been doing that candle size too small ?
Cleaning ? Tapping ?
Gas curd  ?

Oh hell !!!

[Redhotsal]

Don't worry about it. The minor will take a lot of abuse - but if you use it normally it probably won't give you a jot of trouble.

Candle size - the little yellow "candles" or cones at the very bottom of the flame - close to the face of the torch.

"Normal" for these is a "neutral" flame. Not too much oxygen and not too much propane. If you have a neutral flame the candles will be well defined. Not "fluffy" (reducing) but not too "spiky" with a rushing sound (oxidising). If you use an oxycon you will probably not have a problem with the flame being too "spiky" but it is easy to have a reducing flame. Candle size is around 8mm for an average torch on a neutral flame.

You want a reducing flame if you want to create a lustre on glass by reducing it. It won't hurt your minor burner if you use a reducing flame but a reducing flame is propane rich and that MAY cause a small build up of soot on the face of your torch if you leave the flame reducing for a long period of time. You may see brightly glowing "bits" on the surface of your torch which you can often knock off the torch face by tapping the side of the torch. Some people flick these off by very quickly passing a steel tool over the surface of the torch while it's on, but clearly you dont' want to dawdle over this process. You can clean out the nozzles of the torch with the thin wire tool which came with your torch - but really you shouldn't have to do this unless there's a problem. And don't clean your nozzles out while the torch is lit.

Gas crud is what the brightly glowing specks are. If you turn the torch off you will notice that these become small black specks on the torch face.

Don't panic. Honestly - if you are that worried or if you are having panic attacks over this you should seriously consider getting some actual tuition from someone who knows what they are talking about. My DVD 1 covers setting up equipment. That's why I made it - for people who are worried about their equipment set up. Hope this helps though.

[puffin]

I have your dvd and I have watched it when setting up , it was all these other posts made me second guess what i was doing then thinking OMG OMG what am I doing


thank you feel much better now to carry on

[Redhotsal]

Ah......stick with me kid, you'll be alright. Don't listen to those others! 

There are lots of torches about - and they all vary a little bit in how they operate. But the Minor burner is very straightforward and easy - that's why I use it a lot. And you have to try really hard to damage it, so try not to worry too much. Basically, if you're beads are coming out with the right colours then you can't be doing much wrong.

[beadysam]

Listen to Sal!  Minors are super torches and hard to damage, I'd echo Sal again and say go for tuition if you can.  I'm not good with tuition, the thought of someone watching me at the torch freaks me even now years down the line.  I went to Sal for my intro day, about 4-5months before I got my set up, and she was fab.  She really tuned into MY needs and didn't push me into doing anything I didn't want to.  I ended up watching for most of the session.  I got much more from it that way (for me anyway) knowing that I could always play at home later.  If you can get to Sal from where you are, I'd scrape together some cash and go - it will be a great investment.  Di East is also a fab teacher, quiet calm and patient and if you book a day at her studios you may even get both teachers!  Don't worry yourself though, we are all here to help - and more than happy to do so

[turnedlight]

Going back to the first page, I note that everyone seems to have their oxycon up at 4 or above - I usually have it at 2.5 - 3, and that's heaps for me.. are they all different or do you all work much hotter?