Newbie problem - is my Hothead not hot enough, or is it the glass?

[Blue Box Studio]

Forgive me if I end up asking a daft question; sadly if it's not about this it'll be about something else! 

I'm a really new newbie.  I've had a short lesson working with propane/oxygen torches, was immediately hooked and have bought a Hothead kit from Tuffnells whilst I wait for the next course to start. 

All set up and raring to go,  I'm using the hothead with bulk propane, in case that makes a difference.  I know the Hothead is not as hot as a propane mix torch but using the glass that Tuffnells sent me I'm finding that it's taking ages to melt and when it does I can't get it to melt fast enough to get a nice wrap round the mandrel.  I seem to be dragging the glass, everything is so slow.  Even the white glass, which melted too fast for me on the propane mix torch was very slow to melt. 

I read another thread where someone else said it might be the diameter of the glass rods?  I've tried some of the thinner ones, but perhaps they were stiffer glass to use so cancelled out the benefits, but I didn't find them any easier to melt.  I thought perhaps I wasn't using the hottest part of the flame, but have played around trying to find a hotter part, but with the Tuffnells HH bracket thingy, there's a limit to how far my arms will reach without supporting my elbows, then my shoulders start to ache.  Perhaps I haven't got the regulator right?  I found it burned better turned down to 3.5 bar, I have tried tweaking. 

Has anyone been here, done that and worked out the solution?  Is it the glass (try thinner rods), the torch not set up correctly (lower bar)  or just me expecting too much so early on and I'll get used to it if I just chill out and work slower?

The good news in all of this is that I have a few reasonably presentable beads for a first HH attempt, and I managed to get them off the mandrel which, reading the forums is not a given it seems!

Thanks,  Sue.

[helbels]

Hiya

It sounds like something is not right somewhere.  Yes a Hothead is slower than duel fuel, but it shouldn't be that bad!  You should be able to melt white with ease.. and while you might not get a wrap of glass to go all the way around a big bead using a Hothead, you should easily be able to wrap glass round the mandrel!  You should be able to melt standard rods absolutely fine - its only the really chunky (10mm etc) ones that are a problem on a Hothead.

I am wondering if your regulator is set up properly.  Your gas tank knob should be pretty much fully open (and then just backed off a turn or two) BUT the proprane regulator turns the opposite way you'd expect it to - I think from memory, it's turned ANTI CLOCKWISE to open it.

I know another newbie on here a while ago had this problem, and it was their regulator that was the problem, so may be worth checking.

Helen x

[Blue Box Studio]

Thanks Helen.  The gas is turned full on (but not back a bit) and the regulator is turned to 3.5 bar, less seemed to give me less gas.  I'll have another go tomorrow and if all else fails I'll give Tuffnells a call on Monday.

[SilverGems89]

i had this problem when i first set up my hothead, make sure the tap on the actual torch is fully open, then try opening the regulator all the way on (its all the way on when it is screwed all the way DOWN) and the gas tank should always be all the way open, if it then wont light the gas is too strong, turn the pressure down using the regulator and keep trying!
If you then cant get any better results you definately have a problem!
The first torches i ever used were dual fuel too and yes the hot head is a little slower but in my opinion not too much (i can even just about use the thick 8-10mm clear rods for encasing, but only just!)
Hope you get it sorted!

[Magpie]

there's a limit to how far my arms will reach without supporting my elbows, then my shoulders start to ache. 

Bend your arms. If you're stretching you're working too far away. Take your diddys off, cut out any sunlight shining at you, can you see a blue cone in the flame? The hottest part of the flame is the tip of the blue cone and it should only be an inch or two long. Remember where it is, put your diddys back on, get the glass at the tip of the blue cone. Is that working any faster? You can move further out when you're decorating the bead, but for the initial getting glass on the mandrel that's where you need to be.

[Blue Box Studio]

Thanks everyone.  I'm going to work through all of these tomorrow, then hopefully everything will be OK.  Sue

[★★Terri★★]

I was having similar problems the other day.  I have just set my torch back up after moving house.  I didn't realise the regulator setting wasn't right - just lit the gas and away I went - wondering why nothing was melting.

Closed the regulator right down - gas fully open - torch fully open and bingo!!

Terri

[Blue Box Studio]

Just reporting back, and to say thank you for all your help!..  Gas open full, regular right down (3.5 bar apparently), torch not quite open full as that scared the life out me it was so fierce.  I've got a two-tone blue cone, on inner and a lighter one outer with the odd bit of orange around the edges which doesn't go away whatever I do to the torch or the regulator; does that sound right?

Anyway, managed to melt white really easily, tried red, which yesterday was almost impossible, and it was far easier, even got the glass hot enough to pick up some frit and then melt it in. 

I had been using the HH bench clamp that came with my kit from Tuffnells but as many others have said this leaves the tip of your torch pointing 90 degrees to the bench and I think that was part of my reach problem.  I've now fixed it to an L shaped metal bracket thingy which I found in the DIY store and bent a bit so now the torch is pointing away from the end of my nose and is easier to reach with my elbows supported.  The other thing that finally came to my slow-thinking brain is that I'm working in a cut out, which was put there when my jeweller's bench sat above.  The 'light bulb' came on about 3am this morning and I've been out to buy some worktop to replace the one in my workshop - it really needed doing anyway so I was delaying the inevitable.

So thank you all for the 'turn it all on full' and 'bend your arms' comments - sometimes the obvious is harder to spot.

Now all I have to do is make something that resembles a bead!  I guess that comes down to the 3 Ps.

[helbels]

That sounds about right now - glad to hear that all our advice has paid off.  I know what you mean about the standard hothead bracket position - I found it virtually impossible to work with, and did the same as you and got an L Clamp and bent it - much better!

If you find the arms difficult to work with still, then either a Creation Station (expensive!) or the removable arms that Tuffnells's  sell (cheaper!) are very good.  I can only use 1 of the removable arms due to the shape of my bench, but even that one I find a godsend!

[Blue Box Studio]

I think the removable arms are already on my wish list - a creation station is a bit more than I have available to spend at the mo.  Hopefully once the new worktop is in, things will be more comfortable but I've been out there for 2 hours and don't have the same aches as yesterday.

This is addictive !!

[Pat from Canvey]

As a stopgap, put some ordinary rice in a resealable bag to rest your elbow on. I prefert this to my creation station.

[Blue Box Studio]

Good idea, and cheap too.  Thanks.

[cbeadies]

I use the bench clamp that I got with my  hothead set up but I angled the vertical piece upwards a bit so that the torch is pointing away from me rather than straight up ...much better!

[Moreton]

During her demo at Flame Off Sharon Peters used a Toilet Roll wrapped in Alu Foil to support her arms. Very handy if you stay in the Shedio RATHER TOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LONG >>>>>>>>>>
Good luck with your new adventure.
Pete

[Blue Box Studio]

Thanks.  Will be trying out to loo rolls later tonight!  Husband has just asked why I headed down to my workshop with 2 loo rolls and the kitchen foil.  Some people have no imagination - or perhaps he has and that's the problem!