HELP! I have glass in my nozzles!

[Lotti]

URGH!  My one day a week when I get to torch (and am in desperate need of stock) and making a paperweight, my arm slipped off the table and I have glass in my torch !!!!!!!!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHH  Two nozzles are blocked and I don't know what to do, I fear I have broken my torch and am going to cry ALOT!  I am hoping that someone can advise me on what to do (nervous about pokey tool as it will push the glass further down the nozzles).

[Blue Box Studio]

What torch have you got?  Is there anything to unscrew to poke the bits out from the back?

Does this help? http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-190236.html

[Barnacle Bay]

Oh no - I always fear this happening. 

[jammie]

can you take the torch off and give it a good dunt on the bottom to knock it out and blow the oxy through it at the same time?

[Redhotsal]

Heat the torch up til it is hot (you can light the torch if it's safe to do so). When it is hot (but not lit ) pick it up off the table and dunk the end into some cold water. You should be able to shock the glass out. If it's possible take the torch to a tool hire place and see if you can get them to blow compressed air through the lines (hold the torch upside down) to push out any remaining glass. Hope that helps.

[Magpie]

I did this, I had one jet blocked, another partly blocked. I had a poke and prod and did what Sal says to do and nothing shifted it. But I kept on torching and a few months later noticed the jets weren't blocked any more. I think the repeated heating and cooling just loosened and shifted it. So if it's not shifting don't worry too much it may sort itself out on its own.

[Shirley]

The centre jet on my bobcat had been blocked for well over a year, in spite of me prodding and poking it. This week I poked it again and the jet cleared. Don't know why. Quite glad that it did.

[jammie]

Thats good to know Shirley cos mine is blocked too and no matter how i poke its still blocked!

[Lotti]

Heat the torch up til it is hot (you can light the torch if it's safe to do so). When it is hot (but not lit ) pick it up off the table and dunk the end into some cold water. You should be able to shock the glass out. If it's possible take the torch to a tool hire place and see if you can get them to blow compressed air through the lines (hold the torch upside down) to push out any remaining glass. Hope that helps.

Thank you everyone for the help and thank you specially Sal (as ever of course ).  The heating, dunking worked very quickly and was able to spend the rest of the afternoon torching happily.  Thank you again, very very much. xxxxx

[Shirley]

Thats good to know Shirley cos mine is blocked too and no matter how i poke its still blocked!

I did wonder whether the running on 6 nozzles was why I've had good results with silver glass. Will have to see if I've lost the magic!

[jammie]

mine was reducing everything, but it seems much better now, only the middle one still blocked! !