Striking/Reducing/neutral flames

[amber0307]

Could someone explain the difference to me between a striking, reducing and neutral flame? I use a hothead and am a bit clueless about it all!

[garishglobes]

A propane-rich flame tends to be reducing. An oxygen-rich one is oxidising, and somewhere in the middle (mixture of the two) is neutral. Although a hothead uses propane, it is designed to take oxygen from the atmosphere so it is close to a neutral flame, though still slightly on the reducing side.
If you are looking at using the silver-rich glasses, then to reduce them you want to make your bead and then roll it through that blue cone near the torch that you would normally avoid, because it is much more reducing. Reducing flames also make for mucky glass, which is why you'd usually avoid it, and only use it (for example) for a quick go to get colours out of silver. You can also cover the holes on the hothead either with foil or a heatproof gauntlet.
Striking colours are different. Striking silver glasses need to be heated till they go transparentish/soupy. Cool till if you put them under the table you can't see the glow (well, that's what I do!) then gradually introduce back to the flame and reheat gently.  More reheating and cooling gives the colours.
That is basic, but I hope it helps!

[amber0307]

A propane-rich flame tends to be reducing. An oxygen-rich one is oxidising, and somewhere in the middle (mixture of the two) is neutral. Although a hothead uses propane, it is designed to take oxygen from the atmosphere so it is close to a neutral flame, though still slightly on the reducing side.
If you are looking at using the silver-rich glasses, then to reduce them you want to make your bead and then roll it through that blue cone near the torch that you would normally avoid, because it is much more reducing. Reducing flames also make for mucky glass, which is why you'd usually avoid it, and only use it (for example) for a quick go to get colours out of silver. You can also cover the holes on the hothead either with foil or a heatproof gauntlet.
Striking colours are different. Striking silver glasses need to be heated till they go transparentish/soupy. Cool till if you put them under the table you can't see the glow (well, that's what I do!) then gradually introduce back to the flame and reheat gently.  More reheating and cooling gives the colours.
That is basic, but I hope it helps!

It certainly does - have printed it off for reference

Thanks!