bench depth??
 

ok so im wondering how far my torch should be from my wall il be getting a midrange plus? how deep should it be like 2'5"?

umm...just make sure the back wall is fire proof? I personally would consider the heat coming back at your body for comforts sake. From your profile I couldn't tell your sex, but as a female of a certain age, cool rules. I have a deeper table with a mirror back drop so I can take maximum advantage of light reflection (and check my lip stick).

Good luck.

oh yeah i have not really gotten around to setting up profile and avatar :P im a guy 15 years young :D and just got into it about 2-3 months ago

Hi what is a mirror backdrop? And was the minimum answer 2.5

2'5" may be a bit short on a midrange plus. BUT... it sort of depends on your situation. If the back wall is insulated well then it may be OK. If your vent system is good then the vent system may pull the heat up and out faster/better so less chance of overheating the wall. If you only use the larger flame occasionally then it might not build up too much heat. Lots of variables to consider so there is no real answer except more distance is better.

Mirror backdrop is simply a mirror placed in front of the torch such that you can see the flame and your piece from the opposite side as you work. I use a strip mirror on the back wall to observe the back side of my marbles and the shape of a gather as I blow it out, etc.

What would you recommend the bench depth be for a minor?

mine is about 4' with a mirage and I still feel it's a touch too short when im running full. If i had a 5 foot bench i'd feel much better about it. my table is 3x5 and It butts up to a 12" wide shelf on the wall. The wall gets warm, but I'm confident I won't have any trouble as much as I use the mirage flame...Plus I have a foot pedal.

My bench is 40" deep. I have 1/4" Hardi board on the back wall. My vent system is strong enough that there is almost no heat build up on the back wall when using the Kabuki outer flame full on for 3 to 5 minutes. The back wall will gain about 10 degrees. For a minor I would think anything about 30" or more would be good IF you have adequate vent air flow.

it also depends on the angle of the torch most folks work the torch pointing almost straight away from them, when I set up our second torch station with my cheetah I did not have enough room to work that way as it can throw a two foot flame.
In watching a Sue Ellen Fowler vid I saw she works the torch almost straight up so I set my cheetah up that way, there was a bit to relearn but I really like working the flame at that angle.

there are a few things I do worry about like dropping molten glass on the torch face or getting my big nose in the flame though when I work a big flame I switch to a face sheild to keep the heat off of my face

Oh and good for you getting such an early start some of the most amazing artists I know started in their teens and now their skills are hard to match for those of us who got a much much later start lol

Mines 25" with hardiebacker on the wall with a 1" airspace. No problems with it getting hot and I have a minimal vent

hi David, what torch are you using? =)

What torch are you AND Carol using???

Bwahahahah...;-)

PJ

My bench is 2.5' but I point my torch (Barracuda) up at an angle so it's not pointed directly at the wall. I also use a mirror to reflect light/heat (and so I can see if anyone walks into the studio behind me) and the wall behind the mirror is concrete.

:fnwl: She hasn't shown any interest in it.

Minor

David,
Too bad. Deb and I had a good time giving her a lesson and she did pretty good for a rank beginner.

I'm on a minor... is 24inches enough?

I have a scorpion and my new bench is 24" with a cinder block wall behind it. I haven't tried it yet, but the old set-up was the same size bench with a tile wall on backer board and I never had a problem. My torch angle is about 45 degrees and shoots right into the ventilation.

Use a 30 inch deep table with the face of the Scorpion 24 inches from the wall. The wall is covered with 1/2 inch concrete backer board. The torch is angled up at 20 degrees and may be tilted up a bit more when the new exhaust fan arrives.

Have not seen any heat related issues with the present setup.

I've got a couple of cement blocks at the back of my bench. Cheap and flame proof.