Making the Switch, Oxycon to Tank
 

I am so happy and lucky that I live and work in an area where I can fairly cheaply and easily exchange oxygen tanks. So I'm making the switch next month from my EX-15 oxycon to tanked oxygen. I'm currently using my Nortel Major/Minor and as I've already posted about previously I can't use the Major with the EX-15, so I'm currently only using the Minor that's mounted on top. I am just curious from other peoples experiences how much hotter is my flame going to get? For my first 4 years of melting glass I was in college and very spoiled so I had endless amounts of tanked oxygen at my disposal. It has been 2 years since I've worked off of tanked oxygen and I really hope that I find I can melt boro much much much faster! I am also curious to hear from others, should the Minor be hot enough with tanked oxygen to EASILY make small to medium sized pipes (4 - 5 inches long)? Right now it is more of a struggle to get the heat that I need.

I should think with that upgrade you will have TONS more heat. Congrats, I would try it if I could.

Tanked is so much better than oxy cons any day. Hotter flame to be sure. If I could go back to tanked, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Not sure about making a pipe but I could make large beads with boro on a minor. Gas I use is propane.

I think you'd love the Torch Talk group on Facebook! And congrats, more heat = more awesome!

Iv seen bubblers made with a Minor alone, on tanked you will do fine.

I'm glad to hear that you guys think I'll be fine to start cranking out pipes! (My inventory is pathetic :( )
I finally set up my account with the oxygen supplier and got my tank yesterday! It was my birthday present to myself haha! The guy even gave me my Smith regulator at almost half off! I'm going to try it out tonight, hopefully I'll be posting tomorrow about how wonderful it is! :D

Right on, you are making it happen.

I run 4 oxycons to power a GTT Mirage, If I had to run tanked id still be on a wimpy torch. Get more oxycons as you find them because in the long haul paying for oxygen will hold you way back.

That $40 - $80 a week will suck up your torch upgrade funding big time.

Where I live I am paying about $10 for a large tank of oxygen-that includes delivery.

Seems like there is a huge disparity for what you are paying for a tank of oxygen. As I remember though, from when I lived in Florida, gas was fairly expensive (and the guys I knew in the gas business were making a killing).

I wonder what the price of oxygen needs to be to make investing say $1000 in oxygen machines worth the effort. I'm thinking about getting a machine just so I don't have to haul a tank up a set of stairs every week or so.

What are all the pro's and con's for tanked oxygen.
pro's:-hotter flame-larger flame if wanted-more control(guessing)
con's: tanks (dirty-heavy-some danger)-changing tank weekly-cost over time

Anyone that can get T or K tanks for $10 stay on tanks. Thats a good deal.

K tanks are $40 here and I will not pay it.

I built my own high volume type system so I get all the pressure and storage I want.
4 oxycons,a Oil-less compressor and storage tanks. I can fire it up with no saved storage of oxygen and be raging my Mirage in 5 minutes.

The fun part is I never run out or pack, haul and pay for tanks. I'm very crippled up so I move a tank wrong and im down for a week or two.

thanks snoopdog, good to know