[kbinkster]

When you use the red and green valve only (or with the blue just barely cracked open a hair), the Lynx is effectively a 7-jet standard mix surface mix torch just like a Bobcat, a Minor, a Mini CC, etc., and you would run it the same as you would run (or should run) any of those. The difference is that the Lynx has the triple mix feature available to it, where the other torches I mentioned do not.

The triple mix feature expands the range of flame characteristics (size, shape, atmosphere) available. The limited range of a standard surface mix torch is there and can be accessed simply by not using the triple mix. If you want to run a Lynx like you would a Minor, you certainly could just by keeping the blue valve just barely cracked ever-so-slightly or off (more on that follows). It’s that easy. For some applications, that may be what is called for. For other applications, employing the triple mix feature makes the job much easier.

If you want to do stringer work using a pinpoint flame instead of the heat envelop around the torch, use the red and blue valves only, with the green valve oxygen off. This is an example of where having the triple mix feature is very helpful when working with soft glass. When you use the red and blue valve only, you can dial in a needle flame that is not only tight and precise, it has just about no radiant heat to wipe out the detail of the glass next to where you’re using it and you can have your fingers right up next to the flame.

If you would like the widest neutral flame on a Lynx, which is a soft flame with a lot of radiant heat, all you have to do is use the green and red valve with the blue valve just barely cracked open and use the torch as a standard surface mix. If you are running candles 3/8" long or longer, or, if you are changing your flame types quickly and not sitting on one flame type for long (like 10 minutes), you could close the blue valve if you just had to (still, it’s better to be in the habit of having it at least cracked open. If you notice carboning, flick it off and crack open the blue valve or bump up your oxygen just a little).

A solid neutral flame suitable for working soft glass will generally have candles that are about 1/4" to 3/8" long with yellow/white tips on them that are 1-2mm long. The more fuel you add, or the more oxygen you take away, the longer those tips will be. The more oxygen you add, or the more fuel you take away, the shorter the tips will be. You can tell when a flame is about to go into reduction when the yellow tips of the candles start forming little points (feathering or streaking). Otherwise, they are nice and rounded.

The sweet spot for working soft glass is going to be 3-4 inches from the face of the torch. If you want to work cooler, move out further, turn your flame down, or do both. Just remember that if you run candles that are any shorter than 1/4", you will want to run more oxygen through the torch. The candles should be all blue, with no yellow/white tips. If you don’t run all blue candles for a flame shorter than 1/4”, you could have carbon issues (on any torch).

The injector oxygen does not cool the torch and not using it is not going to cause your torch face to melt.

The reason for having the center valve open, if only the tiniest little bit, is to create some flow of oxygen through the tiny injector tubes so that the ends of those tubes don't become dead spots at the face of the torch. Dead spots load up heat more easily and attract carbon build-up. Occasional carbon is not a problem, as you can flick it off, adjust your flame, and move on. If you let it collect/cake on and bake on, however, it can overheat the ends of the tubes and eventually, you could have some erosion, just like on any torch. I will repeat: baked on carbon and tube erosion can happen on any torch. It's easy to spot any problems on a Lynx long before tube erosion occurs because the injector jets are so small. You will notice the carbon build-up sooner on the small injector tubes of a Lynx (and can take corrective action sooner) than on the larger tubes the standard surface mix torches have.