Newbie with a Lynx

[piedradesigns]

Do you have a Lynx torch? What tips will help me (a beginner) get started on my new Lynx successfully? Have you picked up on any tricks? Where is the "sweet spot" where you usually apply stringer? I've been practicing on a hothead & a minor. What do I need to know to make the switch? Any advice will be appreciated!!

[ChristyPhelps]

Just enjoy it, Grasshopper. It's the best torch known to man imho. Once you turn that top knob and pinpoint the flame you'll be hooked! You don't need as much oxygen, either. My only tip is to check the front of the torch after you've had the middle knob open for awhile because it gets hot specks (technical term) on it that you can flick off easily with any stainless tool.

[Afterdark]

I have a Lynx (OG20) and love it for small boro beads and it works fine for soft glass- almost too hot for fine detail. Really got to turn the middle knob down to a fine line. My only wish is it had a larger wider flame- I so want to do boro pendants and it takes forever to melt big pieces of glass.

Ow ya- I can't get nothing but poop colors with "Silver glass" DoubleHelix in perticular.....It might have something to do with my technique or altitude in Utah mountains but I am frustrated with that.

Other than those minor things- I love mine- clean, simple and easy to use.

[Passing Glass]

Ow ya- I can't get nothing but poop colors with "Silver glass" DoubleHelix in perticular.....It might have something to do with my technique or altitude in Utah mountains but I am frustrated with that.

OOh OOh!! I thought that was only me! OK, what's the deal here? On a Minor, I can get the Doublehelix Kronos and Gaia to do their thing, but I can't do it on the Lynx. I've tried to emulate the flame of a minor, nice soft bushly oxidizing flame, but I can sit there for 30 minutes on the Lynx and all I get is dirty glass from all the extra propane. What's happening? Why so much difficulty on the Lynx vs. the Minor on the silver glass?

I did figure out one way to get a little color, but it takes FOREVER to get it to work. Believe it or not, I turn the propane almost off and have an extremely hard "punching" oxygen flame with little to no candles, then get the bead as hot as you can in that flame WAY up close to the torch face. Like in the candles, which is very touchy that close to the torch face. Be careful! I get within an 8th of an inch to the torch face. That brings out a little color, usually out by the bead holes. But it beats me why. Can you tell how desperate I got trying everything I could to get color out of that stuff on the Lynx? Works great on raku though.

Maybe Kimberly can help us!

[playswithfire104]

I'm glad I'm not the the only Lynx owner with silver glass issues! One weekend I worked with silver glass and raku and got excellent results. About a week later I did the same thing and all I got was crap! Today I'm getting better results with raku but still nada on the silver colors.

[ChristyPhelps]

I have no problem with silver colors! The secret is to do it like boro striking. Let the bead cool - put it under the table to make sure the glow is gone. Then just gently wave it through the end of the flame. You have to treat it differently than soft glass. I have my oxygen set way lower on the Lynx than I could possibly have used on the Minor & am able to get a nice, bushy flame when I want it.

[Passing Glass]

Sorry Christy, you confused me. You are saying that on a Lynx with silver glass such as doublehelix's stuff, you make a bead, let it get nice and cool, and then wave it gently in the back of a neutral flame? Or did you mean a reducing flame?

Also, you said you can set your oxygen way lower than you could on a minor and get a bushy flame - do you mean set it at a lower pressure, or just close the knob to make a reducing flame? I can get that bushy flame with no problem, but the colors just don't come out to play with me. How reducing is your flame? I mean how long are the candles/how much yellow?

Thanks! Show us your silver stuff that you made on the Lynx!

[playswithfire104]

Christy - been there, done that, didn't get any colors. I think the moon is just in the wrong house.

[piedradesigns]

Thanks for the encouragement--and the warnings! I had been told that a Lynx was too hot for a beginner. Do you think I'll be able to handle stringer? Christy, when you use Double Helix colors, do you wave the bead through a reducing flame? I hope I didn't buy too much torch for my meager abilities!!
Gretchen in Colorado

[nklt0]

Congratulations! I L.O.V.E my lynx! It's a bit of learning curve, but once you get it you won't turn back!

As for DH colours, turn down your blue oxy so you get a 1/2" to 1" yellow tip candles, give your bead a few turns in that flame, colour pop out without effort!

here are some examples:



HTH

Cheers
Nancy

[ChristyPhelps]

Originally Posted by Passing Glass

Sorry Christy, you confused me. You are saying that on a Lynx with silver glass such as doublehelix's stuff, you make a bead, let it get nice and cool, and then wave it gently in the back of a neutral flame? Or did you mean a reducing flame?

Also, you said you can set your oxygen way lower than you could on a minor and get a bushy flame - do you mean set it at a lower pressure, or just close the knob to make a reducing flame? I can get that bushy flame with no problem, but the colors just don't come out to play with me. How reducing is your flame? I mean how long are the candles/how much yellow?

Thanks! Show us your silver stuff that you made on the Lynx!

I'll have to take pics of my R4 and Double Helix stuff, right now I'm struggling with boro implosions and it's not a pretty sight.

What works for me is to make the flame more reducing than oxy I turn them both down first, then back off on the oxygen but not as much as you would if you were putting an iris on and wanted to raise a metallic sheen - I guess I'd say my yellow flame is 6-9 cm and the blue flame is another 3 cm beyond that. I gently wave it through the place at the end where the 2 colors meet. but the key is to let it cool first. It won't crack on you and if it does, reheat and heal it.

(guarantees are implied and not specific. poster will remain blamelessin the event of a cracked bead and still be regarded with love and kindness.)

My suggestion would be to pull stringer from every silver you have. Make a tube bead with black, then stripe each color around. THEN play with it. You'll be amazed. It's not the Lynx, it's against soft glass users' nature to let the bead cool!

[piedradesigns]

Thanks, Christy! Is it difficult to work with stringer on the Lynx?
Gretchen

[Passing Glass]

It's no more or less difficult to work stringer on a Lynx. Just different. The Lynx is hotter so you have to work it in a different area and/or use a different technique than you would with a minor. Stringer work is just heat control that's it. Slight pressure and raise the heat slowly by moving the bead and stringer closer to the flame until the stringer bends, then stay there and place your stringer where you want it.

(guarantees are implied and not specific. poster will remain blamelessin the event of a cracked bead and still be regarded with love and kindness.)

I hereby grant you full indemnity and immunity to all actions and lampworking results by and of the poster.

I was able to work on a minor again last night. I made small leaves with bails on them with both Kronos and Gaia. WoW! I love that stuff. I work it in a neutral to oxy flame and then once it's made I pull up a reducing flame but my candles are no where near 6-9 cm. That is a HUGELY reducing flame. On a minor, I get about an inch of yellow candles and then do what you do with putting them where the colors meet. Wave it in and out. I get an iridescent sheen on the glass, then put it away in the blanket. When it comes out, it is not just iridescent, but somewhat opaque with all those creamy greens and blues. I'm determined to get that stuff on my Lynx! Now I have to get my own leaf masher instead of borrowing one.

[Double Helix Glassworks]

We use several GTT's at our testing table, and most of the photos we use on our site are of glass worked on GTT's. Here is a typical slightly reducing flame on the Lynx center fire of our Mirage. Just a couple of passes through the tips of the yellow candles does the trick.
Another way to get a soft reducing flame on a lynx is to run a flame with only propane and blue knob. Just make sure the flame has enough velocity to "jump" a few millimeters off the torch face, then turn up the fuel a tiny bit to get a soft flame with stretched candles. This flame setting takes some getting used to but can be very useful. I wouldn't run that type of flame all day long, but a few seconds here and there to strike has done my GTT's no harm. I think the GTT's have a fantastic range of flame settings, plus, who can resist metallic purple?
Jed at Double Helix

[piedradesigns]

Thank you!! My friend & teacher Casey (indigolizard) told me how helpful this site could be--how right she was!!

[Passing Glass]

Thanks Jed!

I'm happy to report that I ROCKED the Kronos and Gaia last night on my Lynx! Woohoo! Finally. I'm not sure if it mattered or not, but I only ran one Oxycon instead of my usual 2. I also usually had a more reducing flame than what Jed shows, but it works! Yippee! I'll get some pictures and put them in the gallery before long. Next up - Olympia Rain.

[Emily]

I'm having no trouble getting color out of Kronos, Gaia, and Elektra on my Lynx. For Gaia and Elektra, I don't cool the bead. I just turn the blue oxy knob off and the green oxy knob down until I have yellow fingers a couple of inches long, and let them lick the surface of the bead until I have the level of color I want. For original Kronos, I have to do the complicated cooling, reducing, reheating thing. Kronos 2 takes less fussing, but since Gaia came out it's been hard to get me back to Kronos of any sort (and oh, if only Elektra didn't bubble so much . . . and my first bundle of Nyx just arrived, and I've got a bad cold and can't torch, and it's KILLING me -- and the audiobook I was listening to while I was torching stopped at a good part, too. Life is SO unfair.)

I haven't done much with Aion. So far it's turned beige with hints of pink. Is that what it's supposed to do? ('Cause isn't there an expression that goes something like "dull as a beige room?")

[Afterdark]

Jed- I have read and re-read your instructions every single time I pull out that Kronos and Gaia glass- Nada but yuck. I'm so frustrated with the combination torch/glass I just sent my very expensive glass to another lampworker to see if I got a bad set of kronos- (I bought it very early on so I know it's harder to work) but man- it's picky stuff. I can get a little color from the OR if I use ivory as a base but any other color it stays clear. I keep looking at your new colors and want to buy but can't do it until I figure the KRonos, Gaia and OR out. I've come to the conclusion it's the torch and oxygen and fuel set up and the high altitude- The OG20 guy said it will cause me stress being at a higher elevation- Sea level is best.
I have a OG20 and bottled propane- any suggestions on set up for pounds?

I haven't completely given it all away-currently it's just collecting dust bunnies on the shelve. I will continue trying it but man I want those pretty colors to come through.

signed,
DH challenged........

[ChristyPhelps]

Oh don't give up! Just try turning your oxy lower at the tank than what you normally set it at, ok? Just try it.

Oh - Gaia is heavenly!
I like it with a Minor
I like it with a Lynx
I like it with a shiner
I like it wearing minks

It may take several passes, but just slow down and get zen with it, no frustration or anxiety. It likes a zen-like state . Don't give up!

[piedradesigns]

I live at 6500 ft. in Colorado. Does altitude affect any other aspects of lampworking?

[mostlydetails]

Originally Posted by buddhabeader

Thanks, Christy! Is it difficult to work with stringer on the Lynx?
Gretchen

It took me a few days to figure it out, which I think is a relatively small learning curve. When in doubt, work higher and farther out.

I switched to a Lynx after a couple years on a Hot Head, and I've never looked back! It's really a great torch. One of the coolest things I discovered is that you can "erase" the black gunk off rubino or other reduced effects by turning the O2 way up.

[ChristyPhelps]

Originally Posted by buddhabeader

I live at 6500 ft. in Colorado. Does altitude affect any other aspects of lampworking?

I just looked it up and got this with links to discussions on the ISGB http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/arch...x.php/t-250198

Also - sorry I missed that, no different doing stringer on a Lynx. That has to do with the tides, I think.

[Afterdark]

Not sure much about altitude other than the effects of the OG20- According to the oxygen generator manufacture it was descirbed that the high altitude reduces the PSI and purity some. Mostly PSI of the generator. We talked about possibly needing a large holding tank to better handle the PSI pressure. Personally we use an OG15 and OG20 and get plenty of oxygen without the tank. Annealing I haven't notice any problems. Rarely get cracks so it's not a worry.

PS Christy- it's not in the garbage yet so that's still a good sign- I won't give up trying-it's not my style. But I may need a long week without interuptions and a case of glass to figure it out.

[piedradesigns]

Thank you so much! I'm so encouraged by your words!!

[Afterdark]

I got Gaia to work just fine!! Finally sucess- Happy dance- Thanks Jed
Now to get Kronos to do it's thing...hummmmm I may be outta luck.

I was overheating- I turned the blue knob down and quickly flashed the Gaia and it worked like a champ!