Minor burners can do fine on low pressure (on the low end, it can use 1/4 psi). One reason you see 5 psi being recommended so much is that many regulators used in lampworking (i.e., not always the most expensive ones) need to be set at 5 psi or higher to function optimally and not produce a fluctuating flame. Another reason some people set their fuel pressure to 5 psi is that they set the oxygen psi to 10 psi and want to a 2:1 oxygen to fuel ratio. Unless you are running your torch with the fuel and oxygen valves wide open, you are really mixing the ratio with the oxygen and fuel valves of the torch, and you don't need to set your pressures up to the 2:1 ratio.
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Kimberly
working glass since 1990 - melting it on a torch since 2002
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