PSI on Cheetah

Bakerman44 · #1 2010-10-14, 10:28am

OK! Here's the skinny: I have a GTT Cheetah on the way. I have read that GTT is an oxygen efficient company. Now...that being said, I've talked and read also that people keep their psi up as high as 35 and 40 on their tanked oxygen.

I've learned also that a high psi will push the flame around the glass instead of in to it, thus taking longer to heat something. I saw a video about a barracuda on youtube and learned that (At this time i had my psi on my minor at 15..when i backed down to 9psi or so and I saw a difference).

Here's what I've gathered so far. Low psi can melt faster, but puts your torch face at high risk. Higher psi takes longer to soften glass, but keeps the torch face safe.

Million dollar question: What is the best or optimal PSI for a Cheetah on tanked oxy?

Now if someone can't describe the optimal working psi, then maybe they could help with my definitions of high and low psi.

Thanks for all the help! My Cheetah gets here tusday 19th!!! yay!!

-justin

kbinkster · #2 2010-10-17, 1:00pm

The instructions that come with the Cheetah will tell you what the manufacturer feels is the optimum pressure setting.

Also, understand that pressure and flow are two different things. They are related, but high pressure does not always mean high flow. You can have high pressure with low flow and low pressure with high flow. Flow is the actual volume of oxygen going through your torch in any given time frame. Pressure is just the push behind it that gets it to where it needs to go.

Bakerman44 · #3 2010-10-21, 5:51pm

LOVE my cheetah...why i didn't get convinced to get a gtt first...i really have no clue...but anyway...factory recommends 5 to 8 psi on propane and 20-25 on oxygen.

I've found the best performance for my needs to be 5 psi and 18-19 oxygen. i tried 25 psi on oxy and backed off bit by bit until i got a little range on my knobs. I can get a more manageable flame with the above settings. (don't worry, im keep a close eye on the ports and i usually run an oxygen rich flame)

thanks for the help kimberly!

metalbone · #4 2010-10-30, 6:02am

also make sure the candles are at least 1/4 inch...this will minimize the chance of overheating the ports.

so from a glass size working range, how does the cheetah compare to the red max?

Bakerman44 · #5 2010-10-31, 6:45am

Well, I haven't really tried to push the limits yet...but i made a 2" marble. I like to make pendants and this torch will REALLY hammer out the pendants. The needle flame is tricky to dial in, but it's there and it's hot!

I never really tried to use my redmax much. It was just too too much!! I can still pull a 1 inch heavy wall point in about the same amount of time..maybe 15 seconds longer in the flame or something. But the redmax has soo much radiant heat I found trouble using it and coming back with hair still on my knuckles.

metalbone · #6 2010-10-31, 7:38am

cool, thanks. I am trying to decide if I want the lynx or cheetah for a back up. I pretty much wrote off the nortels, althrough I do like the premix for fuming.

Bakerman44 · #7 2010-10-31, 9:31am

well if you have minimal stringerwork and super fine detail work, then go with lynx...but if needle flame use is going to be minimal for you, def the cheetah

metalbone · #8 2010-10-31, 12:04pm

Stringerwork? What's that?