Next step up?

glassymom · #1 2013-01-20, 10:12pm

Hi
I'm working on a cricket right now(from a hot head previously)
And started thinking what might be my next step up from there. I gotta save the money and that may take quite a while. SO, what torches would be good for larger marbles, working with boro?
It takes me quite a while to make a small marble now.

just thinking into the future......

deb tarry · #2 2013-01-20, 10:35pm

I started working boro marble with a lynx with two 5lpm oxycons then I moved up to a bethlehem bravo. The lynx was good but the bravo is better.

Alaska · #3 2013-01-20, 10:42pm

Moved up from a Cricket to a Scorpion as the center fire is the Cricket. A most easy transition. Of course any move up with a torch will require a similar move up with your oxygen supply especially with concentrators. It on tanked then O2 use will be higher.

If a Scorpion is still too small (as no marble size was listed) then take a look at the GTT triple mix torches. A Phantom should be sufficient for most lampworking needs unless one takes on larger projects.

The down side of triple mix is that the oxygen supplied by most concentrators is at a lower PSI and the Phantom likes to see 25 to 30 PSI. In that case either tanked will take care of the issue or the use of concentrators with an on demand oxygen booster system.

LarryC · #4 2013-01-20, 11:13pm

I started on a gtt lynx and moved up to my mirage. The triple mixes are a lot of torch for the money.

shawnette · #5 2013-01-21, 7:59am

It really all depends on your oxygen supply. You can make a good sized marble on a Lynx on oxycons but you can make even bigger marbles faster on tanks. If you plan to use oxycons, then the Scorpion would be the next step up. The next size up from the Scorpion is the Sidewinder, which is comparable in size to the Phantom. (These are all GTT torches.)

If you want to make large marbles, oxycons aren't the way to go, unless you get one of the homefill systems. If not, you need to get a generator, which can be pretty pricey. (I have a Hurricane, which does a decent job but still doesn't compare to tanked.)

Lorraine Chandler · #6 2013-01-21, 2:16pm

Upgrades to larger torches usually mean oxygen upgrades also.

Baywinger · #7 2013-01-21, 8:54pm

there is also the stepchild of GTT the cheetah, I love mine and am able to make up to 2.5 inch boro marbles as well as blown work.
it is not as versatile as a two stage but has more heat than my wife's scorpion and is triple mix to boot

glassymom · #8 2013-01-21, 10:10pm

wow, opened a whole can of worms wanting more fire didn't I LOL

Ok, my studio is only an 8x10 so two concentrators is max for room.

as for oxygen, thats kinda scary....... I have a tank my son gave me. Its a diving tank but he said it would work if I wanted to do that.........BUT, he has no clue about lampworking OR diving so I would have to know for sure from someone knowledgeable in that area LOL

I'm just thinking ahead really but I would love some day to be able to go a bit bigger on the marbles. i'm not really into sculpture work so I'm pretty sure that will not be an issue.

thanks for the info, I'm going to start with these suggestions and go from there.
thank you!!
sue

Baywinger · #9 2013-01-23, 9:40pm

I don't think you can use a dive tank, the fittings are different

Dog Squeez · #10 2013-01-24, 1:42pm

About dive tanks; they have the wrong fitting, they're on the small side and your
O2 supplier won't fill them with O2. They're made for highly compressed air (27k psi)
and probably won't work for O2.