Has anybody played with the GTT sidewinder?

sparrow · #1 2011-08-03, 9:56am

Just curious, really, I kind of neither need another torch, nor do I have funds for one.....but it looks so good.....has anybody twiddled its knobs?

shawnette · #2 2011-08-04, 8:38am

Not me, but it does look nice!!

Dasi · #3 2011-08-12, 11:50am

Yes... Yes... Yess..... I tried it at Corning. I looooved it and have ordered one. Hope to get it soon.
I currently have a scorpion and I love it, but the sidewinder is a much much larger flame.
It is a bobcat for the center fire and 15 jets on the outer ring. I made a boro marble in John Kobuki's class two weeks before the gathering. The flame was unbelievable but it was on liquid O2. I hope it does half as well on 3 concentrators.

sparrow · #4 2011-08-13, 12:14am

It does look nice Shawnette, doesn't it?

Thanks Heather - I'll keep an eye out for your concentrator experience - if it behaves well, it might have to join my long wish list!

Dasi · #5 2011-08-22, 5:28am

Here are pictures of my sidewinder in action. I have it on 2 M20's that are a few years old, and a M-15. It is a much bigger flame then the scorpion.

sparrow · #6 2011-08-22, 5:35am

Thanks so much for posting these, Heather - that's quite a beast, lol! I think I'll start my hankering now.......

hans de Marie · #7 2011-08-25, 3:24am

..

hans de Marie · #8 2011-08-25, 3:25am

hello,
first let me introduce myself just a little
my name is Hans de Marie and im new here to this forum.
I work as a glassinstumentmaker in the Netherlands so i work every day behind the torch.
However the time has come that i finale let lose the creative site of me! 

Im bursting of ideas,Yet i think there is a lot to lurn also, but first i have to greate mi workshop
Anyway...about the gtt sidewinder.
I was aiming for the scorpion because of the great possibilities with concentrators.
Yet the sidewinder i already know fits my needs more ( im used to work with Herbert Arnold torches etc).
My question is Heather how many PSI of oxygen are u using?
I have a hart time findin 8 or 10 lpm cons in the Netherlands, so for now im thinking of 4 or maybe 5 devillbis 5 lpm cons will that do ?

hans de Marie · #9 2011-08-25, 3:34am

becaus the max of a devillbis 5 lpm is 7.5 psi i think

Dasi · #10 2011-08-25, 5:37am

http://www.unlimitedoxygen.com/services.html

This is what I am running that torch on. I have 2 of the M-20's but I do not think they are running at full capacity after about 3 years in Florida. I also have an M-15 that is new. They are all about the same when only hooked to one torch. So I guess I am running on 3 of the 8lpn machines. The torch is great on this configuration.
I used the sidewinder on tanked O2 and it did a little better. But it really works very well on my concentrators!

I think you need to find the 8lpn machines. All small torches will work well on an 8lpn machine so I would never bother to buy a smaller unit. I want my small torches to work at 75-100% capacity. Why buy a unit that does not max out a smaller torch too?

hans de Marie · #11 2011-08-25, 10:46pm

I think you are right
Thanks for giving me your opinion.
I will continue my search in the Netherlands before i order m20s in amerika 

Dasi · #12 2011-08-27, 8:28am

Quote:

Originally Posted by hans de Marie

I think you are right
Thanks for giving me your opinion.
I will continue my search in the Netherlands before i order m20s in amerika 

Welcome to LE!!! it is a great place to learn about flamework...... Have fun!

Cornbread · #13 2011-08-27, 8:37am

wow...ive never heard of this torch before. thanks for sharing! I'm thinking of buying a couple student torches. i have a mirage but i think i'd rather teach or a non-triple mix torch. I'll have to consider this one!

hans de Marie · #14 2011-09-02, 3:07am

thanks for the welcome Heather!

i was wondering somting.

wil this torch produce the same flamehead with let say with 16 lpm than the scorpion on 16 lpm?

So will i be able to do the same size of boro on the sidewinder on 16 lpm than the scorpion on 16 lpm.

because then i know i would buy this torch and always can upgrade my cons.
but i need minimal the heat of the scorpion...

i hope mi cuestion is clear?

Dasi · #15 2011-09-02, 7:28am

The scorpion runs great on 2 concentrators. The sidewinder needs 3 concentrators. I would not take the chance of running the sidewinder on only 2 cocentrators. You will not have enough O2 to get good colors out of boro. Plus you will not get a good flame on the sidewinder on only 2 concentrators. It will have a flame to close to the face of the torch and this is not good for the torch.

If I were you, I would purchase the scorpion. It is a great torch and will last you years before you need to move up if you are doing boro pendants or soft glass beads. The scorpion would be fine for me but I just wanted bigger. Bigger is not always better especially when you are just starting out.

I started on a minor and I am glad I did not have such a strong flame in the beginning. I learned to control the glass, and slowly moved up to bigger torches over the years. If I started out with a torch that was bigger, I would not have learned as fast. I would have been overheating my glass and missing what I needed to learn from the glass. I learned the heat control from those smaller torches before the glass would get out of control.

The bobcat or Lynx are also great torches. They also are a good buy for you to learn on.

Since you are an experienced glass worker, you need to base your decision on how much oxygen you have to supply for the torch. The more oxygen the larger you can go with your torch purchase.

The sidewinder is a bigger flame then the scorpion. I think much bigger. BUT the scorpion is a nice bigger flame.

Rodger · #16 2011-09-03, 9:07am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dasi

Here are pictures of my sidewinder in action. I have it on 2 M20's that are a few years old, and a M-15. It is a much bigger flame then the scorpion.

Is it just me, or does that torch seem familiar

hehe

It's a lovely torch tho, the flame size is very similar to the Phantom (maybe even slightly fluffier maxed?), definitely wider than the scorp, and it's awesome to have a bobcat with an outer oxy 'boost'...

Dasi · #17 2011-09-03, 11:49am

Hey, Rodger, you know how excited I was when I got to try that torch.... loved it so now I have one....

Hope you are doing great!!!
You are correct about it being like a phantom. I feel like I am on a phantom when I use it.

I am headed back up to Corning tomorrow.....

TheLarge · #18 2011-09-27, 9:54pm

are they open to try at corning? I'd drive down to try one before i buy one.

nklt0 · #19 2011-09-29, 10:15pm

Loren Stump is currently travelling around Australia with his Sidewinder and were using it for paper weight making.

However I only see it in action on tanked oxygen so can't comment on how well it will run on oxy con. He said he is taking it to Germany next month and is going to test it out on oxy cons there.

Lisi · #20 2011-10-10, 11:55pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dasi

http://www.unlimitedoxygen.com/services.html

This is what I am running that torch on. I have 2 of the M-20's but I do not think they are running at full capacity after about 3 years in Florida.

Heather, do you mean because of the humidity and saturation of the sieve beds? I must tell you about my machine then. I have an Airsep AS-12A and it puts out enough oxy to run two Bobcats. At least, that I know of. I'm sure it would run the Scorpion. I don't have the specs on hand, but I believe in has an "internal dryer" or something of that sort. I was told this by the representative of the company. I had mine for 9 years now and running it full time all these years. Never a single problem with it and never needed any repairs. All I have to do is wash the foam filter. I live way down here in the very humid Homestead/FL City area. Just a bit north of the Keys, so you know how soggy the air is down here.

I don't think they make mine anymore, but I think it is the equivalent to the Topaz+ or Onyx+. Costly, but worth every penny. Obviously so, because humidity isn't hurting mine any.

http://www.airsepcpd.com/airsepcpd/c...enerators.html

Wildlight · #21 2011-10-15, 4:11pm

Loren Stump had the Sidewinder running at my Studio making Paperweights. That was on bottled oxy. He said the torch is as big as if not bigger than the Phantom and he likes it very much.

I have been lucky enough to get one and I have 2 OGSI 20's and a booster so I will be hooking it up to that.....looking forward to getting and trying this new torch.

ReginaDaizei · #22 2011-12-27, 4:24pm

Goodie! Goodie! Santa just brought me the Sidewinder and foot petal for Christmas!!! Never used one before- and never seen the flame out put... so thanks for those pictures! Totally excited I've been working on a minor for 6 years and I'm ready for a little more punch... I feel like that kid from "A Christmas Story" who wanted the BB Gun and everyone kept telling him.. "You'll shoot your eye out" lol. Any tips you can post about working with it would be great!