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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2009-01-24, 1:43pm
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Ness Ness is offline
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Default HotHead question

I'm just setting up my kit, I have a HotHead and bulk propane and was wondering, what are the limitations of using a HH?

Any advice would be great.
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  #2  
Old 2009-01-24, 2:17pm
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Keep flame turned down as low as practical.... A big bushy flame just wasted fuel and is a reducing flame, turn torch down to point where it has sharp definition and inner code is as close to a "pencil point" as you can get....

Dale
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  #3  
Old 2009-01-24, 4:27pm
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You can burn yourself just as easily as on the "big torches."
Dido on all the other safety concerns!
Proper ventilation, eye wear, etc.
Time (heating the glass) , size (of beads) and noise (a lot) are some of the other issues.
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  #4  
Old 2009-01-25, 4:21am
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Thanks for the advice. I was really meaning what can't I do with a HH that dual fuel torches can - like can I bring out colours from reduction glass? Can I make bigger beads or will they crack because I can't keep them warm enough, those sort of limitations.
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  #5  
Old 2009-01-25, 5:12am
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Try this
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...hlight=hothead

Amazing things are done with the HH...

granny
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  #6  
Old 2009-01-25, 8:04am
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lunamoonshadow lunamoonshadow is offline
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Here's your REAL limitations:

It won't melt boro of any great size or get much color reaction out of it. (some crazy people have made small--and I mean small--spacer-ish boro beads on it, just to prove they can--it takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r & you won't get the heat you need to get the boro to make the colors it can make. So, don't plan on boro work.)

It won't do anything that needs a highly oxygenated flame. So, if you read "needs extra O2" or something similar, that's not the glass for you. There' aren't THAT many glasses that need that in the soft-glass catagory--perhaps half of the silver-glasses don't like the hothead--but @ $80-$100 a pound, you don't NEED to work with every-freakin-color of them, right ? About half of them DO perform just FINE on the hothead because they're REDUCTION colors, & the hothead does reduction just dandy!

I've seen beads well over 2" done on the hothead (some with loads of detail!), it takes PRACTICE. So do beads over 2" on any OTHER torch. Big beads aren't magic, size is about heat control, glass control, etc. (ditto on hollows, clean white, clear-clear, etc. It's ALL in the PRACTICE & PATIENCE, NOT IN THE "WHICH TORCH".)

~luna
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  #7  
Old 2009-01-25, 10:10am
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In terms of reducing, a little trick I learned was to make an aluminum foil cuff for the head of the torch. When you want to reduce a glass, put the cuff over the oxygen holes and it makes a big difference in the reactions you'll get. Be careful -- the cuff gets hot, so best to handle it with tweezers or something else that isn't your hand.

On the plus side of the hot head, it's very difficult to boil glass on a HH, which is something I did all the time when I first started using an oxy-propane set up!
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  #8  
Old 2009-01-25, 12:24pm
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As a hothead user, I don't really feel that limited. A kiln is actually much more importamt as far as not having cracking problems, especially if you want to add any inclusions such as dichro or silver. Admittedly, I don't make huge beads as I wouldn't personally wear them, so why bother? Also, I don't really buy all the expensive glass. And the cuff thing does work, but be very careful.
You can look at my etsy shop to see some of the things I manage to do with the hothead. Right now, I'm learning to use it to add copper mesh to beads, and it looks like even that is going to work out ok- and I don't find that it's taking a long time at all!
That's what you'll hear the most, that it takes a long time. The fish I make take maybe 20 mins. each- that's with a core, silver foil, encasing, and quite a bit of detail. Is that a long time or not? I have nothing to compare it to, but it doesn't seem too bad to me for the type of fish I'm talking about. And yes, practice is a big part of it.
Good luck!
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  #9  
Old 2009-01-25, 12:47pm
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The HH is loud in comparison and you will most likely have a hard time with the striking colors since they like oxy to bloom, so to speak. Other than that, there are no limitations, just play and have fun!
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  #10  
Old 2009-01-25, 12:51pm
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I"m a newbie too...and I use a hot head. I find reducing is pretty simple. Seems to me I am constantly reducing my glass unintentionally! I have to work to keep it from reducing. When I really want a bushy low oxy flame I just use pliers and turn the cuff on the hot head to shut the oxygen off. Then it REALLY reduces.
My major problem is keeping frits coloured rather than silver.
Other than this- I think the hot head works pretty well. I am still using 1# cannisters of mapp or propylene and that is a bit pita. Thats my main reason for wanting to move to an oxy con and propane torch.

My plan is to move up to a minor or something like that in the summer.
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  #11  
Old 2009-01-26, 9:27am
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Thanks for all the fantastic advice! The HH showcase thread is awesome inspiration, I've spent ages gawping and drooling!!!

Now I'm just waiting for my kiln to arrive....
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  #12  
Old 2009-01-26, 9:54am
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Cathy:

I have a HotHead and I use 1# cans of Coleman propane for now because I have to work in the house (and it's cheaper than MAPP-Pro). Come warmer weather I will move back out into the garage and my husband picked up a 6# tank of propylene for me. He also talked the guy into filling it first time for free. The tank was $149 and each fill-up thereafter will be $29. I love my HH and don't want to change to duel fuel right now.
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  #13  
Old 2009-01-26, 4:24pm
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I'm back on my HH again but I'm still using the Bobcat set-up. I knew why I missed the HH! It doesn't "smear" some colors together like the higher heat can.
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  #14  
Old 2009-01-26, 7:36pm
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You do not have to wait until your kiln arrives. Slap those beads into a fiber blanket or vermiculite and you can batch anneal them after your kiln arrives.
Lorraine
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  #15  
Old 2009-01-26, 11:31pm
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The main thing I did not like about my HH was that it was loud! Oh, and bottles of gas are expensive! Other than that, I could make just about anything I wanted to. I still have a tough time with raku, even on my mini cc, so I think it was me, not the torch.
=)
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  #16  
Old 2009-01-27, 5:56am
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"loud" doesn't really bother me--I find that the sound of the torch is really an indicator of where the bead is--if it's in the wrong place in the flame, the torch will sound different--fantastic for when you're learning!
And the BBQ tank of propane & hose took care of the expensive 1# tank freezing up issue--I never even used a single one--I started right off with a BBQ tank-- it! $50 for the tank brand new & filled up (I own it) & under $20 when I refill it. Can't beat it.
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  #17  
Old 2009-01-27, 7:04am
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I love my hh. I found that my sons old mp3 player cover's the noice of my torch nicely.
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  #18  
Old 2009-01-27, 12:33pm
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I have no problems reducing or striking most colors. I've been able to get Raku to pop, but any of the Double Helix colors, not a darned thing.
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