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Customer Service Kiosk -- Questions for LE vendors.

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  #31  
Old 2009-03-19, 6:33pm
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Marina I am so glad you understand!!Because my life is SO just uspide down now that they changed the rules...
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Thank God I still have my GTT torches....

Paula
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  #32  
Old 2009-03-19, 6:44pm
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I'm sorry, but I am no longer providing free customer service for GTT, nor am I doing any more favors for them or defending them or their reputation.

Wally will not acknowledge that I have been of any help. Oddly, he says that I should be providing customer service for free and without any compensation or thanks because I am Willy's wife. Of course, neither of the two girlfriends he has had that worked for GTT have ever worked for free. Oh, he made a rule about no GFs or wives working at GTT in order to keep me out of the company. His rules did not apply to anyone he bedded down.

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  #33  
Old 2009-03-19, 6:53pm
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Nagi beads .... thank you so much for the offer. I really would like to clean it... like i said in one of my now many posts...
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"it is a waste of what was a really good torch"
If you would be able to send me a scan of the instructions i would really appreciate it.

I really really want to clean it... i believe it does just need a thoroughly good clean. The thing is, it appears there is a number of other people that would like to know how to go beyond the normal/ general wire clean and surface brush of the torch.

I have cleaned this torch of mine so many times, blasted pure oxygen through it etc etc. I have seriously wasted hours trying to resurect this Bobcat ! It is to the naked eye still in perfect condition. The flame is NOT uneven... I really believe it is something deep in the torch.

I want to know what GTT does to clean them. I don't want to sit the torch in Muriatic acid (for example) if it is going to kill the torch.

I just can't get a straight answer from anyone on how to clean it properly !!! ( i am sure you are all sensing my frustration right now !)

Monica, the frustrated sooty bobcat owner !
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  #34  
Old 2009-03-19, 7:09pm
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Kimberly,

I went and bought a complete set (15 different gauges) of cleaning wires from my gas supplier years ago when i realised the Bobcat had a habit of sooting / carboning up.

I have been emailing back and forth with GTT for around a month. I would be more than happy to forward you the correspondence. They kept asking me the same questions and they kept missing the point. I am not someone that has no idea what they are doing, i have a good level of common sense and probably because of what i do for a living.... I was very systematic in eliminating variables.

Like i have said.... i spent hours trying to work out what was wrong with this torch and that was before i even contacted GTT.

The ONLY thing left is that there is junk in the shaft of the torch. I just want to know what is safe to clean it with? Can i submerse it ? Surely they can tell me that ?

Regards

Monica
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  #35  
Old 2009-03-19, 7:35pm
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I'm sorry, but I am no longer providing free customer service for GTT, nor am I doing any more favors for them or defending them or their reputation.

Wally will not acknowledge that I have been of any help. Oddly, he says that I should be providing customer service for free and without any compensation or thanks because I am Willy's wife. Of course, neither of the two girlfriends he has had that worked for GTT have ever worked for free. Oh, he made a rule about no GFs or wives working at GTT in order to keep me out of the company. His rules did not apply to anyone he bedded down.

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  #36  
Old 2009-03-19, 7:51pm
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Monica
Sorry you seem so upst with your torch. I have 6 GTT Torches,and love every single one, I have never had a problem with any, I do have 2 Bobcats and if you have dirty fuel or O2 it can carbon up or if you have to much of a reduction flame but I have never sent any of my torches in for cleaning. I have used my Bobcat, Lynx and Cricket all for 6-8 hours a day for days on end and haven't had any issues. Perhaps your problem is something that GTT has corrected. I can imgine that living overseas everything is a bit more expensive, I think it only fair that any torch service from GTT comes with a fee. If you take your car in for service you get a bill, and when I do work for someone I hand them a bill. I understand that everyone is tight on money now a days but GTT really does build the best torches out there.All of my torches came with a sealed box, directions and wires. Perhaps you should contact who you bought it from and ask if they has the directions and wires.
And if all esle fails I will happly run your sooty Bobcat simply because it still is a GTT. If you want to sell it PM me and I will send you the $

I hope you will contine to torch with GTT.
Best wishes!

Thanks for all the great infomation Kim. It is a good reminder!
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  #37  
Old 2009-03-19, 8:02pm
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OK.... i have a lead !! i feel like a detective.

Kimberly, I know that i am running the gas through the torch correctly...even a very obvious heavily blue oxidizing flame is throwing soot like meteors... but like i said i have been through all of this and that is not the problem. It keeps going around and around with GTT etc asking me the same questions. eg gas source .....etc etc etc

All that aside.....

I am now VERY excited !... it is Friday afternoon here in Australia and i am going up to my workshed very soon to see if what i have been told, actually works.

So.... Stay tuned.

I may have to come back and post..."what not to do to your bobcat" .... lol...but i am willing to give anything a go at this point.

I will let you know if i have success in the next 6 hours.

Monica
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  #38  
Old 2009-03-19, 8:12pm
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Quote:
The regular cleaning instructions and cleaning wires come with the torches.
No....not always. I received mine as a gift from my husband, who ordered it directly from GTT - and there was nothing with it. No instructions...no cleaning wires...

I emailed GTT a while back asking them to send me cleaning wires....and nothing...no wires were mailed....no response to my email.

It hasn't been used much, because I don't have ventilation set up right now, but it is my first torch [other than a hot head] and it is frustrating to have no information on how to care for it.
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  #39  
Old 2009-03-19, 8:20pm
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I'm sorry, but I am no longer providing free customer service for GTT, nor am I doing any more favors for them or defending them or their reputation.

Wally will not acknowledge that I have been of any help. Oddly, he says that I should be providing customer service for free and without any compensation or thanks because I am Willy's wife. Of course, neither of the two girlfriends he has had that worked for GTT have ever worked for free. Oh, he made a rule about no GFs or wives working at GTT in order to keep me out of the company. His rules did not apply to anyone he bedded down.

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  #40  
Old 2009-03-19, 8:30pm
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I have a phantom ... which I love and run it on a high O2 setting after taking a class with someone who ran it as such (30 psi). I don't have a problem (well only occasional if I am doing some reducing) with carbon build up.

However ... here is my take on paying for cleaning. Yes it's reasonable to pay for cleaning, I don't dispute that ... however I believe everyone who bought their torch new (not including resells) with the belief it would be cleaned for free (although I didn't know this was the case - which is a slight iffy point for me since it was presumably unwritten???) for the torches lifetime (ie those who purchased before the new policy) should have that agreement honored and their cleaning paid for by Gtt (shipping to be paid by the torch owner - to and fro). Once the new policy took effect then whomever purchased after that date has to pay.
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  #41  
Old 2009-03-19, 8:31pm
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Bought my Lynx a number of years ago
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and it still works like a champ.

The distributer did not supply me with either the cleaning wires or instructions like they should have but GTT did quickly when I emailed them.

I clean my torch frequently - I even check it out while I am using it.....did I drop any glass on the face......

I would not expect GTT to even look at my torch for free much less clean it for free. Time is money.

I would buy from GTT again if I needed a new torch.
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  #42  
Old 2009-03-19, 8:33pm
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And to add without editing I have never heard that GTT would do any cleaning for free?
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  #43  
Old 2009-03-19, 9:20pm
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I bought a lynx years and years ago and absolutely love it.
It has taken its fair share of abuse but still works wonderfully, I sometimes run it reducing for long periods of time, the front is discolored slightly and I even managed to clog it up with glass once (whoops...) but a few passes with the cleaning wires has never failed to make it run like new.

I have been dreaming about a phantom for a while now but I would not be able to afford the oxygen generators to power it and tanked is not an option.

Its a shame the bobcat isn't working out, it does not have the triple mix system which might be part of it.
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  #44  
Old 2009-03-19, 9:27pm
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I just bought a 'Cuda, and have to decide whether to sell my minor or my Pirahna now. The minor is about 2 1/2 years old, but barely used, LOL.
I keep trying to decide between a pirahna and a cuda. If you sold me your pirahna that would solve it for me
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  #45  
Old 2009-03-19, 10:09pm
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I am only talking about a Bobcat here.... I don't think you can compare a Bobcat to a Lynx !

....i think you are right Ryan !
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I believe that even though it is said that a Bobcat can run on one Oxycon...i don't believe (from experience) it actually can. That would also explain why they have brought out the cricket.

I have a close friend that has a Lynx....she doesn't have the problems i have with the bobcat
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  #46  
Old 2009-03-19, 10:54pm
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Quote:
OK.... i have a lead !! i feel like a detective.

Kimberly, I know that i am running the gas through the torch correctly...even a very obvious heavily blue oxidizing flame is throwing soot like meteors... but like i said i have been through all of this and that is not the problem. It keeps going around and around with GTT etc asking me the same questions. eg gas source .....etc etc etc

All that aside.....

I am now VERY excited !... it is Friday afternoon here in Australia and i am going up to my workshed very soon to see if what i have been told, actually works.

So.... Stay tuned.

I may have to come back and post..."what not to do to your bobcat" .... lol...but i am willing to give anything a go at this point.

I will let you know if i have success in the next 6 hours.

Monica
i think i missed it but what do you think might be going on? please keep us updated!
i don't have a bobcat but i am always curious to know about all things glass related.
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  #47  
Old 2009-03-20, 8:08am
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*Original post removed by author*

I'm sorry, but I am no longer providing free customer service for GTT, nor am I doing any more favors for them or defending them or their reputation.

Wally will not acknowledge that I have been of any help. Oddly, he says that I should be providing customer service for free and without any compensation or thanks because I am Willy's wife. Of course, neither of the two girlfriends he has had that worked for GTT have ever worked for free. Oh, he made a rule about no GFs or wives working at GTT in order to keep me out of the company. His rules did not apply to anyone he bedded down.

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  #48  
Old 2009-03-20, 8:28am
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Kimberly--that is great information--thank you!!
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  #49  
Old 2009-03-20, 8:28am
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Monica-
the Bobcat can run on one 5 lpm oxycon. My sister has spent the last 4.5 years with this setup(we bought our setups at the same time and she still uses her Bobcat.)
I am posting the paper info here, but I think it will not be helpful for what you need, since you are already cleaning the ports. If you have run the torch sooty for a while it could get almost a rock-like buildup that would require professional cleaning. A friend of mine has a RedMax that cannot be used because they ran it with carbon for a long time and it formed an almost concrete build up in the ports.

Anyhoo, for what it's worth, here is a copy of the instruction sheet.....

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Best wishes!
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Old 2009-03-20, 8:55am
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*Original post removed by author*

I'm sorry, but I am no longer providing free customer service for GTT, nor am I doing any more favors for them or defending them or their reputation.

Wally will not acknowledge that I have been of any help. Oddly, he says that I should be providing customer service for free and without any compensation or thanks because I am Willy's wife. Of course, neither of the two girlfriends he has had that worked for GTT have ever worked for free. Oh, he made a rule about no GFs or wives working at GTT in order to keep me out of the company. His rules did not apply to anyone he bedded down.

Please direct your questions to:


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  #51  
Old 2009-03-20, 9:02am
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you're welcome--I will do that right now! And add the new contact info
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thanks for all you do Kimberly!
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  #52  
Old 2009-03-20, 9:18am
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awesome Kim thanks for the refresher, It is great you can post this stuff for us all!! I still say GTT is the best!
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  #53  
Old 2009-03-20, 9:31am
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I've read this whole thread and I just have to comment, I have never seen any torch by any maker that builds up carbon when the torch is run properly. The fact, as far as I know, that the torch builds up carbon is a result of not being run correctly. "Not run properly" can have lots of meanings, bad fuel, bad fuel/oxy balance, whatever, but when any torch is run "properly" it does not build up carbon. Carbon says I am not being run properly or I have not been run properly in the past.
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Old 2009-03-20, 9:32am
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Other than that, and what I have already posted before about drilling out carbon blockages, there is nothing else recommended for a user to do to clean out a Bobcat.

To be clear on the "deep cleaning" thing... "deep cleaning" does not mean that there are parts deep within the torch that get cleaned. It means "deep" in the sense of "intense." Beyond the inch or so down (not even that far) past the face, there isn't anything that gets cleaned. There are chambers in there and carbon just doesn't get back that far.
Ok, that's what I MOST wanted to know. Thanks Kimberly
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. Looking forward to the writeup about how to clean behind the faceplate also.

From the other side of the discussion, and in defense of the Bobcat, for such a small looking torch, the bobcat is a POWERFUL torch. I made nearly all the boro marbles on my page (
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) ON THE BOBCAT, not even the lynx. Believe it or not, and I had both, the bobcat was HOTTER than the lynx, using the same concentrator (M-15, and later Integra 10). I think that's because the lynx forces you to crack the 3rd button oxygen, which cools down the flame a tad.

I have only added a pix or 2 to my gallery page on my website since I got my Phantom, nearly everything you see in all 5 Galleries on my page were made on the Bobcat, and a few on the Lynx - far fewer - I was much prouder of my earlier works because they were more challenging for me to make... I am a much better glass person than I was when I shot those photos on my site... but also less concerned about showing people, as I gained confidence in my abilities. Today, I do NOT tend to show my photos of new work on my site. I have maybe 2 pieces on my entire site made on the Phantom.

I had NO trouble making up to 1 1/4" solid borosilicate imploded marbles on the Bobcat in a very reasonable amount of time (within 1/2 an hour). Above that size, I'd rather use the Phantom (which is the lynx innerfire and then another outerfire ring).

I also want to mention that I had a near impossible time working soft glass on the Bobcat. Boom, molten glass blob on the table, forget details. My bobcat regularly melted 1/8" mandrels in a minute or less when I did boro beads, and MELTED 316L (heat resistant steel) 1/4" mandrels when I took too long to shape a big-holed boro bead. I have a whole bunch of 1/2 flattened boro beads from my Bobcat days, because they'd land on the table still attached to their 2" of melted 1/4" mandrels. Buying mandrels weekly got expensive.

Kimberly is 100% correct when she says that Bobcats were designed for tanks, from a owner's perspective and not just the maker's... they are practically flamethrowers on tanks, and while wider, they shoot flame as long as very big GTT, and longer than Barracudas - keep in mind that most of the HUGE GTT have lynx centerfires... what's a Bobcat? A lynx WITHOUT the cooling 3rd blue oxy knob
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And therein might be the original problem... you are trying to work little softglass beads on a HOT torch that I think is best suited for Boro. I think this, because in all the time I used my bobcat (and if you look at my page, I made a lot of stuff on it), I never managed to make very nice soft glass anything... the glass turned to molten mush
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.

Again, so ironic... I could not make non-gravity mushed soft glass beads at all til I 'upgraded' to the cooler Lynx. This of course was also related to my newbie status at the time, and my lack of flame control (who wants to wait for something to melt at the back of the flame, when you can work it 2" from the face faster? Well, sure, it melts faster, but there goes your control unless you move it BACK - you can hear that all day long, but it still takes a while to 'get').

When I thought about it, it dawned on me that maybe the entire problem you're having with the carbon is the size of the flame you are trying to run consistently. I had always heard that if your candles were smaller than 1", you can burn up your torch. I had no idea what 'burn up' meant (and probably still don't), whether it is that you actually melt the tubing inside your torch from excess heat build up... or build up so many carbon deposits inside the torch that... you end up with your problem- soot. In either case, I never ran the Bobcat with smaller than a full 1" candle. That means a full flame that is about 18" at the 'back' of the flame where you'd strike your colors.

Is your flame ALWAYS that big? If not... it could be why you are having the problem. If you are comparing a bobcat to a minor, you NEED to sell that bobcat and get a minor. Or save the bobcat for boro only. They are night and day, A 1' flame vs a 18-24" flame. The first time I saw a minor running, I marveled... er... WHERE is the flame? With those teensy candles... wont' that burn up your torch??

When I saw someone put a 3/32" mandrel (a size so small I couldn't use it on my bobcat) in the minor 2" from the face, and it did not melt through and hit the table in seconds... my jaw hit the ground. Seriously.

I now think that's your problem... try running your bobcat with a minimum 1" blue candle, and no, it can't be done with a 5lpm concentrator. I could BARELY do it with a M15. I would say the MINIMUM concentrator to run a bobcat has to be a M15 (about 8lpm), and that was running it at about 75-80% of tanked oxygen capacity.... bet your problem is reduced and will go away as the carbon gets burned up
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. An Integra 10 or Regalia will run the Bobcat probably 95%, that's how powerful the Bobcat is. I started out with oxygen tanks, so I definitely know the difference.

Better still, sounds like you want to make beads and not boro marbles or sculpture... you probably need a different torch
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. Actually, you DEFINITELY need a different torch for soft glass beads.

Also, I'd try to get my hands on a stick of GA's Amazon Night. If you go to their site, do a search for 'setting a neutral flame'. This is the few seconds test for determining how pure your oxygen is or where on your torch the 'neutral' flame is. If you run a reducing flame a lot, as Kimberly said, there's the soot. Hope this helps a bit
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Old 2009-03-20, 10:08am
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I'm sorry, but I am no longer providing free customer service for GTT, nor am I doing any more favors for them or defending them or their reputation.

Wally will not acknowledge that I have been of any help. Oddly, he says that I should be providing customer service for free and without any compensation or thanks because I am Willy's wife. Of course, neither of the two girlfriends he has had that worked for GTT have ever worked for free. Oh, he made a rule about no GFs or wives working at GTT in order to keep me out of the company. His rules did not apply to anyone he bedded down.

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  #56  
Old 2009-03-20, 10:08am
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you can run soft glass on a Bobcat easy...I run my candles a quarter inch or half inch in length, almost all blue flame.

here are some of my old newbie beads I made on my Bobcat....

lizard bead next to a dime for comparison

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Satake fishie

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I can't remember if I made this one with my Bobcat or Cheetah...but the GTT's are definitely capable of handling even the softest glass.
this is an encased floral in Satake.

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Old 2009-03-20, 10:27am
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To say that running a torch with a flame that builds up carbon is not a proper flame is misleading. The most efficient flame to run on a torch is a neutral flame that does not build up any carbon but there are many other flame chemistries that any bench burner is designed to run. I quite often run a reducing flame that causes carbon build up because the color reactions I am looking for require it. I just make sure that the torch is properly cleaned any time I notice a carbon build up.

The bench burner is a tool and sometimes it must be pushed to its limits to accomplish the task it is applied to. If on occasion that means the burner must bear the brunt of some abuse in order to create my vision then so be it.
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Old 2009-03-20, 10:27am
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Monica, have you tried new hoses on the torch? I know it's a longshot, but the fact that you have even candles but the torch keeps shooting junk out makes me wonder if it's picking up debris from somewhere else, and the only thing I can think of is that your hoses might be deteriorating.
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Old 2009-03-20, 10:31am
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I'm sorry, but I am no longer providing free customer service for GTT, nor am I doing any more favors for them or defending them or their reputation.

Wally will not acknowledge that I have been of any help. Oddly, he says that I should be providing customer service for free and without any compensation or thanks because I am Willy's wife. Of course, neither of the two girlfriends he has had that worked for GTT have ever worked for free. Oh, he made a rule about no GFs or wives working at GTT in order to keep me out of the company. His rules did not apply to anyone he bedded down.

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Old 2009-03-20, 10:36am
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*Original post removed by author*

I'm sorry, but I am no longer providing free customer service for GTT, nor am I doing any more favors for them or defending them or their reputation.

Wally will not acknowledge that I have been of any help. Oddly, he says that I should be providing customer service for free and without any compensation or thanks because I am Willy's wife. Of course, neither of the two girlfriends he has had that worked for GTT have ever worked for free. Oh, he made a rule about no GFs or wives working at GTT in order to keep me out of the company. His rules did not apply to anyone he bedded down.

Please direct your questions to:


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