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| Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2008-09-27, 9:14pm
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(416e6f6e796d6f7573)
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Join Date: Sep 27, 2008
Location: Sacramento, California
Posts: 30
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Um, new torch?
OK, so I've been doing small beads in COE 104, or whatever it's called. I have a hothead torch and use bottle of MAPP. I would like to upgrade to something a bit hotter and a bit bigger, flame and torch wise. I was offered a oxygen generator thingy by an awesome lady at a local trunk show and I think i want to get into borosilicate as well. I will be switching over to propane because my mother, who does silver smithing, has the whole setup for soldering silver. What kind of torch is good for what I want to do? I'm looking in the ranges of $100-$300.
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2008-09-27, 9:39pm
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(416e6f6e796d6f7573)
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Join Date: Sep 27, 2008
Location: Sacramento, California
Posts: 30
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I've been making beads for about a year and Im completely self taught. I know nothing about concentrator yet, but the lady who's giving it to me just upgraded all her stuff so she doesn't need it anymore and I think it's pretty new or not to old. She says she's never changed the filters and it runs great; but she apparently used it a lot because she had thousands of beads, but didn't have it for long. I'm really not sure yet though. I worked with a minor in a mixed media class in college last year, it was really nice. Is that enough for boro? And what do you mean by tested?
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2008-09-27, 9:47pm
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Certified Thread Killer
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Join Date: Aug 11, 2008
Location: Disneyland is my backyard
Posts: 501
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May I suggest the Mega Minor?
(I'm a little partial).
Looks like Nortel optimized this one for "better use of oxygen concentrators".
I use tanks for now but I'm glad to know that in the future I can switch to an oxycon without changing torches.
My transition from HH to the MM was very smooth and I still switch back and forth.
~Rachelle 
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2008-09-27, 9:59pm
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Ass-kicking Cephalopod
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Join Date: Jun 19, 2006
Location: Duh, Squidville
Posts: 9,523
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I just got a GTT cricket and find that it is hotter than my minor on the same oxygen source. I believe it will do boro better than the minor and is more efficient with oxygen.
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DOG is my co-pilot
Cricket w/two 5 lpm oxycons - and sometimes a Minor.
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2008-09-27, 10:03pm
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(416e6f6e796d6f7573)
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Join Date: Sep 27, 2008
Location: Sacramento, California
Posts: 30
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Ok so I looked up the cricket and the minor and they look like they'll work for what i want to do. What are the pros and cons of both. I must know everything! 
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2008-09-27, 10:09pm
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Ass-kicking Cephalopod
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Join Date: Jun 19, 2006
Location: Duh, Squidville
Posts: 9,523
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Check out the cricket here - intro price right now of $139 and available in a variety of colors:
http://www.glasstorchtech.com/cricket.html
here is a thread about it:
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...hlight=cricket
I have a minor also and it is a great first oxy/propane torch, but I like the cricket better and it is less expensive. It will work small to medium boro - just like a minor, but with less oxy required.
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DOG is my co-pilot
Cricket w/two 5 lpm oxycons - and sometimes a Minor.
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2008-09-27, 10:10pm
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Ass-kicking Cephalopod
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Join Date: Jun 19, 2006
Location: Duh, Squidville
Posts: 9,523
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Oh and I haven't found a con for my cricket yet - I've had it for 2 weeks and it is awesome!
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DOG is my co-pilot
Cricket w/two 5 lpm oxycons - and sometimes a Minor.
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2008-09-28, 4:37am
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Detail G-Mama!
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Join Date: Jun 10, 2005
Location: Longview, WA
Posts: 7,130
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A Carlisle Mini CC is my choice! You can get a bushy flame or a pinpoint flame also.
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2008-09-28, 7:40am
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Butterfly Rancher
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Join Date: May 08, 2006
Location: Colorado newbie
Posts: 5,827
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In August, I replaced my MiniCC with a Betta -- and it was much better! However, the Cricket came out about a week after I got my Betta and after reading about the Cricket, I had to try it. So my Cricket is arriving any day now.
I particularly like that the Cricket has been specifically designed to work with oxycons. I went from a 5 LPM oxycon to a 10 LPM oxycon while I was still using my MiniCC. The MiniCC worked much better with more oxygen but it was expensive to get enough oxycon for the MiniCC to really work well. The Cricket is specifically designed to work on one 5LPM oxycon.
BTW in your price range (and I'm sure someone will note if I miss one) is the Cricket, Bobcat, Minor, MegaMinor, MiniCC, and Minnow. There are lots of threads in the Torch room (at the top of the Tips, Techniques section) that review various torches. You may want to research these torches in that area.
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Torch connected to NG December 2005 and disconnected March 2013
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May 2014 -- Good-bye Florida and Hello Colorado
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2008-09-28, 8:52am
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Boro Brat
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Join Date: Sep 09, 2005
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,732
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Nothing tops a cricket for melting boro with a concentrator...and I've tried a betta, a mini cc, a minor, and even a bobcat on a comparable setup.
I have used the cricket now on two set-ups: one 5lpm oxy con and on 2 5lpm oxy cons hooked together. On two, I turned the flow down a bit because it seemed like too much! Now THAT's efficient!! On two 5lpm concentrators, I was melting boro at my regular speed and I like to work hot. I felt like I was using a miniature lynx on oxygen tanks.
Anyway, the cricket has a verrrrry hot little flame that is extremely penetrating and the pinpoint flame is incredible. I would recommend it to anyone!
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Pipyr
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2008-09-28, 9:01am
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Broken
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Join Date: Jun 05, 2005
Location: Victoria BC/Stettler Alberta
Posts: 13,418
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I like the Mega Minor I've had it for a while now, I have a mini CC but it doesn't work as well on a concentrator as the mega. I looked at the cricket but dont think it'll be any hotter than the Mega.
A few mega threads, just type mega minor in the search spot at the upper right of the screen.
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ght=mega+minor
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ght=mega+minor
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ght=mega+minor
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2008-09-28, 10:04am
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Gentleman of Leisure
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Join Date: Jun 10, 2005
Location: A Little Bit West of Yosemite Valley
Posts: 5,200
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Another entry in torch marathon is the NATIONAL 8M with SM-7 tip....
Works well on single concentrator....
Also GTT Bobcat....
Dale
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Vendor-Artist-Studio-Teacher Registry
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San Francisco - A Few Toys Short of a Happy Meal
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2008-09-28, 12:15pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 18, 2006
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 1,528
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I have had a minor, lynx, betta and cricket in that order.
All very good torches. My preference is the cricket or betta.
Kym
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2008-09-28, 6:09pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jun 27, 2005
Location: Yarmouth, Maine...home of the Clamfest
Posts: 7,693
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I use a hothead @ home ('cause it's what I own!)
I  the mini cc for it's flame type, adjustability, etc.--it runs better on tanked oxy than it does on an oxycon for doing boro--for soft glass it's fine on an oxycon (I've been lucky enough to use a friend's set up with both a single oxycon *and* with 2 oxycons, and to use a mini cc @ the local studio on tanked oxygen.) I personally don't "do" boro, or plan to, so until the cricket came along, that was my "dream" torch 
I do not like the minor AT all (don't like the flame, etc.)
I got to try Pipyr's cricket last thursday & it's AWESOME. I could get used to using that torch really quickly! And...it comes in purple, so...quite possibly my new "dream torch" (and, on oxycons, *much* hotter than the minicc, so if you want to do boro, probably a better choice)
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new purple cricket @ home! minicc @ playing with fire in rockland! Sue & Nikki fighting over who gets to anneal the wonkies
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2008-09-28, 6:42pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 28, 2005
Location: Sanger, Tx
Posts: 3,552
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I just did a demo on a Crickett and an oxycon and loved it. Output is great and will also do boro, controll is great, price is great. I also agree, there are no cons on it.
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Donna Felkner -
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2008-09-28, 7:02pm
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Ellyloo-YAH!
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Join Date: Aug 01, 2006
Location: Port Colborne
Posts: 2,775
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I just hooked up my cricket...
That's my recommendation.
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2008-09-28, 8:38pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 25, 2005
Location: Corning, CA
Posts: 112
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The Cricket...for $139.00 and GTT's quality to back the torch I don't think you could go wrong.
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Robin Imfeld
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2008-09-28, 9:09pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jun 26, 2005
Posts: 1,599
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OK, I don't need a torch, and am quite content with my Bobcat, but y'all are talking me into wanting a Cricket, too! ♥
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2008-09-29, 12:50am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 25, 2005
Location: Corning, CA
Posts: 112
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If you don't like the cricket, I'm sure it will be the same as with all other GTT torchs you can get most if not all of your money back. The price will go up on them shortly, list price to be $167.00 I order one just to have a back up if I need it or to use as a teaching torch.
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Robin Imfeld
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2008-09-29, 8:27am
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Scientific Glass Girl
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Join Date: Oct 30, 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,138
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this whole room will answer a lot of torch questions for you.
http://lampworketc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=55
i have a mini cc. i bought it three years ago and its a great torch. both for soft glass and small boro.
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Ali VandeGrift
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