Hothead VS Fireworks torch heads

[glasser]

I have been asked to do a bead making demo. I can not haul my tanks, so was thinking maybe set up a hot head. I have used one before, wasn't crazy about it but then didn't know wotinhell I was doing at the time. Think I could tame the beast. Now I see there is another head available called Fireworks. Anyone have experience with this head? Would you choose the Hothead over it? It is a few $ cheaper, is it made cheaper? Looks like plastic as opposed to the brass? hothead. TIA for your feedback. Pam

[twiggyinaz]

I have used both.

The fireworks torch has a "fluffier" flame further out, and good for larger beads than the hothead, especially if you are using clear and propane and avoiding the scum.

It also has a finer point to the flame up close to the point of the blue flame. Nice for flowers or smaller area of flame.

Another advantage to the fireworks is the ability to control the oxygen a little bit better.

Yes, it is plastic housing, which is nice if you have a tendency to get close to the back of your torch. I didn't realize I did that until I got a hothead, which gets hot right down to the gas control button.

Don't count on the "clicker" igniter to work very long on the fireworks torch. Mine lasted about a month, then I went to the Zippo method of lighting it.

All that said, The hothead to me seems hotter. I work faster on the hothead, but I have to be more careful. If you are used to HOT, then the hothead might be the way to go. I use my hothead 90% of the time.

Another advantage to the hothead is that the holes are easy to blow in if you want to increase your oxygen momentarily (be careful, I got dizzy doing that one time...LOL). The fireworks only has 2 holes and they aren't as easy to blow. (stop laughing!!!! )

Hope this helps a little bit.

[glasser]

Thanks for your response. I knew there would be someone who would know. I'll probably go with the hothead as I am used to a hotter flame. Curious, what do you use the other 10% of the time? The fireworks torch?

[AvenueBeads]

I would go with the hot head. When I first started, the kit I bought came with a fireworks torch head. Like Twiggy said, the igniter stopped working shortly after purchasing it. Then the torch just stopped working all together.

~Joe~

[bolimasa]

Go for the hot head. I think if you do a search you'll find that the clogged up after a couple of months fireworks torch story is pretty darn common. I know I didn't even get 6 months out of mine!

[Dale M.]

Go for the Hot Head........ If you really search forums, you will find over all the HH is superior and Fireworks has high failure rate...

Dale

[twiggyinaz]

Originally Posted by glasser

Thanks for your response. I knew there would be someone who would know. I'll probably go with the hothead as I am used to a hotter flame. Curious, what do you use the other 10% of the time? The fireworks torch?

I still use the fireworks occasionally, especially if I am going to make a honking big bead or small marbles. If it clogs, it is very easy to clean. I also keep it as a back up.

I also use a torch I bought in Mexico. I avoided saying this in the first post, because I know I will be told that I shouldn't be using it and how dangerous it is and how it shouldn't work, etc... but frankly, I am not a torch-snob, and since you asked I will tell. I have no idea what the brand is, it has no name on it. It is similar to the old hot heads that you can adjust the flame size, only it has more ports and it is quite a bit bigger. This puppy is HOT!! And the flame is very adjustable, I can make it a pinpoint or the size of a ping pong ball. I don't use it often because I am not positive how safe it is, and frankly, it scares the bejeezus outta me, but once in awhile I am feeling bullet proof and pull it out and hook it up.

The sculptural artists on the street in Mexico use the same torch with propane. Usually they sit ON their propane tank with the torch tucked between their knees. quite unsettling... but some of them do make some really neat sculptures.

Anybody know what kind of torch it is? I should take a picture.

[MikeAurelius]

I *used* to sell the Fireworks torch. We discontinued selling it after getting no support from the importer -- they didn't (and still don't) care about the igniter problems and the problems with the plugging of the torch after a certain amount of usage.

This torch isn't all that bad -- *BUT* it is definately *NOT* designed to be used with bulk tanks. Every single torch that I'm aware of that plugged up was used on with a bulk tank. As long as you use it on single one pound tanks you should be OK.

[shiny things]

Twiggy,
How did you clean your Fireworks? I'm on my second one now. I dissected my first one when it started sputtering to see if I could fix it, but ended up throwing it away.
Also, your Mexican torch sounds great, but can you use MAPP with it? Somebody gave me a little brass torch. Loved the flame it made, but it got REALLY hot, even where it screws onto the bottle.
Shanna

[twiggyinaz]

Originally Posted by shiny things

Twiggy,
How did you clean your Fireworks? I'm on my second one now. I dissected my first one when it started sputtering to see if I could fix it, but ended up throwing it away.
Also, your Mexican torch sounds great, but can you use MAPP with it? Somebody gave me a little brass torch. Loved the flame it made, but it got REALLY hot, even where it screws onto the bottle.
Shanna

Shanna,

I just take it apart by unscrewing the teensy little screw where the metal meets the plastic. Watch how it comes apart so you can get it back the same. I haven't done it in awhile, but it isn't too hard. I just used a small metal brush I got at harbor freight and a rag wrapped around the end of a file. I just lightly brushed the goop out and then blew out the loose residue pieces and then put it back together. It is pretty oily and slimy and nasty in there. Have a couple rags handy, you will use them.

Another thought, Ihaven't done it yet, but couldn't we just blow high pressure air through it and get the goop out? Seems like that might work, I did it to my HH when my old hose decided to let loose of its plasticizer and gooped up my HH.

My mexican torch gets pretty hot, I don't use it for a long long time at any one time. I have mine hooked to a bulk tank of propane. I don't know about MAPP, I would have to guess that you should only use what is recommended for the torch. I am braver/dumber than most, I don't know what is recommended for mine, it doesn't have a name or model number on it, so I don't even know where to look to find out what gas is supposed to be used. It looks like a torch called "Mag-Torch" and the instructions for that particular torch specify propane only. I happen to use propane with my HH so that is what I hooked up to the Mex torch. Probably not the brainiest thing I have done, but I got lucky and it worked.

My HH can get pretty hot, right down to the connection to the hose, even hot enough that changing the gas volume is pretty warm. I wonder if brass is just going to heat up and it is part of running a torch. I don't know how hot is unsafe, but when mine gets hot enough I don't want to change the gas volume anymore, I finish the bead I am on and take a break.

I think if you want to try different gas with your torch, you should be outside and have another person with you in case something goes wrong. I now know more than I did when I first hooked up my Mex torch, and I probably would not have tried it the first time if I knew then what I know now.

I used to use MAPP with my fireworks, but I found that bulk propane actually burns hotter and cleaner. I don't get scum on my clear with the bulk propane, and occasionally I got scum from MAPP. The bulk propane paid off in no time. I had to buy a tank and hose and a converter, and by the time I refilled my tank the first time, I was ahead of the game.

I have rambled my way around your questions, hope I helped a little more than I confused...

[shiny things]

Thanks, Twiggy
I love my Fireworks, mostly because I've never used anything else. If I can't save this one when it dies, I'll probably try a HH. It drives me nuts waiting for stuff to come in the mail, though, when I could just run to Hobby Lobby and get a new Fireworks!

[twiggyinaz]

Originally Posted by shiny things

Thanks, Twiggy
I love my Fireworks, mostly because I've never used anything else. If I can't save this one when it dies, I'll probably try a HH. It drives me nuts waiting for stuff to come in the mail, though, when I could just run to Hobby Lobby and get a new Fireworks!

Just a thought, and I know it means money, but, order a hothead...

I always have a backup torch. I couldn't stand it if more than one whole day went by and I couldn't melt some glass.

You might find that you like the HH for some things and the FW for others.

When I first started using my HH it was a little bit difficult because it was hotter, but once I got the heat figured out, I was quite a bit faster and it made making sets of beads a lot more fun. The danger is, once you learn to like the speed, you start pricing oxy generators and trying to figure out how many sets of beads you have to sell before you move up to a bigger torch...

[JulieV]

I realize this is a very old thread, but I wanted to offer my opinion -
I used a fireworks torch for my first 2 years of lampworking. (8 years ago now; sheesh, where does the time go?)
Anyway, I was hooked up to a regulator and a bulk tank of mapp gas; I never had one problem with the fireworks torch at all. Once when it didn't light, just looked in the end and move the little igniter thing a bit and it worked like a charm after that. I made really big beads back then too but I must have had a lot more patience that I do now!