Which concentrator for Barracuda

StLouisBiker · #1 2006-08-04, 6:41am

I'm considering buying a barracuda in the not-too-distant future. I currently have an oxygen concentrator. Is that sufficient or will it require something else? I've read about oxygen generators . . . is that what I need? Thanks.

kbinkster · #2 2006-08-04, 8:41am

Well, Bethlehem Apparatus claims that the Barracuda consumes oxygen at a rate of 42 cubic feet per hour at 20psi. That would be almost 20 liters per minute (19.824).

If you were to put two 10 LPM concentrators together, you would have the flow needed, but maybe not the pressure. It depends on the concentrator's pressure output. It may be adequate for your application, but it would not bring the torch to its full potential.

If you are considering a Barracuda, I would suggest getting the new 4 stud version. That way, you could feed the inner and outer fires independantly.

There are oxygen generators that would definitely provide the pressure, but they are pretty pricey (thousands of dollars). If you put out a lot of production, it may be worth the expense.

StLouisBiker · #3 2006-08-04, 5:11pm

Thank you so much for the answer with all the details.

KT-OldSchoolGlass · #4 2006-08-06, 6:38am

The Unlimited Oxygen 2020 Psyclone will power the Barracuda at 100%. This unit has 20 PSI and 20 LPM.

If you have any questions about the 2020 Psyclone, feel free to contact me. My contact information is on the website.

Cosmo · #5 2006-08-21, 6:23am

I run my Barracuda on two DevilBiss MC4490 concentrators (5LPM, 8psi). It doesn't get 100% flame, but it gets all the flame I need for doing hollow tubing work. I would think that one more concentrator would be all you'd need to get all you could out of it.

Brent runs his Barracuda on M-10 concentrators, and they run it as well as tanks.

Another option is to get one of the four port manifolds and run your center fire off a concentrator and run the outer fire off tanked oxygen. I run my Tiger Shark like that and it works great.

suncoastbeads · #6 2006-08-21, 6:49am

There is a picture of the flame of a Barracuda running on the Integra 10 (now the Regalia)...I have many happy customers using just that setup!

Paulette

Mr. Smiley · #7 2006-08-21, 10:23am

I am actually using 2 M-20's... the same output as a single Unlimited Oxygen 2020 Psyclone... and made by the same company. I love my concentrators and they were't thousands of dollars. Just about $800 a piece. I'd look into Unlimited Oxygen and the products they offer. They seem to be making concentrators with output levels nobody else can touch, at an affordable price.

Kalera · #8 2006-08-21, 10:39am

I'm running mine on an M-20 and a cheap used concentrator from eBay... great flame quality, and I can do everything I want to do. It wouldn't be a good setup for, say, 2" marbles, but I make some very (very) large beads and it's fantastic. Not thousands of dollars, either.

The second concentrator adds LPM but not PSI... it's just a nice little boost.

Dasi · #9 2006-09-02, 5:48am

Yesterday, I received a Hurricane 2015. It is made by Unlimited Oxygen. It is the model below the Unlimited Oxygen 2020 Psyclone. I tried in on my Barracuda to start working Boro. WOW!!!! That torch is hot. I only had the knob on the generator turned up to half of what it is capable. The candles of the inner and outer flame were perfect!!!!!
This machine is 20 PSI and 15 LPM whatever that means?? But it does feel like a full 20 PSI's!!!!

I purchased mine through Artglass House. The 2015 is less money then the 2020 but it still worked fine. I used 16mm simax to make a few implosion pendants. I could make them in under 10 minutes each. It just melted the 16mm simax like butter.

With my other generator I could not get the outer ring lit. I just used the center fire on my Barracuda.

The 2015 Hurricane generator seems like the one to purchase for the Barracuda. The only drawback is it is loud. But I can live with it.

Cosmo · #10 2006-09-05, 9:05am

I would be interested in seeing the durability of these big concentrators. I have talked to three different people in the concentrator business, and two of them seem to think that they can't operate at those levels consistently for a long period of time. One of those people even sells those units.

PaulaD · #11 2006-09-05, 8:20pm

I got the same feedback from various sources...
I'm sticking with tanks for as long as I can...

Paula

Mr. Smiley · #12 2006-09-07, 6:38pm

Chad... I've heard the same thing from those guys. I also talked to the folks at South Central and they have assured me the units are sound. So far, all the people badmouthing the units are dead wrong. Mine just keep humming away. Talk to Jack some time... he'll give you the scoop. I believe him over the other guys. So far, he's proven himself in my book.

Larry LaClair · #13 2006-09-15, 2:39pm

Hi There,
You need to add another one of our concentrator units to the one you already have. It will give you an entirely new level of power and heat to run the torch you are speaking of. There is a special currently running and ends 9/17 This Sunday.

Respectfully,
Larry

Larry LaClair · #14 2006-09-15, 2:59pm

Is there any truth to the story that someone at the gathering sliced there hand wide open on one of there home built garage specials and had to go to the hospital for stitches ??

StLouisBiker · #15 2006-09-15, 3:09pm

Hi Larry! The concentrator I purchased from you at OxygenPlus is FANTASTIC!!! PERFECT!!! And I received GREAT SERVICE from you!!!

oxydoc · #16 2006-09-18, 4:49pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry LaClair

Is there any truth to the story that someone at the gathering sliced there hand wide open on one of there home built garage specials and had to go to the hospital for stitches ??

JESUS!!!!! Just to stop another STUPID rumor, the lady in question cut her hand on a exhaust fan set-up in GlassCraft's booth. Beth can verify this for anyone who believes in stating FACTS. OBVIOUSLY NOT ONE OF LARRY'S FINER POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jack

added note, the lady who was hurt works for GlassCraft and was in the booth beside us at Kansas City. jack

Larry LaClair · #17 2006-09-19, 6:18am

Quote:

Originally Posted by oxydoc

the lady in question cut her hand on a exhaust fan set-up in GlassCraft's booth.

It was only a matter of time before something like that would happen.

The rumors that were being spread were not by me but from attendants at the gathering.
I just asked the question to get the facts about the circulating rumors, and you verified it as fact.

Did the person who got hurt have to go to the hospital and get stitches ??
That is part or the same rumor Jack, can you clear up this question for us??
I hope she it ok.

Kalera · #18 2006-09-19, 6:34am

I am not understanding what someone cutting their hand on a GlassCraft
exhaust fan has to do with oxygen concentrators?

Anyway, I have been running my Barracuda on an M-20 linked with a cheapie secondhand concentrator for about a year... love it, it works great!

MikeAurelius · #19 2006-09-19, 9:46am

It wasn't on an exhaust hood it was cut on a piece of vent ducting, a sharp edge that practically anyone would have gotten cut on. And while I'm not sure she got stitches, she did have to go to the hospital.

This is really, not only far off topic, but an attack on another vendor (or their products/personnel) and is really way over the line. No wonder the LaClair boys are banned from several forums for their behavior. They should be banned from here as well.

Larry LaClair · #20 2006-09-19, 12:54pm

Well, Mikey:
OxygenPlus Medical Systems put a referral site on your glass website two or three years ago ( I fail to remember its name ) You informed us 3 or 4 months later that because we did not visit YOUR site enough we were dropped from it. So being dropped from your site does not represent several forums, RIGHT !
We did not not know we had to visit your site in the first place. What difference does that make.

The rumor that is circulating around is that some woman cut open her hand on an unlimited oxygen home built oxygen generator badly enough that she had to go to the hospital for stictches. I asked to see if there was any validity to this because I know rumors can sometimes be exagerated, RIGHT.

Your version of what happened is the third version so far as to what happened. It is not a crime last time I knew to make an inquiry for what happened ??
Am I going to stop asking questions because of what YOU think ?? Hell no.
I suppose you would censor anybodys question that you did not have the guts to deal with.

I respect this lampwork etc. forum site because it allows partisipants to tell the truth, express themselves, ask questions for the truth on many topics.
I read posts here ALL the time. This is a great site. If I am asked to tone down my posts then I will. Do not misconstrue me telling the truth or asking questions as attacks on anything or anyone.
We feel that we have a reponsibility to let people know when things are not as they seem. We do not endorse some fly by night people or business to leave a bad taste in customers mouths regarding the oxygen business

The beadmakers and glass artists can relate to my point of view by comparing
their market on ebay and on the open market. They spend hours upon hours making beautifull glass beads, marbels etc. Then their industry gets flooded with a slew of garbage beads from foreign markets that they now have to compete against. People buy the cheap junk because it LOOKS good and the price is right. Nobody wants to be undercut by junk.
The same is true in any industry and ours is no exception.

I do not view Unlimited Oxygen as a vendor or competitor. They are just hanging around here to make a fast buck. When their equipment starts failing
it will be predictable as to how long they will be around.

Where is it listed anywhere that Unlimited Oxygen is a Vendor of anykind or anywhere?
They sell to Glass Distributers who resell.
Where is it listed that these people have a legitimate business or even a business website? It does not exist.

Our equipment is used for soft glass and theres is for hard Glass.
We have been a supporting Vendor on Wetcanvas and LE for years. We pay dues, have a website, run banners, give away equipment and provide free technical support to our customers regardless if they bought from us or anyone else.

UO popped into the market @ the 2005 tryed to sell a pumped up millenium to everyone confusing them with a multitude of different model numbers with no specifications. The equipment failed so miserably that it is no longer sold.
I attempted to have people due research before spending on these units.
I suppose there may be a few operating units out there that have not failed yet, but I know they will. They now sell threw distributors who will no doubt be faced with problems from these units recalls etc.

Mike, I was brought up to speed about you being a pain in the back years ago. so just stop playing your politics and games and go back and manage your website.

MikeAurelius · #21 2006-09-19, 3:20pm

Well, let's just set the record straight, shall we?

1) When you had a forum on The Art Glass Forum, it was understood that you would be a contributing member, not just list and forget. That's what forums are all about. You (or your son) did not bother to visit the forum for an entire YEAR (yes, 365 days), so your vendor forum was removed and your membership to AGF was deleted. AGF keeps its membership current, unlike other forums on the 'net. You don't visit for a year, bam, you are history.

2) You were also warned at the time you signed up (and I still have copies of the pm's you and your son were sent) that the AGF would not tolerate the type of behaviour that got you banned from Wet Canvas. You both agreed to behave yourselves. I guess it is easy to behave yourself when you don't bother to visit, eh?

3) Vendors should not be engaged in attacking each other, especially vendors of competing products. This isn't the place for it. It makes you look like an ass and your competitor look like an angel.

But, hey, what do I know, right? Keep on spewing your garbage. People will soon understand what kind of people you are. Your post makes it real clear.

Justin L · #22 2006-09-19, 3:36pm

Larry or I were never banned from Wetcanvas, and are still supporters of that site with our own forum....Not sure where you got the idea we were banned from there Mike. And apparently we were banned from your site due to lack of activity, and not an "attitude".

MikeAurelius · #23 2006-09-19, 3:52pm

LOL - yeah, isn't it interesting what money will buy for you over at WC?

Actually Justin, you WERE put on moderation because of your incessant attacks against SunCoast, remember? You were warned several times but you just couldn't restrain yourself, could you?

Justin L · #24 2006-09-19, 4:12pm

No Mike, I dont ever remember being put on moderation anywhere. If I was, I was never informed of it. Ive said what I needed to say, and thats all you'll hear from me. I have no reason to get sucked into arguments.

Cosmo · #25 2006-09-19, 5:44pm

Well, at the risk of fanning flames even more, I will say this...

I know both Justin and Larry. I believe they are genuine people, and they stand behind what they sell 100%. I can't comment on what they said about other manufacturers' products because I don't know anything about the products in question. I'm not in the concentrator/generator business.

However, they have never been anything but helpful with me. No, not because they are trying to make money off of me or anything. In fact, they delivered a couple of concentrators to me personally to let me try. No money involved.

I'm not saying that everyone has to agree with what Larry and Justin say. Nor does anyone have to agree with what I have to say. But, they do know their stuff when it comes to the products they sell.

I also don't know anything about this Glasscraft thing. But, to be honest, that's none of my business so I'm not going to worry about it anyways.

As for being banned on WC, well, I am too. And I know several others who are. It has been my experience that anyone who doesn't fall into certain cliques immediately when they join WC will get banned pretty quickly. But, that is another story entirely.

Having a "conversation" on the internet is much different than having a conversation on the phone or in person. It's way too easy to take what someone types the wrong way. I know people have formed opinions of me by what I type that I don't believe truly represent me. I'm sure that Mike has had the same experience. We all will. That comes with the territory.

So, having said that, I'll slowly back away. Take what I said for what it's worth. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong in this instance. What I am saying is that I think people may be forming opinions of Larry and Justin that may not be accurate because of some posts on the internet that may have been misinterpreted.

CD Lampwork · #26 2006-09-21, 6:24pm

Well, I'm not gonna get into the politics of all this. I just want to put in my 2 cents on Ox. Unlimited.

These guys are the BEST!!

You may well know that I've had my fair share of problems early on with their machines. And Deanna and I did get more than a little frustrated with all the problems. But to be fair, we travel full time in an RV, work in all kinds of environments (humidity, heat, cold, etc.), get a variety of poor voltage situations, etc.

Threw all of this Jack and Paul have been wonderful. They did NOT make us go threw the retailer we bought it from. They talked with us directly, sent new machines to us wherever we were, really bent over backwards to accomodate us. We got to meet Jack and Paul at the Gathering, and I've got to tell you, I was a bit nervous. I mean we had been major Pain In The Asses with these guys! And you know what? They were just really nice, understanding, wanted to understand the problems better to improve their product, and were very real people.

I have the utmost respect for what Oxygen Unlimited is doing. They're really trying to come up with an oxygen solution for bigger torches at an affordable price. Sure there have been problems. But in EVERY case they have made it right by their customers. They NEVER hide behind their retailers, but are happy to talk directly to the end users. And it's never really been a confrontational situation. They just send out a new machine really with no questions asked other than to try to understand what went wrong to prevent it in the future.

They seriously LOST money on us. And they're still really happy to work with us.

Oh and as for our current machines (we're using 2 now), they're working great. 1 month in Colorado (6000ft elevation, sometimes with snow) worked ok, not great, turns out due to high elevation (it DOES effect ox. concentrators). 1 month in Montana (3000ft elevation, not too cold) worked much better. 1 month in Washington (sea level, wet, not too cold) worked great. 1 month in Portland OR (HOT 100degree days, dry, sea level) worked great. 1 month on the OR coast (cool, sea level, foggy) worked great. 1 month CA coast (similar to OR coast) also working great. So that's 6 months of moving these machines around, different environs, different campground voltages, etc. And the same two machines are working great. We typically work 6 days per week and anywhere from 8 to 10 hours per day. These are the old M20s that Jack and Paul admit aren't the greatest. That's why they developed their own machines to address some of the early problems.

Buy with comfidence. These guys are great. We really should suppost the buisnesses that are working with us to help us advance our art.

Like I said at the beginning, I'm not getting into the politics between the buisnesses. I just want to set the record straight as far as our experiences with Oxygen Unlimited. I'm really very happy with Jack, Paul, and their machines.

Peace,
Greg

Dasi · #27 2006-09-24, 11:12am

I own a unit from Oxygen Unlimited. Those guy have always been helpful with all my questions. They have great customer service. I hate to see them getting bashed..... Many happy people have their units.

oxydoc · #28 2006-09-24, 1:57pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dasi

I own a unit from Oxygen Unlimited. Those guy have always been helpful with all my questions. They have great customer service. I hate to see them getting bashed..... Many happy people have their units.

Thank you, Heather. Comments like this coming from you and Greg mean so much after everything both of you have been thru trying to get a good unit. Shipping these units really sucks. We are rallying to find a way to bullet-proof our shipping. Heather has had as much trouble as Greg and Deanna had. I swear I am going to load a unit in my pick-up and take it to Heather Personally if 1 more item shows up broken. Anyway, We really appreciate the kind words and the chance you guys have given us to work with you. We will always be looking for ways to improve our product and shipping. jack

oxydoc · #29 2006-09-24, 2:11pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by CD Lampwork

Well, I'm not gonna get into the politics of all this. I just want to put in my 2 cents on Ox. Unlimited.

These guys are the BEST!!

You may well know that I've had my fair share of problems early on with their machines. And Deanna and I did get more than a little frustrated with all the problems. But to be fair, we travel full time in an RV, work in all kinds of environments (humidity, heat, cold, etc.), get a variety of poor voltage situations, etc.

Threw all of this Jack and Paul have been wonderful. They did NOT make us go threw the retailer we bought it from. They talked with us directly, sent new machines to us wherever we were, really bent over backwards to accomodate us. We got to meet Jack and Paul at the Gathering, and I've got to tell you, I was a bit nervous. I mean we had been major Pain In The Asses with these guys! And you know what? They were just really nice, understanding, wanted to understand the problems better to improve their product, and were very real people.

I have the utmost respect for what Oxygen Unlimited is doing. They're really trying to come up with an oxygen solution for bigger torches at an affordable price. Sure there have been problems. But in EVERY case they have made it right by their customers. They NEVER hide behind their retailers, but are happy to talk directly to the end users. And it's never really been a confrontational situation. They just send out a new machine really with no questions asked other than to try to understand what went wrong to prevent it in the future.

They seriously LOST money on us. And they're still really happy to work with us.

Oh and as for our current machines (we're using 2 now), they're working great. 1 month in Colorado (6000ft elevation, sometimes with snow) worked ok, not great, turns out due to high elevation (it DOES effect ox. concentrators). 1 month in Montana (3000ft elevation, not too cold) worked much better. 1 month in Washington (sea level, wet, not too cold) worked great. 1 month in Portland OR (HOT 100degree days, dry, sea level) worked great. 1 month on the OR coast (cool, sea level, foggy) worked great. 1 month CA coast (similar to OR coast) also working great. So that's 6 months of moving these machines around, different environs, different campground voltages, etc. And the same two machines are working great. We typically work 6 days per week and anywhere from 8 to 10 hours per day. These are the old M20s that Jack and Paul admit aren't the greatest. That's why they developed their own machines to address some of the early problems.

Buy with comfidence. These guys are great. We really should suppost the buisnesses that are working with us to help us advance our art.

Like I said at the beginning, I'm not getting into the politics between the buisnesses. I just want to set the record straight as far as our experiences with Oxygen Unlimited. I'm really very happy with Jack, Paul, and their machines.

Peace,
Greg

Thank you, Greg and Deanna. Greg, you are the Poster Child of patience. You have all my respect. We have certianly been thru it together. Thank you again for your support. jack

Mr. Smiley · #30 2006-09-24, 2:13pm

I'll second or third or fourth all the good things said about Oxy Unlimited. I have two of the old M-20's and I can't imagine anything working any better. My units have performed flawlessly from day one. Mine were shipped on a pallet and didn't get abused by UPS or DHL, so I'm thinking that's where the problems came from for most people. These guys have impressed me by how they will stand behind their product. Somebody said they were in it for a quick buck... well, then why are they spending so much to make things right? They have gone above and beyond for several people and it's a shame their competition bashes them every chance they get. Jack doesn't fire back, even when attacked repeatedly. They have my support for as long as I am melting glass... should be a very long time. I'll never buy a damn thing from these other guys... Jack, you have a customer for life man. Keep up the great work!