Brand new Mega Minor equals a thousand questions

Kisaya · #1 2014-10-28, 3:14pm

Hello everybody! Oh, I missed this place

So, I have a thousand questions to ya'll, so pull up a chair and hot cocoa is on me. From the start of my lampworking days I worked on a HotHead, and recently my good friends decided to help out a developing artist and gifted me a Nortle Mega Minor + an Oxy Concentrator. I couldn't be more happy! I've never worked on this type of torch before, so I was rather scared. I took a class from Manuela Wutschke a week ago, and the studio we worked in had Nortel Minor torches - I understand that Minor and Mega minor work pretty much the same with one con, and If I need more heat from my Mega, I just need a second one.

So, I just now installed my Mega Minor and triend it out. I made some beads and here's what I noticed. Some colors tend to overheat and boil. My clear did that, some transparent blue, transparent green. It did not however show up on the finished bead - it looks fine, but I still think it shouldn't boil.

I run my torch on the same gas setting as I did for the HH - 0.3 MPa, and 5 litres of oxygen a minute on my concentrator. My flame is definetely neutral - the crown is even on every peak.

It's hard getting used to this baby

it's so hot compating to my lil' hothead - I make the second dot and the first one is already flat in. Any tips on heat control and just general handling of this torch?

Thank you for your help everyone, I really love the community we have here

Eileen · #2 2014-10-28, 3:27pm

Where are you working in the flame? How long is the flame? (White part and total flame)

Have you tried moving out an inch or two?

Kisaya · #3 2014-10-28, 3:47pm

I'm working in the middle of the flame, it's total lenght was about 15-18 cm. The white part - you mean the "crown" near the head of the torch of the middle of the flame, where it's "feather" is? The crown was about 7mm, and the feather about 5-6 cm.

I moved a bit, and it kept boiling - just slower

Eileen · #4 2014-10-28, 4:32pm

Maybe you didn't move out quite far enough, or possibly you need to turn the flame down just a bit.
I have been working on a minor, but have a mega minor hooked up to try tomorrow, so I may not be making sense, just going by your glass reacting. It sounds like you're working too hot.

Kisaya · #5 2014-10-28, 5:10pm

I'll try more tomorrow - it is really hot comparing to HotHead, maybe I just need to catch the right temp. I hope I won't spoil too much glass until then. let me know how you Mega turns out!

dusty · #6 2014-10-28, 10:24pm

It could partially be that you're hitting some glasses that don't like to be oxidized with an oxidizing flame (particularly the aqua). Try turning the oxygen down. Clear shouldn't do that, though it might scum up from an oxidizing flame. Try starting out with the piece higher in the flame. You can bring it down closer to the torch's face once it warms up a bit.

speedingpullet · #7 2014-10-29, 11:49am

It will be much hotter than a Hothead!

Weirdly, my torch buying history matches yours, so I remember the startling difference between the HH and the MM.

I have an M15 oxycon, and never had my propane higher than 8psi.

The great thing about the Mega Minor is that you can adjust it. If you're boiling colours then all you need to do is to adjust the size of the flame. I had some problem with scum, especially on clear, so you could adjust to a more oxygen-rich flame and see if that rectifies the problem.

But, yes, there is a big learning curve between the two.

Kisaya · #8 2014-10-29, 12:43pm

Guys, thank you all for support and advice! I'm learning to controll the heat, and it's going rather quickly if I do say so myself.

I just finished a big batch of new-torch beads, they're in the kiln right now - I think I'll post some pics of them tomorrow here

jaci · #9 2014-11-03, 2:04pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedingpullet

It will be much hotter than a Hothead!

Weirdly, my torch buying history matches yours, so I remember the startling difference between the HH and the MM.

I have an M15 oxycon, and never had my propane higher than 8psi.

The great thing about the Mega Minor is that you can adjust it. If you're boiling colours then all you need to do is to adjust the size of the flame. I had some problem with scum, especially on clear, so you could adjust to a more oxygen-rich flame and see if that rectifies the problem.

But, yes, there is a big learning curve between the two.

Ditto! I did hh to minor. I have a m15. I have never had my propane above 8 either. It's like learning all over again! Its odd not having to blare the music to drown out the noise, and it's really weird not having time to think while waiting for glass to melt

have fun re learning

try something really really big. It will make you feel like your back on the hh ! Other than that don't burn through to many mandrels looking away from the flame to find a color....