2 Questions: Mega Minor and Oxygen Tanks

[PurpleCatJewels]

First, hello! Another "Rachelle" here. I'm new to lampworking and have been torching a couple of times a week for the last month or so.

Question #1: Just WHAT is the neutral flame on the Mega Minor supposed to look like? I have searched and searched. If I use the flame as learned on the Minor it is too hot. If I adjust the candles as I read here to about 1", the flame seems too huge and not very useful, and plenty wasteful as far as fuel & oxy are concerned. Does anyone have an image or some kind of guideline? I have been looking (even here for two days...)

Question #2: Can SCUBA tanks be used for extra oxygen tanks? Not sure why I would want to other than they're moderately lightweight and hold oxygen, plus the cylinders can be purchased at a much lower cost.

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I started by taking a workshop where I learned the very basics on a Minor with NG and tanked oxygen. Probably what most teaching studios have.

I returned home (1,000 miles away) and applied what I had learned to using the HotHead. The DH told me that I was having way too much fun by the amount of MAPP gas that I was going through. The local hardware store raised the price per canister by $3.00 EACH, ironically since I started buying it. It's a small town and with the quantity I keep buying I swear the locals think I'm cooking meth...but I digress...

The DH advised me to get a surface-mix torch if I were going to continue on with this "hobby". I did my research and found the Mega Minor to be perfect for now. I do mostly smaller beads rather than large sculptural pieces anyway.

Fast forward...got the MM torch and all the accouterments, but won't mention the sheer COST of it all. DH just said think of it as X-amount of MAPP canisters. Bought the oxy tank outright because we travel A LOT and I will be working "on the road" (well, we'd be stopped for the day/night/week/whatever). Would like an oxycon but I don't think DH does. At least he SEES me once in a while if I run out of MAPP, propane, or oxygen and have to quit for the day.

Thanks,
Rachelle K.
PurpleCatJewels

[kbinkster]

Somewhere, I have some pictures comparing the candles of a neutral flame on a MM and one on a Minor. I'll see if I can find them.

I don't think that a scuba tank full of oxygen would last very long. One might hold enough for demoing or something. Are they even designed to hold pure O2 or a mixture? I'm sure someone on here has looked into this before.

I think that a concentrator would be more practical, if you could take it with you, if for no other reason than for one simple thing: where would you refill your tank?

[squid]

scuba tanks are not designed to hold pure oxygen.

[Dale M.]

Scuba tanks hold 80 cf of "gas" at about 2000 psi..

Unless you have a high pressure compressor, the scuba tank will only hold about 2 minutes of oxygen at pressures you can provide in home studio... Most "gas" dealers will not fill scuba tanks for fear of misuse and liability reasons.

If you really want tanked oxygen you need to consider at least 180 cf (at 2000psi) tanks such as welding industry tanks.... IF you feel that wrestling tanks and the weight or safety aspects of thme bother you, you really need to consider oxygen generators/concentrators..

Also none of the "plumbing" for glass torches will connect up with scuba tank plumbing unless you want to try making some dubious mechanical connections that may be actually quite dangerous....

Dale

[PurpleCatJewels]

Somewhere, I have some pictures comparing the candles of a neutral flame on a MM and one on a Minor. I'll see if I can find them.

Oh, WOW! That would be just DELIGHTFUL t see something like that! I have been looking and looking for something like that! Oh, thank you! I hope you can find it!

I think that a concentrator would be more practical, if you could take it with you, if for no other reason than for one simple thing: where would you refill your tank?

It is DH's idea to use tanked oxy. That, and I wonder if I can run the kiln, a concentrator, and ventilation all at once on 50 amp service...I have put in the "gentle" suggestion for an oxycon, probably an M-15. There are plenty of AirGas and AmeriGas locations nationwide. If there is a problem getting refills, well...the oxycon will just look that much better to him. :biggrin:

[PurpleCatJewels]

Yes, thank you all so much for answering my questions about SCUBA tanks! Common sense told me that if it were possible and convenient everyone would be using them. I don't SCUBA myself and am, for the most part, terrified of open water...but I had to ask.

Bottom line...I will NOT be using SCUBA tanks...but will still use welding tanks. The one that I currently have is aluminum and 40 cuft. I will probably get 4-6 hours time per tank (when I get the flame figured out)...hey, wait...Isn't that what I got out of the MAPP w/the HH? Uh-oh...better do the math...

[Lorraine Chandler]

Here ya go Rachelle...

I took pics of DH making a bead. The candles have cute little paddles at the end that you cannot really see in the pics but hopefully the length will help you and where DH has the bead at.

It's actually very hot and I melted through a mandrel. In one of the pics you can see that he learned quickly to keep that bead under, over or to the side....#-o

Lorraine