Black soot using HH and new propane tank!

[pointerspoint]

I just replaced my propane tank which previously worked great, no problems. On the new tank I am getting black soot on every color, looks awful! I've only used it for about an hour or so, I'm hoping this will go away and is only because it's new. Also, in some areas of the ivory I got a rough area, not sure what to call it, just not smooth. I even tried putting it in the etching solution but this did not help. Any ideas of what I could do? Or is this just a bad tank of propane? :(

Thanks,
Teresa

[Mr. Smiley]

This is why I like the control of an oxy propane torch... I can adjust the oxygen and complete the combustion process. ;) No black stuff... the rough stuff is probably devit... you can't really get rid of it now. Etching helps hide it. :D

[pointerspoint]

Ah, devit, yes, I know that well from fusing. Didn't think of that. Well maybe the torch was too hot, I'll try turning it down as much as is possible on the HH. I'm in the process of getting an oxy/propane setup but it will be another month for that so in the meantime going to try and deal with this. I didn't have any problems with the previous tank of propane but I stole it from our grill so it was already half gone when I started using it. I'm going to keep hoping this is just happening because the tank is new.

Thanks for the help!
Teresa

[IF-Designs]

Teresa did you exchange your tank or just get a refill? If Exchanged you may have ran into a place with VERY dirty propane :( If Refilled is it the same place you originally got your fill? If not probally dirty propane :( if it is the same place perhaps they got a bad batch of propane in the eir filler tank ot maybe your HH is just a bit dirty or maybe your hose has some oily gunk in it. You may need to drain your hose....

[pointerspoint]

It was exchanged, and I don't think it was the same place the original came from but it was the same area. You could be right, could be dirty. I'll try draining the hose though and see what happens. What a pain! :(

[Judi_B]

You can also try turning the flame down a bit and/or working further out in the flame. I also had some variability when I was using a hot head on bulk propane, but was usually able to get around the problem by draining the hose and working further out in the flame. Hope it works for you :)

[pointerspoint]

Good news, I just went out and turned the flame down as far as possible and made a few beads and no black gunk so far. So hopefully that was the problem. I think I got used to turning the flame way up when my other tank got low so I must have turned it up too high for the new tank. Hopefully problem solved and I can muddle through until I get my new torch.

Thanks everyone! :)

[Judi_B]

Oh Good!! I'm glad you're melting glass again!

[magpiedreams]

Hi,

I posted a question regarding the Hot Head and the larger tank (hate those small MAPP cylinders) and noticed a poster referring to using the bottle from a barbeque. A Home Depot guy told me that fuel is not the best as it does not burn as hot as the MAPP gas from the small cylinders.

Is he correct on this or is the replacement tanks used for the barbeque grills what otherr use with success? If so, they are probably much easier to find refills for.

I also see people posting about the need to drain the fuel line periodically, I'd imagine any "gunk" in the line is not good, probably not as much an issue when using the grill.

Thanks, Ken

[pointerspoint]

That's what I use, no problems for me, although I have decided to upgrade my torch but it's not the fault of the propane tank, just don't have the patience for the Hot Head. I worked on Hot Heads when I took a lampwork class, and I can see no difference in the small MAPP cylinders we used then as opposed to the bulk fuel propane I'm using now. My friend also got interested in lampwork and is set up in her garage and also using the barbecue-grill-type propane tanks without any problems. In fact, she has no plans to upgrade at all, loves the Hot Head. I should say she tried the small MAPP cylinder first and her thoughts were that the propane tank actually was hotter.