Nortel Midrange? or Midrange Plus?

[yeepers]

Hi folks!

I'm shopping around for my next torch (currently on a Minor). I would like the option of working boro - smallish to medium...nothing honkingly huge :) I am committed to sticking with my household NG line and one oxycon (although this is negotiable to 2 later on).

Any advice on which torch I should go with? Midrange? Midrange Plus? Betta?

I'd appreciate any feedback anyone can give on any of these torches - mainly the Midranges since I know everyone LOVES the Betta :D

Thanks in advance!

-Yee

[Ellen Black]

I had a minor , now a Midrange Plus. Runs on natural gas and two concentrators. The two concentrators don't really run the Midrange portion fully. They are 5 LPM concentrators.

There will hopefully some news from Nortel soon about a new torch they have been working on. Been waiting, and checking with them for awhile now. There is some final testing to be done. There will be a inner and outer ring. It will run on standard household presure. Hopefully will be available this fall !

You would be amazed thou, how much hotter your minor would be with another concentrator ! I started with one, added a second one and there was a big difference. I have made decent size boro beads on the minor.

[yeepers]

Thanks Ellen! That may be the way for me to go for now although DH really would prefer a new torch rather than a second oxycon both because of noise and energy consumption :)

-Yee

[IF-Designs]

well yee midrange plus would be my choice because it has a minor rider on top. But you would still have to have 2 oxy cons to run this to provide the oxy to run the midrange bottom portion and I am unsure if your houshold pressure, as ellen said, would be sufficent enough to run the midrange portion fully. You could look into getting one of the souped up concentrators though that puts out 15psi but they are a bit $$ but if your looking at the bigger torches in the long run would probally be worth the $$ invested and if you wanted you could resell your other concentrator to another beadmaker to recoup some of the cost.

[Ellen Black]

I would still try another concentrator...........you can melt glass faster. They don't cost alot to run. You can't do boro or soft glass efficently with one concentratror, no matter what torch. Not a 5 LPM concentrator anyway.

[Lisi]

I would go with a second concentrator too. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a few years ago, Lori Robbins made her boro beads and pendants using two concentrators for the (surface mix) Minor top of her Nortel Major/Minor. Yep, I'm pretty sure that's what her old set-up was. She's using a Barracuda now, but I'm not sure what her o2 supply is.

Nortel make good torches, and there's the two ports. I like that and would consider one for myself.

[Cosmo]

I run a MidRange Plus on two DevilBiss MC4490 concentrators, and it runs the larger flame at about 80-90% of what I can get on tanks.

[Ellen Black]

I run a MidRange Plus on two DevilBiss MC4490 concentrators, and it runs the larger flame at about 80-90% of what I can get on tanks.

Hi Chad , that would be propane?

[Cosmo]

Hi Chad , that would be propane?

Yes, propane. I don't have a NG hookup. But I would expect similar results on NG if there is enough pressure on the NG line.

[Venbead]

I have a midrange with 2 5 liter oxycons and natural gas and it runs great but I will be looking forward to the new nortel torch when it comes out.

[Ellen Black]

I have a midrange with 2 5 liter oxycons and natural gas and it runs great but I will be looking forward to the new nortel torch when it comes out.

I have that setup, and the flame seems whimpy ! Oh well. Totally looking forward to the new one being available. Especially the center fire, and outer ring !!!!!!!