Hot Head Help- FRUSTRATED

[NorLigh]

Hello!

I use a HH with a 7 lb tank of propelyene. I make "galaxy" type beads by melting silver foil over cobalt, melting off the foil, and then rolling in frit, melt, encase- done. The silver burns almost all the way off, and normally leaves little balls of silver that look gold in the bead. Now all of a sudden the silver is reducing something terrible, so it leaves a very noticable silver sheen on the bead- which is not what I am looking for at all. I am so frustrated because I am doing the same exact thing as before, but my beads do not look the same at all.

I also noticed my rubino burns no matter how hard I try.

So- I cleaned my HH with soap and water- I am pretty sure I have the old model because I do not have the orifice which comes out. I let it dry, put it back together tightly, and tried it out. I noticed the flame looks incredibly different, but I made a bead, and no change. THEN all of a sudden small flames shot out from the oxygen holes! I did not smell ANY gas at all, and I made sure to tighten everything well.

Long story made short, I am just going to buy a new HH. Do you think this one may have malfunctioned? I've been using it consistently for about a year and a half.

Thanks!

[Dale M.]

Turn your torch down, you have to much fuel in flame and it is causing a reduction flame........

Once you have torch lit, open fuel valve till there is no increase in flame, now start turning fuel valve closed till flame becomes less bushy and inner cone become more defined and more pencil point in shape.... Also flame will turn a few shades darker blue, this is optimal flame for glass work. IT is as close to a neutral flame that you can get on HH...

Also work out further in flame where combustion is more complete.....

If HH has no orifice, it is newer version. Older version of HH has orifice and flame is more adjustable then new version... So it is more desirable...

http://www.cauldroncreations.com/hotheadinfo.html

Dale

[HannahRachel]

Also... are you using mapp gas or propane? I have trouble with those galaxy beads and reduction when using a hothead with propane.

[NorLigh]

Thanks guys- I am using propelyene. I use a very small flame- I have tried everything. Working higher in the flame, turning down my flame, etc. Nothing has worked. I am going to try a new HH since this one was shooting fire balls at me.

Thanks!

[dragonfly designs 56]

some days on my hothead, i reduce everything whether i want to or not!

[NorLigh]

It happens! *lol* But I have been doing this for about 2 years now, and repeatedly was making fine beads- so something has changed for sure.

Thanks for the replies!

[lunamoonshadow]

Did you just switch tanks? You might have gotten a "dirty" tank...(seriously!!)

[NorLigh]

I thought that too- but it happened with the last tank, and then this new one I just picked up. I have been using the same supplier- and it was always fine before. I am so hoping it is my HH. If I get a new one and it continues to happen, I might just cry.

[kk5336]

There are times when everything, no matter what I do, wants to reduce...I've found that when this happends, I'm nearing the end of the tank. I also have had a bad time on my last two tanks, I though it was the torch, so I cleaned it. I also, looked into buying a new HH, but the newer ones aren't as good as the older models, so I dropped that idea. Then I thought maybe I'm all of a sudden doing something wrong, nope that didn't seem to be it either. I tried everything I could think of, etc. and I still was having problems, so I just struggled with it till I could get a new tank. My current tank has been a charm, everything is coming out great, no problems, so all I can say is that I think I had gotten some dirty tanks.

Hope this helps...

Kathie
Good Omen Designs

[Dale M.]

Here is good information about HH spitting fireballs and "dirty tank" syndrome...

http://www.artglassanswers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=219

Dale

[guineahill]

Have you tried draining your hose? In time my hose accumulates some of that smelly oil stuff that they add to the gas and it starts to spit out when I use my HH. I now have two hoses. I use one and keep the other one hanging from a hook in my laundry room with a container under it to catch the drippings. I know there are posts somewhere on the internet about draining hoses… that’s how I found out about it a couple of years ago.

I hope this helps.

Missy

:smile:

[NorLigh]

Thanks everyone! It was my HH. I had to buy a new one, and my silver is not reducing like it was. I appreciate all of your advice and ideas so so much!

I actually tried everything- I drained my hose, I bought a new hose... I switched out my tank. Luckily this solved the problem!

[mary1_$]

Great info. Thanks much.


Here is good information about HH spitting fireballs and "dirty tank" syndrome...

http://www.artglassanswers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=219

Dale