Who uses a cheetah!!!???

[Feldt's Glass]

OMG I decided to purchase the cheetah after quite the long deliberation.:fireblob: :fireblob: :fireblob: Thanks Pam and Shawnette! I got it in today and wow. I think I really like it, but my question is (to anyone that uses a cheetah) how hard was it for you to get used to. I tried to do a really large bead and that went well but then tried to do some smaller stuff and stringer work. Ok that didn’t go so well. I expect a learning curve but if anyone has any tips that would be really great. The main thing that is different from my lynx is the extra radiant heat. I am used to being able to get really close to the flame and just can’t. The other is trying to dial it down seams hard. I did better just keeping a decent bushy flame and just using parts of it.
Also what is the smallest flame I can safely run this torch? How long should the candles be at a minimum. I know the lynx was very touchy and got carbon deposits really easy if it wasn’t run right. I don’t want to mess up my pretty new torch. I ordered it from frantz and didn’t get much info with it.

[kbinkster]

This is a copy of a post I posted in another thread:

I think something important to point out here is that when people say that the Lynx has a pinpoint flame, it has a pin point flame. Literally, I can safely get a flame on the Lynx (using the red and blue valves only) that is about the size of a sewing/tapestry needle AND it is still hot enough to do melt-ins.

The Cheetah can get a small flame that comes to a point. You just use the red valve with the blue valve and just a little of the green valve on. It is more carrot-shaped - it's wide at the base and tapers to a point. You can definitely do detail work on a Cheetah. The Cheetah is actually an oxygen efficient torch. It has more jets than say a Lnyx (the Lynx has seven and the Cheetah has twelve, I believe), so, naturally it will use more oxygen (22 CFH/ 10.4 LPM as opposed to 14 CFH/6.6 LPM on a Lynx. THIS IS ON ITS HIGHEST SETTING - like when making a 3" boro marble. For soft glass bead making, you would use only about a quarter to a third as much oxygen or less - somewhere around 5 CFH).

I have used of several torches, from the Bobcat on up the GTT line. When I sit down to do beads (mosty soft glass), I go for the Cheetah. I also run it on my 10 LPM concentrator (to do soft glass and small boro). Don't get me wrong, I love the Lynx, too. But for the way I've been working lately (bigger sculptural beads), the Cheetah fits the bill.

PS If you ever find that your flame is too hot, you can either add more oxygen to make it slightly oxidizing to cool it off OR just work out a little further.

As for candle length, it would be the same as on any of the triple mix torches (like the Lynx): for a neutral flame used for soft glass, 1/4" to 3/8" with small yellow/white tips. For working boro, you can have both the candles and the tips longer and still be in a neutral flame. Anytime you run your candles 1/4" or shorter, keep it all blue - no yellow/white tips.

[Feldt's Glass]

Oh come on I know this torch is more popular than this!!!!!!

[kbinkster]

Well, to get a small flame, just use the red and blue valves and just touch the green on. As long as you're keeping those candles blue (no tips), you should not have any carboning while on that setting. With more practice, you will be able to get the Cheetah flame narrowed down to a point. It will look more carrot-shaped with a point at the end. Your candles will be shorter than 1/4".

When in doubt, look at the face at an angle to see if there are any glowing ports. Little orange specks are nothing to worry about. It's when you can actually see the metal tubes glowing that you know you are running it incorrectly.

And, to get less radiant heat, add more blue valve. It will pull the shroud of heat right into the main flame. Remember, when you get into the bigger head sizes of a torch, the more radiant heat you will feel.

[kbinkster]

Oh come on I know this torch is more popular than this!!!!!!
It's the weekend. There usually aren't too many people hanging out in the tech forum on a Saturday - especially if the weather is nice.:smile:

[IF-Designs]

I use a cheetah for all my boro work I use it with liquid O2 right now and propane...I love it for my boro but I dont typically use it for the soft glass work I do ... I usually just use my nortel minor burner for that Its nice have the choice of 2 torches....The cheetah rocks out for boro I just havnt figured out yet the finesse for fine tuning it for smaller soft glass work.

[KEW]

If you get carbon on your lynx, you may be running the oxygen too lean. I started running it with more oxy last year and haven't had a speck of carbon since.

[kbinkster]

I use a cheetah for all my boro work I use it with liquid O2 right now and propane...I love it for my boro but I dont typically use it for the soft glass work I do ... I usually just use my nortel minor burner for that Its nice have the choice of 2 torches....The cheetah rocks out for boro I just havnt figured out yet the finesse for fine tuning it for smaller soft glass work.

There's really no finesse required to work the Cheetah for soft glass.:) There is a little adjustment needed to work soft glass any time you move from a smaller torch to a larger one (standard or triple mix). Don't let the size of the torch body fool you! That Cheetah is almost twice the size of a Lynx!

You might try working a little further out in the flame than you do on a small torch. Or, add more oxygen to cool the flame a little.

The "with more practice" thing I was talking about in my earlier post had to do with getting the smallest pin-point flame available on the Cheetah.

Just remember that for your typical soft glass flame, your candle lengths will be between 1/4" and 3/8". Your blue valve should be at least cracked open. The more blue valve, the narrower/more focused the flame will be. The less blue valve, the more the triple mix torch behaves like a standard torch.

[Val Cox]

LT, It took me about 6 months to get used to the Cheetah after using the Lynx for 4 years. I only worked through the learning curve with the Cheetah after I sold the Lynx and had no other choice but to practice with it and commit myself to using it, instead of running back to the Lynx each time.

I did work through it, and now I love the Cheetah and can't imagine going back.

It took a bit of practice to get used to the radiant (and total) heat, but that's one of the parts I like most, in order to work larger. Enjoy it LT!

Val

(I work with: soft glass/96coe, propane, OGSI-20 generator)

BTW, I agree with all of Kim's recommended settings and flame lengths!