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Mike H
2007-01-12, 9:07pm
$1.50 thrift store BBQ tongs turned into 2" square mashers.
I enjoy building equipment almost as much as I like to melt glass.
I tried the torch today and I made a 3 1/2" drawer pull bead
and a 4" Fish bottle stopper. It works Great!
54375
54376
54377
54378
54379
54380
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54382

Deb Hopeful Journeys
2007-01-12, 9:44pm
Very cool, but wondering why you are flipping me off, lol.

Some awesome stuff you made there!

squid
2007-01-12, 9:48pm
I noticed that too! LOL

Mike H
2007-01-12, 9:53pm
Well Deb, Its like this:
I had a slight Industrial accident last year and as a result I lost the use of my
pinky and ring finger on my left hand, I tend to grip things in very unusual
ways now. i was wondering if anyone would notice..... You are quite perceptive. I am right handed so it hasn't effected me that much.
Thanks for the positive comments on my work. Its fun to make.

Deb Hopeful Journeys
2007-01-12, 9:57pm
Well crap, now I feel horrible. Glad you didn't lose your finger completely.

Mike H
2007-01-12, 10:00pm
Don't feel like crap, How the Heck would you know???
No Harm, No Foul...
Like I said, Thanks for the nice words about my work.

Dale M.
2007-01-13, 10:49am
Cool torch.... Makes my mind begin to work.....

Was trying to deal with how to make fuel/oxy "connection" at valves and keep them separate till they hit torch face.... Little light bulb went on!!!

By the way...What is oxy & fuel pressures that you are using?

Dale

smutboy420
2007-01-13, 11:05am
KICKASS! (sorry about my french there :-))

As nice as all of it looks. Every thing also looks pretty well done and functinal. Every thing looks very heavy duty to. The only thing you seem to be laking on is the "homemade look"
You need to make them look more janky or hokie looking If you want any one to beleave they are realy homemade. lol lol lol :-)

The torch looks like you just need to figure out a difrent size tube to use to get the spacing more even.

pipojasper
2007-01-13, 8:54pm
That is friggen awesome! Nice set up :)

Mike H
2007-01-13, 9:39pm
Thanks!
My fuel is 4psi and my oxy is 10lpm @ 10psi, works pretty good!
I thought that the spacing might be a problem but, it seems to be
pretty even. I will make a couple more, each one progressively
bigger . This makes a really good Bead Torch and you can do
4" soft glass sculpture also. Fun Stuff!

Lorraine Chandler
2007-01-14, 11:04am
I make/build all sorts of things but that doesn't mean they work!!:oops:

YOU ARE SOOOO TALENTED!! Your endeavors actually work and quite well too!! I am so hecka impressed..I am going to show my hubby...:waving:
Thank you so much for sharing with great photos too.
Lorraine

Mike H
2007-01-14, 1:54pm
No problem, thats what this site is all about, Right?
I hope you are able to use the info to your benefit.
Thanks!

gljjr
2007-01-14, 3:57pm
So are you running this as a premix torch then? It looks pretty slick! I've been thinking of doing something similar as I would like to have more heat than my Mini CC gives off sometimes. Could be a fun project :)

Very nice work on the kiln too. You must have a metal break to be able to get such nice bends in the sheet metal. Great job! My only complaint is that you did such a nice job on the box of the kiln, and then you put an ugly electrical box on it :)

Mike H
2007-01-14, 6:50pm
No, Surface Mix
You can make it as big as you want.
I actually bent the stainless over a board.
I would have liked to use a stainless J-Box
but couldn't find one easily.
I made the kiln out of scrap stainless that I had or found.
The controller box was a stainless kleenex box cover.

meadowesky
2007-01-14, 7:11pm
you are amazing. trully!

loribeads
2007-01-15, 12:27am
Wow! This is so amazing! I agree with Smutboy, though. You really need to up the janky quotient if you expect people to believe you made these yourself. LOL!

kahlamodie
2007-01-15, 1:35am
My only complaint is that you did such a nice job on the box of the kiln, and then you put an ugly electrical box on it :)

Come on, now, he can`t have it be TOO professional looking. Something has to give away the fact that it`s homemade, right?;)
Seriously, though, awesome work. I can`t even imagine doing that, I`m still trying to perfect round beads.....

sean
2007-01-19, 10:45am
Just amazing. Where could one find info to build their own torch?

sean
2007-01-19, 11:53am
Mike,
Do you think it would be possible to modify a Fireworks torch (It's similiar to a HH) to accept oxygen?

skyberrys
2007-01-20, 7:04pm
Next your going to have to show a photo of the Workshop you used to build the glass studio :-P Very nice looking though!

McDuck
2007-01-20, 8:07pm
WOW Mike, I am totally in awe, your beads are just wonderous! I need a torch like that...and I actually need a torch too you sellin? or informin or...or...or...? I have an unhappy torch right now... okay, I am so coming for MikeH's build your own torch and kiln class...now when is it again? ;)

BarbaraB
2007-01-21, 4:19am
Was everything for the torch available at a hardware store?

That is just great when you can do all this by yourself. I'm in awe!

Thanks for posting the photos.

Barbara

gljjr
2007-01-21, 4:50pm
Come on, now, he can`t have it be TOO professional looking. Something has to give away the fact that it`s homemade, right?;)
Seriously, though, awesome work. I can`t even imagine doing that, I`m still trying to perfect round beads.....

That is why I had the smily there! He did an awsome job!

I just might have to try building one of those torches though. Hmmm... Wonder how big I can make it??? Can you say BORO?

laserglass
2007-01-22, 5:36am
great job mike!!!! how did you seal up all of the internal tubes where they feed into the hose connector? did you brase them together? very clever, i am glad to see a person of a similar mine to me!!!!

InspirationToolworks
2007-01-22, 1:54pm
I'm curious as well...

Is it a pre-mix torch? Are the tubes jammed in as a flame arrestor?

Thanks!

-Jeff

SadiesJewels
2007-01-22, 10:36pm
I am seriously impressed ... really. I would love to make these things myself being of that nature but I'm also clueless as to how these things work. I understand the metal working (I have a brake so can bend sheet metal) but the electrical end of it leaves me sadly wanting. I did physics in school but went into the arts later on (all girls school so home economics and needlework were what we did - rather than autoshop and ... ??? what did you do? How did you get to the point of knowing how to do all this?).

So, I really need a kiln controller for fusing (my fuji is on it's last legs - but as it "works" it doesn't qualify for replacement yet (so sensible dh says - who is a good foil for ooooh, aaaah , must buy it me). I would be really interested in making my own if I had the knowledge to do it. Hell, if I can figure out how to program my fuji then I'm sure I can figure out how to make the thing given some basic info!

Also ... anyone know how to ... whoops won't hijack the thread here!

Mike H
2007-01-23, 12:05am
great job mike!!!! how did you seal up all of the internal tubes where they feed into the hose connector? did you brase them together? very clever, i am glad to see a person of a similar mine to me!!!!

The base of the nipple that is threaded into the fuel (bottom) fitting is where the brass tubes end. At that point the brass tubes are soldered together and all the spaces are sealed between the tubes creating the isolated passageway for the fuel .
This design is not mine, It is from a person in Canada that builds all his own stuff. I just used some of his basic ideas and made my own version.
Thanks for the interest, and I will keep building my own equipment
just for Fun.


And Yes Gary, you can build it as big as you want, No limits!

P.S. The torch is a Surface Mix, Not Premix.

Malcolm Spann
2007-01-24, 9:55am
Any chance of getting some sketches of how you made the insides of the torch?

Karen Hardy
2007-01-24, 10:58am
Very awesome!
I agree with everyone here - if you're going to do a custom
job - it need some snazzing up.
I'm thinking some fins on the sides - maybe some color.
Custom shaped knobs (maybe glass knobs?).
You are too cool for words. :waving:

Mike H
2007-01-24, 9:32pm
As soon as the original designer of the torch completes his next video,
I will post a link to it.
I am building another torch as I write.
I agree Karen, Glass knobs would be the Coolest!
And color always helps. Thanks!

catman
2008-09-17, 10:05am
As soon as the original designer of the torch completes his next video,
I will post a link to it.
I am building another torch as I write.
I agree Karen, Glass knobs would be the Coolest!
And color always helps. Thanks!

well, did you build one?
any progress on that video you mentioned?

evolvingBeau
2008-09-17, 1:36pm
The base of the nipple that is threaded into the fuel (bottom) fitting is where the brass tubes end. At that point the brass tubes are soldered together and all the spaces are sealed between the tubes creating the isolated passageway for the fuel .


You got all of us DIY guys a little excited LOL. Thanks for sharing this. Must've felt pretty good to sit down at the finished torch, make a piece and put it into the finished kiln.
LOL just noticed that this thread is from last year, still cool and glad I saw it.

Donna T.
2008-09-17, 3:51pm
I just love it when all you geeky bead building maniacs get to talking shop!! I love to build things too like someone else said but alas not all my ideas are executable (at least by me) and DH is not good with geeky building stuff. :(

Cool stuff Mike. And I too wondered why you were flipping everyone off!!! Sorry about the injury.

Now where's that video? Oh! I know you should do one of those tutorials with step by step instructions on building a kiln and/or a torch. Bet you could sell a lot of them. Sign me up!! (I can build things with good instructions-just not good with figuring it out on my own).

zoomerpop
2008-09-18, 10:02am
I agree with Donna's post!!! Let us know!!

roy

IF-Designs
2008-09-18, 10:14am
I love a tutorial on how to make a similar kiln I need to make a smallish portable kiln....hum gets my mind a turning!

Mike H
2008-09-18, 10:54pm
Wow! I haven't seen this thread for quite a while. I did build a bigger version of the torch and it worked well.
But when I want to go extra big now I just fire up my gloryhole.
I will be building a bigger annealer for my blown pieces so maybe I'll do a tutorial for that. The construction will be simular to a bead kiln.
Thanks everyone for all the interest, I'll let ya know when I start the build.

Rose Leslie
2008-09-22, 6:11pm
All I can say is awesome. You are very great doing this. I can say that you can develope your own type of torch and then kiln for the bead maker. WOW you are really a crafts man. Awesome.

boroman
2013-08-10, 8:31am
Great work man, I would really like to try to replicate that design

ericoid
2013-09-08, 6:33pm
How did you seal the brass tubes inside the outer tube?

Mike H
2013-09-09, 8:03pm
I sealed them at the beginning with solder

boroman
2013-09-18, 7:00am
As soon as the original designer of the torch completes his next video,
I will post a link to it.
I am building another torch as I write.
I agree Karen, Glass knobs would be the Coolest!
And color always helps. Thanks!

Hey man could you still post this link? I'm interested in building one.

Mike H
2013-09-27, 3:56pm
This is where I got the torch info, it appears that he does not have that info available anymore. http://mayneislandglass.com/instructionalvideos.html

khan
2013-10-08, 3:33pm
Ok Mike... i just used Google earth to see where Mayne island is and took a look around the place and all i have to say is you are LUCKY to live in such a wonderful place but i dont know how you would ever get materials and such... no wonder you make all your own stuff...LOL.. just kidding... i think it looks wonderful.
BTW... what kind of tubing did you use for the internal tubes in that torch... are they just small stainless tubing?? what wall thickness is best do you think?
Thanks
Khan

Nitrous
2020-11-17, 5:45pm
great looking project. Do you have a link to the original design that you modified? As well, where did you source the gas valve?
Thanks
Doug

Nitrous
2020-11-17, 8:00pm
Can you tell us where you got the gas valves for this torch?
Thanks
Doug

Weldor4life
2023-07-27, 3:07pm
Hello Mike, beautiful torch my friend. I am in the middle of building a series or set of surface mix torches and yours has been an inspiration my friend.

jesnbec73
2023-12-07, 2:51pm
That's awesome, just awesome.