looking to upgrade

[Atomic Silver Studio]

I am currently using a minor with propane/tanked oxy

I want to start working with boro and doing pipes, marbles and small sculptures. What would be a good torch for this? Pre mix or surface mix? How much more of my precious oxy will this new torch eat up?

I have been thinking of maybe buying one of these new

Nortel midrange
Nortel Red Max
Carlisle Wildcat

Or if i can find one of these used at a reduced price.

Knight bullet burner
Nortel Red Rocket
Bethlehem Barracuda
Carlisle Hellcat Burner


Any opinions are appreciated.

[Cosmo]

Pre-mix or surface mix is a personal choice thing. I prefer pre-mix, but a lot of people don't like it.

Out of the torches you listed, and for doing the kind of work you are talking about, this would be my order of preference:

Hellcat/Bullet - nice, hot flame. Both torches have very similar flame characteristics
Red Max - good flame, but a little more of a pain to use because of the separate flames
Midrange - just a smaller Red Max
Wildcat - okay, but hard to get a good detailed flame because its face is so big
Barracuda - not much heat, and not very good on oxygen. Plus it's the most expensive of any of the torches you listed

I haven't used a Red Rocket yet, so I can't comment on that one.

However, if you look around, you can find a used CC for cheaper than either of those. I got mine for $400. Used, but as long as they are not abused they will last forever.

But, to answer your other question, it will take a lot more oxygen. If I'm running my torch wide open, I can empty a 282 tank in about 7-8 hours. But, I don't run it wide open that often unless I'm working on really big marbles.

[Atomic Silver Studio]

Pre-mix or surface mix is a personal choice thing. I prefer pre-mix, but a lot of people don't like it.

Out of the torches you listed, and for doing the kind of work you are talking about, this would be my order of preference:

Hellcat/Bullet - nice, hot flame. Both torches have very similar flame characteristics
Red Max - good flame, but a little more of a pain to use because of the separate flames
Midrange - just a smaller Red Max
Wildcat - okay, but hard to get a good detailed flame because its face is so big
Barracuda - not much heat, and not very good on oxygen. Plus it's the most expensive of any of the torches you listed

I haven't used a Red Rocket yet, so I can't comment on that one.

However, if you look around, you can find a used CC for cheaper than either of those. I got mine for $400. Used, but as long as they are not abused they will last forever.

But, to answer your other question, it will take a lot more oxygen. If I'm running my torch wide open, I can empty a 282 tank in about 7-8 hours. But, I don't run it wide open that often unless I'm working on really big marbles.

I would love to get a bullet or hellcat

is the 282cf tank the 4' tall one?

[Cosmo]

Yeah. 4' or so.

[G.L.McBead]

The Bullet is a great torch.
I use concentrators for the center and it make my tank last a long time.
G.

[shawnette]

I have a Barracuda at home and have used a Bullet in a studio and found them to be very similar as far as operating goes. Have any of you compared them, as far as oxygen usage? I'm currently running on concentrators but I can get a Bullet pretty cheap if it's better on oxygen than the Cuda.

[Cosmo]

I have a Barracuda at home and have used a Bullet in a studio and found them to be very similar as far as operating goes. Have any of you compared them, as far as oxygen usage? I'm currently running on concentrators but I can get a Bullet pretty cheap if it's better on oxygen than the Cuda.

The Bullet uses less oxygen than the Barracuda. Well, let me clarify that...

With both torches wide open, the Bullet will use more. But, the bullet requires a smaller flame to create the same amount of heat that a Barracuda will generate with a larger flame. The Barracuda flame also doesn't penetrate very well, making you spend even more time in the flame when working with large amounts of glass. So, you will use less oxygen with a Bullet to do the same thing...

I worked on a Tiger Shark for a long time. I can make a larger marble in less time on a Bullet than I could on my Tiger Shark.