lynx - oxycon..?

[prodigy60]

so i just picked up a lynx the other day as my upgrade from a hothead... now, realizing i bit off more than i chew, i'm trying to gather necessary materials to run said torch.

that being said, i'm attempting to avoid paying for o2 like the plague, so i'm considering an oxycon...

from what i've read, the lynx requires 10-15 psi to run properly, however i'm having a hard time tracking down a decent oxycon that'll put out comparable psi ratings.

I've been looking for something around 20 psi max just to make sure i'm not running the oxycon at its limit with something that's rated lower, but there really isnt much around apparently.

does anyone have a suggestion for some form of oxycon that'll put out a reliable 15-20 psi with decent o2 purity at that pressure?

i'd really appreciate any input anyone would be able to provide. thanks in advance!

[kbinkster]

I started out on a HotHead and then moved to a Lynx on tanked oxygen. I am now running my Lynx on a concentrator.

The Lynx can run properly on less than 10-15 psi. You just want to make sure that you have adequate flow for what you want to do.

I am running my Lynx on a concentrator that puts out 10 LPM at 8 psi. It does very well. I am missing the tip-top 10% of what the torch can do on tanked oxygen, but that is a very aggressive hard driving flame that I'm talking about using a lot of the blue valve along with the green valve. In order to push more out of the blue valve, I would need about 12-13 psi. I can still use my blue valve, don't get me wrong. It's just that I can only use it up to a point. For most applications, using my 10 LPM concentrator is very much like tanked oxygen.

I also hear that two 5 LPM, 8.5 psi DeVilbisses run a Lynx quite well.

My husband likes the Regalia a lot and feels that it runs the Lynx to about 90% of its full capacity. His brother has two DeVilbisses (5 LPM, 8.5 psi each) and says that they get about 85-90% out of the Lynx. The opinion of my husband and his brother are important to me, particularly since they build the Lynx and have tried lots of other concentrators on their torches.

I think that going from a HotHead to running a Lynx, you will do very well with two DeVilbisses or a single Regalia and have plenty of room to grow into the set-up. In fact, since you are new to working on an oxygen/fuel torch, you could even run the Lynx on a single DeVilbiss for small soft glass beads until you get used to the heat and then add a secong unit. Or, if your budget permits it, you could get a single 10 LPM Regalia and grow into that.

I also have a Phantom. When I am working boro, I like to run it with two 10 LPM machines (I have a Regalia and its predecessor). When I am working soft glass, I run the whole torch on a single Regalia. It's really a great machine.

Oh, and about purity, the Regalia has excellent purity.

ETA: My brother-in-law, Wally of GTT, tested out some concentrators for Paulette of Suncoast Beads. She sent him an Integra10 (the old version of the Regalia). He liked it so much that he bought one and sent it to me and Willy. I used it with my Lynx and Cheetah and loved, loved, loved it. I told a lot of people about it and that got back to Paulette. I went to the Gathering in Kansas City and met with the manufacturer's rep and ran the new version - the Regalia. I was very impressed! Not long after that, Paulette decided to retire from lampworking. She called me up out of the blue asked me if I would like to take over her business selling the new version of that machine, the Regalia. I accepted.

[Kris Schaible]

Totally agree with Kim!!
I have a Bobcat and Lynx, I actually ran the Lynx on a 5 lpm DeVilbiss concent until I had enough for a Regalia, it ran fine, just would not work for boro.(which I don't really do anyhow) now with the Lyxn/Regalia combo it seems that there is no end to what the torch will produce!!! LOVE MY LYNX!!!

[prodigy60]

awesome! thank you both VERY much for the input!

i dont know many people in my area that are into this sort of thing so finding help and suggestions is a difficult task, but from what i'm gathering, i guess my best option would be to run an oxycon for soft glass and use tanked o2 for boro and just see where things go.

on that note however, one thing i did come across was that M-15... its a bit cheaper (by a lot!), and price is of course a huge issue...

does anyone have any experience with that machine? anything to say at all from personal experience..? please let me know!

thanks again everyone!

[Hayley]

I had a DeVilbiss 5 lpm machine with a Bobcat and it wasn't enough to power my Bobcat. I upgraded to a M-15 and it was awesome. Since then I have also upgraded to a Barracuda with a second M-15 and can't be happier.

Just a word of caution that threads that discuss oxycons on this forum tend to get a LOT of input from vendors, thus get confusing and aggravating very quickly. I want to tell you that I am NOT a supplier, thus I am telling you this based strictly from my personal experience.

I wouldn't go with a DeVilbiss with a Lynx. Go with a M-15 or a Regalia . . . as I understand it, a Regalia is a NEW machine while the M-15 is a reconditioned machine, thus contributing to the huge price difference.

[prodigy60]

awesome, that explains a LOT! i've heard good things about the m-15, and i've heard bad things, usually due to random vendor input... i may consider getting an m-15 from a woman here in town who owns an awesome glass shop and then (read: once i've broke even maybe?) upgrade to a regalia as that seems like it'd suit my needs significantly better.

thanks again for all the input everyone!