Setting up my first workspace, need advice
 

Hi everyone!
I took some lampworking classes in collage and after longing to melt some glass for 3 years, I'm finally taking the plunge :koolaid:. I'm fairly handy and am planning to set up as much as possible myself.

I found a Bethlehem Bravo for cheap on Craigslist with hoses, regs, and flashback arresters. I'm building my studio in my garage, its got good air inflow but no exhaust as yet. I'm debating on which I should go for, the funnel or hood approach. I prefer to keep my arms from being restricted by the sides of a hood, but also don't want to risk my health (I'm around toxic chemicals enough at work :pout:). What are people's thoughts? Has anyone tried both systems?

I'm also without powered transportation so tanked O2 is out (can transport propane by trike XD), so I'm planning on Oxygen concentrators with a holding tank for my O2 supply (electricity is cheap in my area). From my reading the Bravo needs 15 LPM or so to run close to full. I'm on a bit of a tight budget, I know oxy cons are pricy up front, does anyone have any suggestions? Reliability is more important to me then cost (to a point ;)).

Also does anyone have opinions on corner VS strait workspace ( I currently have a corner I'm planning to fit everything in)?

TL;DR:
I'm setting up my first studio, I have a Bethlehem Bravo torch.
Funnel or hood for ventilation?
Suggestions on oxygen concentrators?
Corner VS strait workspace?

Thanks,
~Haka

I know nothing about your questions, but welcome! I think from what I've seen all that will work. Many of us haven't experienced anything too different from what we actually have, and all of that will work as far as I know. Maybe someone will come along though, that has had some of the different options in their lampworking past.

The funnel will need to have more air flow than a fume hood set up (I think).

But you could always split the difference between them and make a larger funnel like form with the foil covered foam that some have used to make a barley box with.


I have been up all night and my brain is not functing so you will have to tell me what "corner VS strait workspace" means.
I am sure I will have a V8 moment once you tell me but for now I am without a clue.


As to the oxycons, "shop till you drop" is my only advice.
If you work with chemicals then you may be handy as well and overhauling an oxycon is not outrageously difficult to do.

Because they start out as medical units the new ones can be spendy but also because they are medical units, no one is allowed to resell them for medicinal use unless they are licensed. So getting one from the family of someone that used it in the last years of their life is pretty inexpensive, especially if you can point out to them that they will never be able to resell it for what they cost new.
I have seen them for $100 each (5lpm units) and three of them together should get your addiction to molten glass started.

Oxygen tanks can be had in the smaller sizes too so if lugging a propane tank works you could probably lug what they call a "forty" as easily.

And there is always the possibility of finding a 'HomeFil II Oxygen compressor' from the same sources as the oxycons. Then you would only need a tank and a connection kit called a 'whip'. I picked up an oxycon and a home fill pair for $600 last year.

(Phil, putting the torch in a corner versus at a straight table ;) )

See, Classic V8 Moment.


:lol:

I know exactly, having had my fair share ;)

As to torch in the corner or not I guess it depends on your work style.

Fume capture in a corner is probably better for any ventilation system and the funnel setups need an extra foot to get the throat lined up with out pushing you out in the middle of the room.

How some ever, as they say: Kilns also eat up a sizable chunk of bench real estate and sticking the kiln in a corner is another choice.

My bet is that you will have tried it all four ways from Sunday by the time the second year of torching catches up with you.

A hood is better than a funnel - just my opinion.

With a funnel system the fumes have to be pulled in. With inline fans the amount of suction drops off dramatically as you move away from the mouth of the funnel - and what about the heat and fumes from the torch flame - they go up, not forward? Creating enough suction to keep all of that out of your face with a bravo running with both stages probably requires enough CFM that the flame would be disturbed by the air movement.

After much trial and error my conclusion is that a hood that extends out over your torch and head is better. I also have an attic/greehouse type fan in the wall in front of the torch that is variable speed for fuming.

If you'll be working with long tubing for vessels or goblets (especially if you need to use grabbers) a straight bench is going to be better and you may want to put the torch on a sliding base so that you can tip the tubing below the bench on either side (you can see that type of setup in Tim Drier's Corning demos). With a corner setup long blow tubes or punties will hit the table.

I ran one OGSI 15 on an Alpha and it wasn't enough, so probably looking at 2 or 3 cons for the Bravo, at least

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I think I will just go with a hood, and just keep the side baffles short.

I had been considering building an oxy con, but I just couldn't find a cheap source for the zeolite in <1 ton quantities :flush:. If anyone knows of a source for reasonable quantities, I might just go this route. Until then I'll keep browsing Craigslist~

Talonist, I hadn't considered the space for long tubes/rods. I think I'll try the table rather then the corner. I do want to make goblets/vessels at some point, I'm still a long way from skilled enough to do anything bigger than a shot glass!

I watched one of Tim's demos :jawdrop: that is amazing. I don't think I'm coordinated enough to use a system like that without torching myself :oops:.

Thanks,
~Haka
(sorry if I don't reply quickly, I work nights and sleep most of the day~)

A 55 gallon steel drum cut in half longs ways, makes a quick and easy fume hood.

Btw speed slug, that foil covered foam gives off arsenic gas or something equally as terrible starting around 3-400°f. Avoid letting people use it at all costs!

Thanks Jeremy.

Sometimes my thinker don't think it all the way through.

No worries, I only learned that recently myself when someone posted the msds sheet on Facebook in a discussion about cheap hoods lol

As far as oxycons, I recommend talking to Robert/mike at saltcityglass. Sorry can't remember his name. But he knows exactly what you will need to run any torch.

In my limited knowledge and experience, you may want to consider a home fill. But that also depends on how many hours your working.

Sorry for the delayed reply, work's been keeping me busy.

I won't be torching much on it, as it will be at my parent's house. Maybe an hour or two a week until I get a house of my own. But after that as much as I can~

I was planning to built my hood either of sheet steel or aluminum, depending on what I can find cheaply.

I've been talking to my mechanical engineer friend about building an oxygen concentrator and he thinks we can do it. I also found reasonably priced zeolite in 1 lb quantities. If i end up going that route I'll try to document the process.

Thanks,
~Haka

I picked up a sheet of 3 foot by 10 foot duct work metal from my local heating and a/c place for $18 a few years back.

Handy to know there is a local source.

They can also do the longer bend since they make duct work out of the stuff but I have no idea what the cost would be for that though.

If your going to go the oxy con route look on the "Melting Pot"/ Talk Glass site there is someone there that sells barely used one at a reasonable price. I believe his name is Mark West.
As for ventilation this is my set up using two 720CFM inline fans. According to the smoke test this setup works very well. We've been using this for a little over two years with two Mirages working side by side.

I was planning on a setup like the alternate graphic on this page: http://www.artglassanswers.com/forum...bb4a03a939937e
I'd vent out the sidewall though.

That's a nice setup Shaper, and thanks for the advice on talking to Mark at talk glass. I'll look him up shortly.