[kbinkster]

Originally Posted by Fine Folly Glassworks

It might be better to not assume that people are making a choice to do bad things and live dangerously - only operating on the best info they could find to date. That's surely one reason people come to a Blog like this.

I would encourage you to present your concerns/wisdom/knowledge from this angle so all people can learn from your input. Thank you (all) for the points you make and the info you provide. It's clear that many of you have so much to offer.

My first reply to you was not unkind. My responses to questions are generally more kind than my other responses to you, however. But, I'm sure that is because of how I perceived your response to me.

Since you are only operating on the best info you can find to date, I would encourage you the next time someone points out a serious safety issue with your set-up that you look more into it instead of dismissing it with a trite "safety is not the issue" and a list of reasons why you knew you were fine and then the "thank you for your concern." That kind of reply gives the impression that you have made your choice, are convinced that you are safe, and are not terribly interested in changing anything.

When I first saw your photo, it looked as if you were someone who had done some homework. Your studio appears neat and orderly and you have a ventilation hood instead of the typical boxfan in the window many beginners who have not researched things out tend to have. I also see two pairs of protective eyewear in the photo. Sure, you have a crock pot to cool your work, but not everyone garage anneals or has a kiln and lots of people use that kind of arrangement. Your photo gives the very definite impression that you did some research into setting your studio up.

There are several threads on the (un)safety of having propane indoors. It has been discussed at length. If you had researched enough to know what type of ventilation was appropriate and to know that protective eyewear is a must, then it would be reasonable to expect that you also researched other aspects of your set-up, including how to fuel your torch and how to safely use and store it. Afterall, the Hot Head does not come with instructions on how to hook one up to a bulk tank, does it? Mine didn't. Maybe something has changed, but I was unaware. It would stand to reason that you found that information somewhere and since you are on here in the torch section, it's pretty reasonable to expect that you found that information either here or on one of the other glass forums.

Many disussions on these boards involving the use of bulk propane with a Hot Head also have posts denouncing the practice and warning against using it indoors. Maybe not all threads, but many - enough that you should have seen something about it somewhere.

I mean, surely at some point you asked yourself, "Is it safe to have this big container of explosive fuel sitting next to me while I'm running an open flame?"

I'm sorry if I assumed too much about you, thinking that you had done a lot of research into your set-up and had made an informed choice in running your Hot Head with a bulk tank and keeping that tank right next to you.

I may come across as stern, but it is because keeping a propane tank next to you while you are torching is dangerous and you could wind up dead, or worse - guilty of killing other people by an explosion they had nothing to do with. It's a serious matter and I would hate for that to happen to you.