My inexpensive Travel kit for torching on the road

[eregel]

We have a camping trailer, and now that we're theoretically retired I hope to be spending more time on the road. Since I torch on a HotHead, and batch anneal, it was pretty much a no-brainer that I could assemble a kit that would let me work in a campground - the trailer itself has 2 30lb propane tanks, and we carry a third to run a propane campfire, so that was easy to come by. Here's how I put my kit together.

I started with a $14.99 Stanley 24" toolbox that came with a 12" toolbox packed inside. I placed an order with the wonderful folks at Artco for their 12' armored hothead hose, so I wouldn't have to worry about damaging the hose with hot glass, and for a package of annealling bubbles, since I won't always have power for my crock pot.

All the tools I can't do without fit in the 12" box.

The large box holds everything else I need, with the exception of 2 old cookie sheets, painted black, that I use to protect the picnic table. The lift out tray holds the Hothead, mandrels, bead reamers, a small assortment of frits and murrinni, and some stringer and canes I threw in there at the last minute.



The main body of the box has everything else. There's a nested set of tin buckets; the annealing bubbles go in the largest one, the next largest gets filled with sand to use when dipping mandrels, the smaller hold tools while I'm working. The wine gift box holds several pounds of glass, agonizingly selected. I've got a leather apron, kevlar sleeves, my didys and a spare pare of safety glasses for onlookers, bead release and etching cream, even some silver leaf and silver wire.



First trip was to the Assateague National Seashore Park, and while the beach is not ideal - blinding sun and strong winds make it really difficult - but I could never ask for a more fun place to work!




Hope this helps those of you who are contemplating assembling a travel kit! It's pretty minimalist, but for those idle moments its enough to let me work.

[5betsy]

This is very cool. And smart.

[shirts]

Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing!!

[cheng076]

Didn't you just get started in glass a few months back??

Great kit.

Last year some of us got together for a "no Bash bash" at a local park when Mike Frantz didn't have his annual August Bash. Working outside was a lot of fun and we attracted quite a few visiters. Sold a few items also.

[patienthand]

my pal shawnette torches at the beach rather often. I think she has a pop up tent and uses one wall as a wind break, or perhaps it was an umbrella, but she does rig a wind break

[eregel]

cheng076 - Yes, I got started in January, I don't have 100 hours on a torch yet. But once I get obsessed, I'm pretty much unstoppable.

The big thing about the wind was that whichever hand was downwind at the moment got barbequed - I had to work with the mandrel almost vertical to keep my hands cooler. Not being able to see the flame made life real interesting.

Not to mention I got distracted by the horses wandering through our site, and made a REAL rookie mistake - grabbed a broken piece of rod that was still REALLY hot with my hands, not my tweezers. Best burn yet. I can't say I'm glad to be home - I really miss the surf - but I'm glad to be torching in my studio!

[sangita]

Thank you very much for this post. I found it helpful as i want to do more demos

[istandalone24/7]

nice kit!
similarly, i've got a back pack "kit" with a hot head, minimal tools and some crappy cheap glass rods....so when i go camping i can still get my glass fix.
now if i can figure out how to fit a kiln in this kit i'll be set for travel.

[Jody Lee]

That's awesome! I have a similar tent, and have used wind walls with it, helps a bunch.

[essiemessy]

Lovely setup, Pat

[Beatrix92]

Wow, you are really on it!
I teach a lot of beginner classes outside in tents and I have painted my work surface matte black with high temp paint and I have old file drawer dividers the metal ones) that are also black to use as "back drop" about 2 feet back from the torch head. Works pretty good to help see the flame. I also have a pavillion that has walls and I usually only need two at most.
Bea

[LemonwoodStudio]

Pay, maybe you could add a dark tile to your kit to put behind your torch which would help to see the flame ... It could fit under your seat in the car or something? Just an idea.

[Sadie Mae]

We're thinking along the same lines Amanda--I was going to suggest a largish graphite marver pad--I have one in front of my torch--makes it so much easier to see the flame; I use it for marvering, frit, etc. Flat and easy to store.
Sooooooo envious of you--enjoy every moment of your "theoretically retired" life!!
And thanks for a great set up inspiration!
Smiles, Sheri

[Sadie Mae]

Oh my gosh--I just saw the horses behind you in the last photo!! Neat!!