Lampwork Etc.
 
Mountain Glass Arts

LE Live Chat

Enter Live Chat

No users in chat


Jelveh Designs - Glass Beads Torched One-by-One

Beads of Courage


 

Go Back   Lampwork Etc. > Library > Tips, Techniques, and Questions > Torch Questions

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #31  
Old 2010-06-15, 5:57am
beadsoncypress's Avatar
beadsoncypress beadsoncypress is offline
BeadsonCypress
 
Join Date: Jan 05, 2007
Location: Jersey Shore - by AC
Posts: 2,662
Default

I hate strikers...never had one that sparked the first time. I will go by my old stand by, the wooden match. Lighters put my fingers too close for comfort for me...and there's that added fuel.....
__________________
Beads on Cypress (Susan Boyce)

7+ years and growing - Mini-CC and O2 generator
Reply With Quote
  #32  
Old 2010-06-15, 6:13am
papimom papimom is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 30, 2005
Location: in the trees with the squirrels and the nuts
Posts: 1,417
Default

I'm with Susan. One kitchen match will not explode. I do put the box in a safe spot away from any chance of sparks.
Joan
Reply With Quote
  #33  
Old 2010-06-15, 6:20am
KJJames's Avatar
KJJames KJJames is offline
Karen James
 
Join Date: Mar 22, 2006
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 599
Default

Can I just say I am so happy "your friend" is okay and very impressed that she was able to think after this incident. Personally, I would have been the crazy lady running around frantically screaming, "Oh My God", or something incoherent until my husband could tackle me to the ground, dose me with a shot of tequila and get the total story. That's not accounting for the fact that I could even have a linger tick for a period of time....just me.
__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Karen
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Cricket, Mini CC, Devilbiss MC84 Oxy and NG
Reply With Quote
  #34  
Old 2010-06-15, 6:45am
mini's Avatar
mini mini is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 20, 2007
Location: buenos aires.
Posts: 505
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DanG View Post
I 'm just saying that there had to be pressure behind the tip to blow it off. If the gas and Oxy are mixed on the outside of the torch why did the Tip blow off from the inside. I'm not trying to start a problem but I think they should be checked before there are used again just to be safe. I know I wouldn't use it and take that chance. Dan
Sorry. I did mean to imply you were starting a problem. I just agreed that you were probably right & I was guessing that the tip could have been loose as the reason this happened. I don't in fact know why this happened. I'm guessing I can't use the torch at minimum without the tip & at most I will need to send it back to GTT.

It's only been two days, since I emailed GTT & don't know if I should write again or wait patiently...
Reply With Quote
  #35  
Old 2010-06-15, 10:30pm
kbinkster's Avatar
kbinkster kbinkster is offline
PyronamixK
 
Join Date: Jun 24, 2005
Location: Spatula City
Posts: 4,196
Default

I know that I have said that I am no longer doing GTT's customer service for them, but this issue is a safety issue and I feel I need to do something. Mini, I told Willy about your problem when you posted and thought that they would have answered your email by now. Since they haven't, Willy is going to call Wally in the morning and see what's going on.

When a spark lighter is used to light a torch, like in Jen's case, it is easy to get a good bit of fuel cupped in the lighter and backed up into the oxygen chamber of the torch, causing a pre-mix to occur. Since the face plates are press fitted and not soldered on, the explosion from the premix can blow the face plate off.

If there was no spark lighter used, like in this case, then having an explosion that could blow the face off had to have been caused by premixing caused by something else. Until you can figure out what caused that premix, you should not use your torch.

Has it ever *POPPED* or shut itself off when you used it before?

ETA: It is also possible that if you have the fuel turned on just a little bit, that some of it can sink back down through the oxygen ports on the face and perhaps on into the oxygen chamber of the torch and pool there. It would only take a little bit to make a premix explosion.
__________________
Kimberly
working glass since 1990 - melting it on a torch since 2002

Last edited by kbinkster; 2010-06-15 at 10:39pm.
Reply With Quote
  #36  
Old 2010-06-16, 1:35am
HerbalBurn's Avatar
HerbalBurn HerbalBurn is offline
Glass Attack
 
Join Date: Jun 14, 2010
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 109
Default

if the regulator was allowing more than the required amount of propane, wouldnt that increase the odds of gas build up(in and outside the torch), even if it was only a few seconds? i havent lit my torch yet, as im waiting on oxy and my kiln, but a big fireball would=lots of gas...
__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #37  
Old 2010-06-16, 9:15am
kbinkster's Avatar
kbinkster kbinkster is offline
PyronamixK
 
Join Date: Jun 24, 2005
Location: Spatula City
Posts: 4,196
Default

Mini, Willy talked to Wally and he did not receive your email. You have the right address. Please send it again and put something like "face plate problem Cricket" in the subject line.
__________________
Kimberly
working glass since 1990 - melting it on a torch since 2002
Reply With Quote
  #38  
Old 2010-06-16, 9:19am
kbinkster's Avatar
kbinkster kbinkster is offline
PyronamixK
 
Join Date: Jun 24, 2005
Location: Spatula City
Posts: 4,196
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by HerbalBurn View Post
if the regulator was allowing more than the required amount of propane, wouldnt that increase the odds of gas build up(in and outside the torch), even if it was only a few seconds? i havent lit my torch yet, as im waiting on oxy and my kiln, but a big fireball would=lots of gas...
When you set your propane tank to a high psi, your valve lets through more gas with a smaller turn than if your psi setting were low.
__________________
Kimberly
working glass since 1990 - melting it on a torch since 2002
Reply With Quote
  #39  
Old 2010-06-16, 10:02am
mini's Avatar
mini mini is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 20, 2007
Location: buenos aires.
Posts: 505
Default

Kimberly, Thanks for your reply. Since my email address is my own domain I think my emails have a higher chance of hitting the spam folders.... Probably what happened here too. I just didn't want to keep sending the message over & over if they had received it. I will send again when I get back home.

I have not used the torch very much at all since I bought it. I used it for about a week then I had someone come who was renting my other space & she put in her own torch. Now that she found her own studio space I put the Cricket back and was working on getting everything adjusted. I was happy with the settings at that point & It was probably the 3 or 4th time I lit it when it popped. I haven't used it since then, of course.

I think the face plate probably went into the base boards which are not flush to the wall in many places. It hit the wall & probably just dropped.

Also, I use a lighter not a sparker.

Thanks again.

Last edited by mini; 2010-06-16 at 10:08am.
Reply With Quote
  #40  
Old 2010-06-16, 10:54am
kbinkster's Avatar
kbinkster kbinkster is offline
PyronamixK
 
Join Date: Jun 24, 2005
Location: Spatula City
Posts: 4,196
Default

I'll tell Willy to tell Wally to be on the look-out for your email.

I know you didn't use a spark lighter. I was explaining that the cause of Jen's premix and resulting explosion was different than the cause of your premix and resulting explosion.
__________________
Kimberly
working glass since 1990 - melting it on a torch since 2002
Reply With Quote
  #41  
Old 2010-06-16, 4:38pm
mini's Avatar
mini mini is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 20, 2007
Location: buenos aires.
Posts: 505
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kbinkster View Post
I'll tell Willy to tell Wally to be on the look-out for your email.

I know you didn't use a spark lighter. I was explaining that the cause of Jen's premix and resulting explosion was different than the cause of your premix and resulting explosion.
Oh. Ok. I didn't remember if I mentioned it earlier & didn't re-read my own posts... (bad me! ;D )
Sending the mail now.

ETA: email sent.

Last edited by mini; 2010-06-16 at 4:50pm.
Reply With Quote
  #42  
Old 2010-06-17, 2:48pm
mini's Avatar
mini mini is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 20, 2007
Location: buenos aires.
Posts: 505
Default

got an email from GTT today. They say that if I can find the face plate it should be all good. If I can't they will have to make a new one. I got the impression that they would need to make one specifially for my torch & couldn't just send me one. So..... I think I'm going to have to first try to pry apart the base boards! LOL.
Thanks everyone.
Reply With Quote
  #43  
Old 2010-06-17, 3:20pm
kbinkster's Avatar
kbinkster kbinkster is offline
PyronamixK
 
Join Date: Jun 24, 2005
Location: Spatula City
Posts: 4,196
Default

Maybe take a wire and drag it between the boards and the wall and see if you run into it.

PS It could have rolled off somewhere or even ricocheted off the wall and is in another part of the studio.
__________________
Kimberly
working glass since 1990 - melting it on a torch since 2002

Last edited by kbinkster; 2010-06-17 at 4:09pm.
Reply With Quote
  #44  
Old 2010-06-17, 10:46pm
mini's Avatar
mini mini is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 20, 2007
Location: buenos aires.
Posts: 505
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kbinkster View Post
Maybe take a wire and drag it between the boards and the wall and see if you run into it.
oh... excellent idea. I'm going to break out the new vacuum cleaner bags and the wire hangers....
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 4:18pm.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Your IP: 18.212.87.137