Hot head book

Henleygirl2000 · #1 2014-03-04, 4:44am

Hi all, does anyone know of a book specifically aimed at HH users? I don't want to waste time and money trying to teach myself using techniques and glass that won't work with a HH.

Sue in Maine · #2 2014-03-04, 5:21am

My number 1 book is Corinna Tettinger's Passing the Flame. The techniques work for a hot head. In fact, you will find that you can do pretty much anything on a hot head except make big boro beads. Naturally, hh users tested the limits and successfully make small boro beads on a hh- lol.

You won't be wasting your money.

sue

Henleygirl2000 · #3 2014-03-04, 5:31am

Thanks for your reply, I have "Passing the Flame" and it is great, can I use sis stringers and silver foil with my HH?

Cherri · #4 2014-03-04, 5:56am

Hi. I am on a hothead and yes you can use sis. I do it all the time.

FosterFire · #5 2014-03-04, 6:46am

I don't remember the name of the post, but you can use the search function and find it. The post showed amazing things that HH users were doing.

mandyjw · #6 2014-03-04, 6:56am

It's much easier to list what you can't do on a hothead than what you can. You can do almost anything with soft glass you want although it can be frustratingly time consuming to make very large beads. Striking silver glasses such as Terra are very difficult to work on a hothead. However rubino and dichroic glass which like to be worked cool are easiest to use on a hothead. I've been very happy working on a hothead for 10 years and full time for 8. A lot of people will give you the impression that it's a cheap, beginner torch that will really limit you but that's not true at all... it's cheap and great for beginners but if you enjoy making smaller to medium sized beads it's not any more limiting than any other beadmaking torch.

Henleygirl2000 · #7 2014-03-04, 8:46am

Thank you all for your replies, I will steer clear of the silver glass mentioned otherwise I will play and have fun. I love my HH and I love this group, I have learned so much from so many members.

allicat · #8 2014-03-04, 2:13pm

Just to add, I have a HH and love what I can do with it!

Silver reduction glasses work best (reduction glasses need a fuel rich flame; since the HH only gets it's oxygen from the holes, it leans to the fuel rich side anyway). Some are a little too sensitive to the fuel rich flame and over reduce; Double Helix Psyche, Triton and Electra all behave well with the HH.

But there are silver striking glasses that seem to like the HH. In my experience they've been Double Helix's TerraNova 2.1 and Reichenbach's Dark Multicolor. Takes some practice to find the sweet spot in the flame to get them hot enough, but it can be done!

And I use silver foil all the time, both in SIS and as is.

If you check the Newbie/Intermediate thread from last week, all the beads in one of my posts were made on the HH.

Alli

jaci · #9 2014-03-06, 9:00am

Mandy funny you mention terra on the hot head. That was the only striking glass I ever got nice color out of on the HH!

I remember being so mad when the original batch went hundreds and hundreds! Now reduction glasses..... That's my fav on the HH!! Nyx was my fav on the HH. And now that's being discontinued......!

KJohn · #10 2014-03-06, 11:28am

A lot of us started on HH, and we learned all the basic skills and techniques on it. It's definitely not a waste of time. I will say that stringer work is a lot easier on an HH, but it is more difficult to keep the clear from hazing.

flaming_fools · #11 2014-03-06, 1:40pm

And you can reduce glass with the hothead. I had a foil collar on mine that I could raise to cover the air inlet holes to get a reducing flame. And it was nothing but a wad of crumpled foil. Just had to remember to raise and lower it with an oven hit or heavy duty glove on the hand. - So used to do silver leaf, foil, wire and silvered glass on the hothead.

RoxyV · #12 2014-03-07, 3:38am

Dont steer clear of the silver glasses! That is my favorite thing, and i have so much fun with them. Double Helix Triton, psyche, Clio, Aurae, kronos 2, Kalypso, Ekho to name a few. You have to find the sweet spot in the flame to keep from reducing them until you are ready though. Somewhere I found a picture of the flame when I was starting out and it showed the working areas which helped a lot. Send me a private message and I would be happy to help! I hardly make a bead ever without some kind of silver glass! Its amazing to see all of the iridescent colors, especially after you encase with clear but you can get a lot of metallic colors and also surface interactions /reactions,
especially with Effetre dark ivory and a lot of others as well..
Good Luck, and make sure you are safe.
Aloha, Roxy

Henleygirl2000 · #13 2014-03-09, 9:31am

Thank you all, what a wealth of information,

mandyjw · #14 2014-03-09, 9:56am

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaci

Mandy funny you mention terra on the hot head. That was the only striking glass I ever got nice color out of on the HH!

I remember being so mad when the original batch went hundreds and hundreds! Now reduction glasses..... That's my fav on the HH!! Nyx was my fav on the HH. And now that's being discontinued......!

That's cool! I remember there being one or two other people who liked terra on a hothead, it just goes to to show you should try everything for yourself because you never know!

steiconi · #15 2014-03-10, 3:23pm

Sometimes it does get confusing when the author assumes you have a dual-fuel torch. Doesn't Cindy Jenkins use a Hot Head? Try her books. The beads she illustrates are also comfortingly imperfect.

jewlie beads · #16 2014-03-19, 5:52am

I've been using a Hot Head for over 7 years now and it's my only torch. I'm pretty happy with it and although I would love something more, I'm perfectly happy with my hot head too.
You can also check out the tutorial section here on LE. There are many great tutorials that are hot head friendly.
As far as the silver glasses go, I do best with the reducing silver glasses and try to steer clear from the striking colors. I do like some that you can reduce and strike. If I have to super heat it then it's a "No Go" for me. LOL!