Conkinect or Nortel Minor

[beadykitty]

Hi to all I need your advice. One of my friends is about to build an atelier for 6 people to give tutorials. She wants to buy Nortel Minor torches with oxy concentrators ( because they are fast & they are not noisy ). But this will cost a big money. If she prefers Conkinect ( like Hot Head ) she will be able to build this atelier for HALF the price. But she is hesitating because of the noise of Conkinects ( and imagine when 6 of them working together ). What do u suggest? Do u think that noise will be too irritating for the students?
Thx in advance

[HelleAlice]

What about getting the new Cricket torch, they aren't as expensive, I think. I have a conkinect now, and it's pretty noisy....

[beadykitty]

Hi and thank u very much for your advice
I have never heard of Cricket torches & so searched at the net but couldnt reach to manufacturer of it. Do u know the web site of its manufacturer? Sorry for bothering u
Best Regards from Istanbul Turkey
ps: kiss lil Eva Helena for me

[Tanner Studios]

The Cricket is from GTT here a link to a thread in the torch threads http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=100430
Scott

[Dale M.]

The Conkinect is a HOTHEAD on special base and hose and uses a 4 bar regulator...

Cost wise Conkinect is about same as minor FOR torch. About 240 EURO for Conkinect.

http://www.hobbyglas.nl/glaskralen-c...t-brander.html

Where additional costs come is regulators and hoses and oxygen supplies for Minors...

But for teaching situation Minors are going to be easier to deal with, 6 HOT HEADS (Conkinect) make quite a roar, and there is also fuel deliver (hose) issues with it...

Introductory deal in GTT Cricket makes it pretty desirable right now....


This is the "Conkinect" for those who have never seen one.



Dale

[Dennis Brady]

Originally Posted by beadykitty

Hi to all I need your advice. One of my friends is about to build an atelier for 6 people to give tutorials. She wants to buy Nortel Minor torches with oxy concentrators ( because they are fast & they are not noisy ). But this will cost a big money. If she prefers Conkinect ( like Hot Head ) she will be able to build this atelier for HALF the price. But she is hesitating because of the noise of Conkinects ( and imagine when 6 of them working together ). What do u suggest? Do u think that noise will be too irritating for the students?
Thx in advance

I'm a major proponent of teaching beginners with Hot Head torches (not familiar with Conkinect). Not because it costs less to set up, but because it brings a lot more beginners into glassing. A student, after one of the classes, is more likely to buy a Hot Head and some glass to see if torching is something they really want to do then to start off with the quite significant investment of torch and oxygen etc. The Hot Head is a small investment. The beginner can always get a torch and oxy later once they've decided this is something they definitely want to continue with.

I'd recommend teaching with the Conkinects and having a couple of torches available to demonstrate the difference.

[kbinkster]

I have taught classes on HotHeads. It is very slow, which is good for beginners, but it is also very limiting. You won't be able to get as wide a flame range on the Conkinect as you can on an oxy/fuel set-up.

If your friend ever wants to offer more advanced classes, then she would do better to have an entry level oxy/fuel torch set-up (like a bunch of Crickets). Beginners can safely run the Cricket very low to work at a slower pace. They can also run it a lot hotter for the more advanced classes.

She can always have a Conkinect on hand for students to try out if they would like to try lampworking at home. But, as for setting up a practical teaching studio, especially one run on concentrators, I think that the Cricket is her best bet.

[Paul Ewing]

I would look seriously at the GTT Cricket if you would like to run on oxy cons. The website is at http://www.glasstorchtech.com but they don't have the Cricket on the site yet, but you can call or email them for ordering and information.

I really like GTT's torches. I have 2 Lynxes and a Cheetah that I use all the time and put my name on the list for a Cricket for my daughter. I prefer the way the GTTs work even with without using the the triple mix feature to the Nortel torches we have (2 major/minors and a midrange).

GTT is currently running an introductory price on the Crickets of USD 139 which works out to about EUR 95 or so each. Even with shipping and customs duty it should still be less than the Conkinect. One thing you need to factor into the cost of a Conkinect/Hothead studio is the increased fuel burned by these torches. I am not sure what your propane costs are, but it could add up fairly fast if they are used a lot.

As far as the teaching on a Hothead style verses a oxy/fuel torch, I would prefer the oxy/fuel any time. Anything more than a beginners course would work much better on oxy/fuel. Like someone said it might be a good idea to have both styles available so that students can see what is available for home use. If she is willing to rent torch time in her studio to the students afterwards, they would be more interested in the oxy/fuel torches and it would help get some of the investment back from the oxy concentrators which I assume is going to be the big expense for the oxy/fuel setup.

PS: I have never used a Hothead and did not do glass until I set up minors for use since I saw how long it was taking my wife to get the glass to melt on her Hothead. I also don't like all the noise that it made.

Cheers,

[beadykitty]

First of all thanks to u all
Setting up an oxyfuel atelier but keeping few HotHeads / Conkinects at hand would be the best choice. Yes, the oxycons will be the costly part but as dear Paul said if she would like to rent her atelier, then she should set up it with oxyfuel torches.
She, at first, planned to set up the atelier with 6 torches, but since she doesnt have enough money she will start with 3 torches at first. ( instead of having 6 hotheads, having 3 oxyfuel torch would be a better investment )

And I also contact with GTT for Crickets. The introducing price is 139 USD, a very attractive price And they told me that the torches will be ready at September, for your info

I dont want to bother u but I have a one last question
Do u think that Nortel Minors would work well with 5 LPM 5PSI M-5 type oxycons?

with love from Istanbul

[krisdaka]

That's what I used, and it worked perfectly.

[Beckah]

When I was looking at my first lampworking class, I had an option between taking a Hot Head class or taking a class on a Minor torch. I opted for the Minor torch because I wanted to know what it was like to work with the oxy and propane. And I also thought -- right or wrong --that the Minor set-up was more professional I thought that the instructor with the Minors would be more knowledgeable.

My apologies to any Hot Head user that I may have insulted I am astounded at some of the beauties that are made on the HH and I can think of several HH artists that I would now spend lots of money to take a class with!

[beadykitty]

Thx Krisdaka then i am going to purchase that M5 oxycon
And dear Beckah, i totally agree with u although i am one of the users of Conkinect ( very similiar to hot head )