is my oxycon enough for my Cricket?

[Aubs]

I just purchased an Invacare Platinum 5lpm-5 psi oxycon......it's a year and a half old and has 500 hours on it, so it's practically bran-new....I'm using this with tanked propane and a Cricket, butI feel like it's not as powerful as using tanked oxygen. Just wondering if this is a common thing or not. I have my oxy set at about 4psi, and my propane to about 3.......should I change these settings?

[shawnette]

A concentrator will never be as powerful as a tank. Especially a 5lpm one.

[Wonker]

Aubs,

It is my understanding (at least from the literature on this torch, and I have one ordered)... that it was designed to work on very low pressures efficiently. On the website they say it can be run as low as 1/4 PSI propane and 3 PSI Oxygen. Given this fact you might to drop your propane pressure down just a bit to be more in line with your O2 pressures, but it's supposed to run on a 5LPM oxycon just fine. Can't wait to get mine....and good luck with yours.

[Marjo]

My cricket works fine with a 5lpm. And I've been making 1/2 big hole beads. Haven't played with my boro yet but tested it and it melts boro!

[simvet02]

I so want one of these little darlings. I have an M10 and it just doesn't make it with my Lynx. Until I can add to the oxy I think it would do the trick. Either that or I make the holding tank. Or both maybe....LOL

Can the Cricket be given too much oxygen?

[kbinkster]

Like Shawnette said, nothing will be as powerful as tanked oxygen. While the Cricket was designed to optimize limited oxygen and fuel, it will always do better when provided more.

You won't use more oxygen or fuel than you let in with the valves of the torch. So, I always suggest setting propane regulators to 5-10 psi for the sake of the regulator and to reduce the pressure fluctuation that causes flame fluctuation.

[sosoft]

Although the Gtt folks told me to use 3 psi/5lpm and 1/4 psi propane, the torch exceeds all published data. I ran 6 crickets on a 125 SCF oxy tank and 2 psi propane. They burned for 2 + hours.
At home I run one cricket on a 5spi/5lpm concentrator I bought 8 years ago. The propane setting is as low as my great quality regulator will go (about 1psi). The torch rocks. I do soft glass and boro up to 3/4 inch in diameter with no problems. In fact I have OXY pressure and volume to spare
GTT torches are the best,
HITK,
Kurt

[J&M]

I've been running a pair of Invacares opened all the way and my propane at 5. I'm having some problems getting "Striking Glass" to produce those deep beautiful colors. Mine colors seem to come out a little pale. I know it would work much better with tanked oxy, but is there anything I can do with the setup I have now to get more saturated colors on my striking glasses? Would lowering the propane setting do any good? Shawnette... any thoughts on that?
(Of course, it could just be operator error!) LOL

Jack

[kbinkster]

Are your concentrators at or below 5 LPM? If they are truly "opened up all the way," and one or both are putting out more than 5 LPM, then your purity won't be as high and your flame could actually be cooler than if they were set at 5 LPM or a little lower.

Lowering your propane setting only limits the amount of propane you have available to you. You can use the knob on your torch to reduce the propane in the mix if you want to get an oxidized flame. By turning the regulator down below 5 LPM, you risk causing the regulator to fluctuate.

[J&M]

Originally Posted by kbinkster

Are your concentrators at or below 5 LPM? If they are truly "opened up all the way," and one or both are putting out more than 5 LPM, then your purity won't be as high and your flame could actually be cooler than if they were set at 5 LPM or a little lower.

Lowering your propane setting only limits the amount of propane you have available to you. You can use the knob on your torch to reduce the propane in the mix if you want to get an oxidized flame. By turning the regulator down below 5 LPM, you risk causing the regulator to fluctuate.

I have both of them above 5 LPM. Maybe THAT'S my problem!

I'll keep the propane at 5 and then lower my oxycons to 5 also.

Thanks for the info,
Jack

[J&M]

Maybe I ought to try a small oxygen tank and see what kind of difference that makes in working with Striking Glass? I'd rather not go through the hassle of a large tank and all if possible.

Jack

[Elizabeth Beads]

You oxy-propane ration should be 2-1 for a neutral flame. So 5 psi is probably too high for your 2 M5s. I run my propane at 3 psi and my M15 at 6 lpm. I work my Striking Color Glass in a slightly higher oxy flame, I like to hear it hiss.

[J&M]

Originally Posted by erose

You oxy-propane ration should be 2-1 for a neutral flame. So 5 psi is probably too high for your 2 M5s. I run my propane at 3 psi and my M15 at 6 lpm. I work my Striking Color Glass in a slightly higher oxy flame, I like to hear it hiss.

Thanks for the info... That's what I was thinking when I originally asked about this. I'm gonna lower my propane to 3 psi and see how it goes.
I wanna use a very high oxy flame when working with Striking Color.

Thanks, Jack

[Firebrand Beads]

Originally Posted by erose

You oxy-propane ration should be 2-1 for a neutral flame. So 5 psi is probably too high for your 2 M5s. I run my propane at 3 psi and my M15 at 6 lpm. I work my Striking Color Glass in a slightly higher oxy flame, I like to hear it hiss.

Ditto....

[beadcrazed]

I have been working on my new Cricket and 5 LPM @ 7 PSI concentrator for about a month now. I set the oxy con at or just below 5 and set the propane regulator at 7 as Kimberly suggested. It took a few tries to get it right and to get used to the Cricket after using a Hot Head for 2 years, but now I love it and have nothing but good things to say! I love that I don't have to use tanked oxygen, it doesn't use much propane and it's so quiet. Thank you GTT!

[simvet02]

As I'm planning on getting one of these little darlings I do have one question, with an oxy con I don't have a regulator so how would I know what psi it was set on? I just turn it on , wait awhile and then go turn the knob about 10 half turns.

[kbinkster]

You should have a flow meter on your machine. That is what measures the volume of oxygen (LPM) your machine is putting out. Generally, concentrators put out a set pressure (psi) and it varies by brand. With the smaller bead torches, I am finding that it really does not make a difference.

And actually, the output psi that is attirbuted to each machine is its static pressure, not the working or running pressure. Typically, the torch manufacturers list a working pressure requirement. However, that is the pressure needed when running on a tank, not a concentrator. Ten psi on an oxygen tank is not the same as 10 psi on a concentrator.

[J&M]

Originally Posted by erose

You oxy-propane ration should be 2-1 for a neutral flame. So 5 psi is probably too high for your 2 M5s. I run my propane at 3 psi and my M15 at 6 lpm. I work my Striking Color Glass in a slightly higher oxy flame, I like to hear it hiss.

Originally Posted by Firebrand Beads

Ditto....

I just wanted to thank you for giving me that advice on my oxycons and propane! That's why I was not getting the bold bright colors in not only Striking Glass, but a few of my other striking glasses!!! I made about 3 or 4 "test" beads after turning the propane down from 5 to around 2-3... WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I'm now thrilled about using all of my striking glasses, and am not afraid of wasting expensive rods of glass that give me "pale" results!

Thanks again,
Jack

[kbinkster]

Some regulators are better at handling low pressure than others. If your's is one of the ones that can handle the low pressure setting, then that's great. If not, and the diaphragm starts to falter (causing fluctuations at that low of a pressure setting), the alternative to turning the pressure down at the regulator is to lower the fuel intake using the fuel valve on the torch. Of course, if you have a torch that does not have precision valves, it is trickier to fine tune the higher in psi you go.

I'm glad you're having success with silver glass!

[debim]

Kimberly, do you know the names of some regulators that work well at lower pressures?

[nomadman1956]

I just bought a Gtt Lynx and want to run a concentrator. How do I know what size of a one to buy? There is one for sale locally that puts out 5 liters per mintue , is that enough?

[simvet02]

Originally Posted by nomadman1956

I just bought a Gtt Lynx and want to run a concentrator. How do I know what size of a one to buy? There is one for sale locally that puts out 5 liters per mintue , is that enough?

I would say no. I have an M10 and it will melt boro but not very much. I need to build one of the holding tanks, (much cheaper than getting another concentrator right now). I am way under using my Lynx right now.

[kbinkster]

Originally Posted by debim

Kimberly, do you know the names of some regulators that work well at lower pressures?

Harris, Victor, Goss, or Airco are some higher quality regulator brands. They are more expensive than the ones typically sold through the glass shops (the ones more likely to fluctuate when being run really low). You might want to ask a good welding shop about running watever pressure you are wanting to run and see what they carry. The two-stage regulators are the ones that give the most evenly regulated flow.

[asimeral]

FYI: I bought my Harris regulator (It wasn't cheap either!) several years ago, and it will not hold 3 psi steadily. I had to turn my regulator up to 8 before it would.

I'm glad this thread took a turn towards this subject, because I've been having a little time "adjusting" to the Cricket too. But it's getting BETTER every day! (Hey, it's only been a week!)

[asimeral]

EUREKA!!! After reading this, and several other threads, I was able to loose the carbon that I was having issues with! Turn up Oxy, and even upped the propane a bit. WONDERFUL, thanks so much!