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Beginner Lampworking Questions

Hi all,

I've been puttering away at my hothead that my husband hooked to a propane tank and I'm having some problems/questions that I'm hoping you guys will be kind enough to help me with. I am starting to get a better feel for making things that look like beads, at least in a general shaping sense..hehe but these are my big hurdles at the moment.

Situation: Using all Moretti glass, HotHead torch with Propane tank (fully ventilated and shield).

1) Using either Clear or Light blue over a thin cobalt base with tiny cobalt stringers, the clear or light blue gets black in it.

I thought that if you kept it out of the blue pointed flame part you wouldn't get that. Also while working the glass I'll see a lighter colored part appear on the surface (not bubbles) more like an oil slick. Is that the black getting onto the bead?

Once the black gets on the bead, can you make it go away?

2) If my problem is that I'm getting the glass too hot, should I switch to a different color type? I thought I'd heard that the clear color (?) was more touchy.

3) I had in mind a pretty bead tonight and after messing up two (I think, they are in the blanket right now) I'm feeling a bit disappointed. Not that I expect perfection, they weren't perfectly round or any thing spectacular, just a cobalt base, clear or light blue casing with a very thin cobalt stringer (man does thin stringer go nuts in the flame!) It was cool. Anyway, the black got me down. I'm wondering if I should just use colors that aren't transparent if I keep screwing up the clears or transparents...

4) We have a fiber blanket for now, but I got a crock pot and need to pick up the vermiculite. Will the crock pot and vermiculite keep beads from cracking so much? No I'm not selling them. They still suck too much. 8-) I just want to keep them for nostalgic purposes.

Well, that's mostly it for today. I'm probably just wigged out from Frances and my mess ups got to me more than they should have.

Thanks everyone, Wendy Remove the ferret to email me.

Reply to
Maeven
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It sounds like you have gunky propane. I would try a 1gal Coleman propane you can get at Walmart for $3 for 3. If that doesn't give you the black then it's your propane that's dirty. I had dirty propane too and it's very frustrating.

Reply to
starlia

I'm curious... shouldn't you be using MAPP gas as a single fuel? If you use propane alone, I would think that's going to do all kinds of weird things....

Kar>

Reply to
Karin Cernik

I think you are correct. Propane without an oxidizer will have a lot of unburned carbon, which explains the black deposits. MAPP gas burns more cleanly because the accelerant is built into the formula. Long term solution - get an oxy/propane setup. The difference in fuel costs will pay for the torch and even a kiln over a year's time.

Reply to
Louis Cage

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Louis Cage" :

]get an oxy/propane setup.

what about oxygen/natural gas?

Reply to
vj

Thanks Starlia, we're trying a new tank tonight. I'll let you know!

Wendy

starlia wrote:

Reply to
Maeven

I think it worked!!!!!! With the hurricanes we had a bunch of the little propane tanks around for the lanterns and hubby hooked one up for me tonight. I just did a bead with white center (so I could see any brown/black) and a clear encasing and before I put it in the blanket I didn't see any black! I am so excited...

He's going to check on getting a new big propane tank tomorrow. He works right next to a propane station.

We're planning on moving to a Nortel minor but until we can afford it and the oxy stuff with regulators and whatnot, we have to make due with the Hot Head.

Buying all the plywood for the windows and the impact drill put us down a bit. I can't wait for winter....sigh.

I just want to thank everyone again. I am having a blast and you all have been so kind.

Wendy

Maeven wrote:

Reply to
Maeven

WELL -- ONE you are supposed to use MAPP with a HOT HEAD... it wasn't designed for plain propane -- which is probably the largest part of your problem.....

all of your black is carbonization problems -- because the propane does not burn hot enough in a Hot Head torch. Lampworkers who use Propane/Oxygen torches just have the Oxygen in the mix to avoid this problem --

you can't do it... buy a MAPP tank....

ONLY if they are very very small beads...

read up on annealing -

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Cheryl DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass
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Reply to
Cheryl

That's fine too, with the right torch.

-Kalera

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vj wrote:

Reply to
Kalera Stratton

If you continue to have the same problem, try working an inch further out in the flame. It will take you longer to get your glass melted, but it should be cleaner.

-Kalera

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Maeven wrote:

Reply to
Kalera Stratton

When you do upgrade to a Minor, if your house has natural gas you might consider having a hookup put in for your torch... use the money you would have spent on a propane regulator. Likewise, instead of buying an oxygen regulator, putting a deposit down to rent a tank, and then paying for weekly tank fill ups, consider buying a used oxygen concentrator right from the start... you'll save lots of money over tanked oxygen, oxygen concentrators are completely safe, and you won't have th hassle of running out.

-Kalera

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Maeven wrote:

Reply to
Kalera Stratton

I never had any luck trying propane, but a number of lampworkers have reported using propane bulk tanks and a Hot Head with excellent success.

I imagine it's all in the wrist.

-Kalera

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Kar> I'm curious... shouldn't you be using MAPP gas as a single fuel? If you

Reply to
Kalera Stratton

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kalera Stratton :

]That's fine too, with the right torch.

talk to me. and yes, i know it's been discussed before. and i've probably got it all marked and saved somewhere. but i can't remember where.

Oran has no objection to me using natural gas. the plumber says it would be easy to rig. and i know i'll need oxygen.

but if i need the 'right torch' can you give me information i can print and take to Oran? is it just a difference in the tips? [he has dozens, depending on use.] is it a difference in heat?

Reply to
vj

All the Nortels work brilliantly on natural gas... but they're also probably much, much bigger than you use for jewelry.

Check out this site:

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If you can find out from Oran what brand of torch he uses, I can find out whether it will work well on NG. Given that jewelers use a smaller torch than glassworkers, my bet is that it will run just fine on a concentrator, too.

-Kalera

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vj wrote:

Reply to
Kalera Stratton

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kalera Stratton :

]All the Nortels work brilliantly on natural gas... but they're also ]probably much, much bigger than you use for jewelry. ] ]Check out this site: ] ]

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] ]If you can find out from Oran what brand of torch he uses, I can find ]out whether it will work well on NG. Given that jewelers use a smaller ]torch than glassworkers, my bet is that it will run just fine on a ]concentrator, too. marked for research - thanks.

95% of the time, yes, we use much smaller torches. but when you're casting [which i'm going to have to do outside, since i don't have a garage] the torch is huge . . . . it takes some real heat to melt 500g of silver! and i'd much rather have a concentrator indoors than a tank - thanks!
Reply to
vj

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