Small Scale Glassblowing with Nortel Minor Burner?

I would recommend going with something larger than a minor.

The National brand torches are supposed to be REALLY good for boro.

I have a midrange that does boro great.

Working on Boro with a minor is like working with a hothead.... (NOTE NOT DISSING HOTHEADS) It can be done... It can be done well, just takes a hellofa long time :)

For small-scale boro I don't think a Minor is going to give you enough heat. It's a fairly small soft flame. I used my Minor for boro beadmaking but found it difficult to make anything larger than about 20 x 20 mm without being immensely patient. I'm currently using a Nortel Midrange Plus with a topmounted premix and find it to me very satisfactory for working solid rod up to 1" in diameter (even 1-1/4" but the patience factor kicks in again) and standard-wall tubing is very simple.

I got a 19-hole hush tip for my premix this Christmas and it adds significantly to the heat. It's the equivalent of a National 3A and is so hot I burn through standard 3/32" stainless mandrels if I'm not VERY careful. For the price I think this is a very good torch.

I think Tink should chime in about her Bethlehem Barracuda, though. I gather it's as good, if not better. The one frustration I have with the Midrange is that the main torch is a fairly soft flame. I don't do any glassblowing other than pulling points for beads (only about a dozen so far) but I believe she has some experience in this. I'm not at all sure whether a soft but full flame is better than a hotter, more focused flame for blowing.

Good luck in your search!

I am not sure that the Minor will fit the task. Any opinions? I mostly want to work with borosilicate.>>>>>

No - a Minor won't do if you are planning on borosilicate - you need a hotter torch.

Cheryl last semester of lawschool! yipee! DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

A minor burner won't put out the heat you will need. The national torch is an inexpensive option, but I don't think you will be happy with it in the long run. I use a major burner and am very satisfied with it. It's what the school had for students in the one and only class I ever took. It has a minor burner on top for small stuff, and the bigger burner on the bottom for boro. Barbara Dream Master

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans. Woody Allen

I am thoroughly thrilled with my Barracuda! I have, in fact, packed up my GTT Lynx in favor of the Barracuda. It will provide a pinpoint flame (2mm) up to a nice 30mm flame. I am not a fan of the over/under style of torch (such as the Red Max, which I had briefly and sold). The Barracuda's center fire design is much more to my liking. Another somewhat important point is that it's very efficient and doesn't hog fuel or oxygen. Oh, and it's a nice quiet torch, in case that matters.

I highly recommend it for both soft and hard glass. And I'm a picky sonofagun.

Tink the Brutal

Stoopid question perhaps, but what's the attraction of using boro for decorative stuff (beads, marbles) that doesn't need boro's heat tolerance? What I'm trying to ask is that if you're making a pipe, testtube, trivet, of course you'd use boro. But why do you use boro for a bead?

Thanks.

-FurnaceGal

Because the color palette is very different from most soft glass.

I guess the easier question is....why not???

Because it's gorgeous. It's different from soft glass. ~~ Sooz

------- "Those in the cheaper seats clap. The rest of you rattle your jewelry." John Lennon (1940 - 1980) Royal Varieties Performance ~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links

Stoopid question perhaps, but what's the attraction of using boro for decorative stuff (beads, marbles) that doesn't need boro's heat tolerance? >

different color pallette --and different reflective qualities... Some people like the colors of boro more than the bright colors of the soft glass.

Cheryl last semester of lawschool! yipee! DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

Plus, for "blown" beads, Effetre tubing is difficult to find and rather frustrating to work with.

T>different color pallette --and different reflective qualities...

And not just color, or heat tolerance. Think shapes and thick, thin things and long things that shock-y glasses like moretti can't very well handle (balls, ornaments, vases, goblets) boro is the only way to go for them if you don't have a furnace, glory hole, etc. Barbara Dream Master

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans. Woody Allen

Effetre tubing is difficult to find and rather frustrating to work with.>

I have some -- I think Frantz carries it all the time

"rather difficult" is an understatement... LOL - the stuff is full of bubbles.

Actually - someone told me that the tubing WAS NOT DESIGNED to be used for lampworking OR REHEATED, melted or blown. The tubing is used extruded - and it is meant for running wires in, and hiding metal parts of, glass chandeliers ..... they only cut it in pieces and shape it (curve it, etc) over a very low temperature torch.

Cheryl last semester of lawschool! yipee! DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

Hey is this the pink and aqua and etc stuff? I love that! It's pretty small tubing, but I used all mine up. It's fabulous!

T>Actually - someone told me that the tubing WAS NOT DESIGNED to be used for

Hey is this the pink and aqua and etc stuff? I love that! It's pretty small tubing, but I used all mine up. It's fabulous!>

how did you use it? mine turned a mess... due to all the little bubbles in it... Cheryl last semester of lawschool! yipee! DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

I just made pretty, bubbly beads with it...

Tink>

SNORT! well duh......

Cheryl last semester of lawschool! yipee! DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

LOL! Well when I was talking about Effetre tubing being difficult to find, I meant tubing in the 1", medium wall boro type tubing way. Something "blowable". That beaded curtain, bubbly stuff is no good for that.

I've had some luck blowing soft, soda lime glass tubing, but I didn't know what the COE was, so I couldn't really add much of anything in the way of decoration.

T>

I've had some luck blowing soft, soda lime glass tubing, but I didn't know what the COE was, so I couldn't really add much of anything in the way of decoration. >

Candice King used that soft soda Lime tubing to make xmas ornaments. She rolled them in standard glass blowing color frits... kugler/reichenbach/ etc. and made cool stuff.

I have a sample pack "neon" tubing..that you are supposed to be able to "blow" - gently! everytime I do it - I either turn it black (wrong O2 mix) - -or slump the bubble - or blow out the side...etc. I've just never been able to learn to pull a decent point and turn it into a round bubble shape. I just can't "get it"... LOL

Cheryl last semester of lawschool! yipee! DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

Many many people use boro for beads. They are quite popular, because of the colors and sparkly organic look you can get with boro. Different from other glasses.