Small Scale Glassblowing with Nortel Minor Burner?

I am contemplating the purchase of the Nortel Minor Burner - however, I have
done a glassblowing course (the _real_ glassblowing with furnace and all)
and I know I can do small scale at home with a torch. However, I am not sure
that the Minor will fit the task. Any opinions? I mostly want to work with
borosilicate.

jf

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


--
Hugs,
Lynda
http://www.thebeadgoddess.com
It's never easy reaching for your dreams, but those who reach, walk in
stardust.


"Jean-Francois Theoret" wrote in message
. ..
I am contemplating the purchase of the Nortel Minor Burner - however, I
have
done a glassblowing course (the _real_ glassblowing with furnace and all)
and I know I can do small scale at home with a torch. However, I am not
sure
that the Minor will fit the task. Any opinions? I mostly want to work with
borosilicate.

jf

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!

--
KarenK
www.desertdreameraz.com
Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/id=62631780&ssPageName=L2
Justbeads: http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=DesertDreamer

"Jean-Francois Theoret" wrote in message
. ..
I am contemplating the purchase of the Nortel Minor Burner - however, I
have
done a glassblowing course (the _real_ glassblowing with furnace and all)
and I know I can do small scale at home with a torch. However, I am not
sure
that the Minor will fit the task. Any opinions? I mostly want to work with
borosilicate.

jf

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!
A HREF="http://www.dragonbeads.com" DRAGON BEADS /A
Flameworked beads and glass
http://www.dragonbeads.com/

On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 18:55:19 -0500, "Jean-Francois Theoret"
wrote:

I am contemplating the purchase of the Nortel Minor Burner - however, I have
done a glassblowing course (the _real_ glassblowing with furnace and all)
and I know I can do small scale at home with a torch. However, I am not sure
that the Minor will fit the task. Any opinions? I mostly want to work with
borosilicate.

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
www.dreamweaverstudio.com

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

On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 17:27:12 -0700, "Karen_AZ"
wrote:

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.

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

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

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

--
KarenK
www.desertdreameraz.com
Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/id=62631780&ssPageName=L2
Justbeads: http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=DesertDreamer


"TheHotterTheBetter" wrote in message
k.net...
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

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

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
http://airandearth.netfirms.com/soozlinkslist.html

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!
A HREF="http://www.dragonbeads.com" DRAGON BEADS /A
Flameworked beads and glass
http://www.dragonbeads.com/

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

Tink

On 29 Feb 2004 01:28:24 GMT, eads (Cheryl) wrote:

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