choosing a torch

[teachme35]

I have a question and in need of some advice.

I am wanting to move up in my level of knowledge from beadmaking to pipe makeing etc.

I am currently working with a hothead torch. As mentioned I am wanting to move up unfortunantly I cannot decide which torch I need. I know that the bigger torch means the larger projects that I can work on.

I am looking at the following two torches
1. GTT Lynx
2. GTT Phantom 4 stud
If I get the lynx I can afford more needed tools and equipment, If I get the Phantom I will of coarse have to wait on a lot of the needed tools.

Question ??? Will I be able to work with pipes, marbles, figures and etc with the Lynx or will I need a larger torch such as the Phantom ?

Thank you for all of your help.

:bangHead::bangHead:

[Boozeclues]

you can make pipes on a lynx. the phantom is much hotter. after a few months on a lynx you will want a new torch.

[smolder holder]

^^totally, the lynx is great but the phantom is way hotter and the option of a footpedal would be nice too.

You will be wanting more heat pretty quickly.

[Icarus]

Agreed. But also, a lynx (any GTT for that matter) will hold it's value pretty well if treated properly. So if you start on a lynx and decide you want to move up to a phantom, you already have it's centerfire figured out, you'll have a better knowledge of what the Lynx can do (a lot), so you won't find yourself switching on the outer ring as much, thereby saving you fuel and oxy, and you'll be able to sell your Lynx for only a small loss.

With that being said, here's the part where I sound like a broken record.

Have you considered a Notional 3 hand torch with 2 or 3 tips? Here's why.

1) It's a small investment. You're looking at $75 to $150 total, depending on the deals you find and what type of tips you buy. That will leave you plenty of money for tools.

2) It will always be a welcome second torch. Most other torches that you upgrade from, you would either sell or set on a shelf to collect dust until you needed a backup, or you got a student. Not a handtorch. Once you upgrade, buy a set of y splitters and an extra hose, and you have a super useful second torch that you can reach for at any time.

3) It will give you an opportunity to train and get better at glass, but also make stuff, so you can sell that and then save that glass money to buy the Phantom you eventually want. Paying for stuff with glass cash feels GREAT!

So yeah, that's my thoughts on it. Best of luck whatever way you choose.

[KT-Old School Glass]

Here's what I would suggest...

GTT's are GREAT torches but... Why not try to find a used Bethlehem Barracuda. They will give you a larger flame, are plenty hot, and a used one will cost just a little more than the Lynx.

After you work a while and build some cash you can upgrade. That's what you would do if you got the Lynx to begin with (probably if you get the Phantom you are going to want to go larger eventually).

[Udai Hussien]

the eternal struggle, AGAIN *sigh*
http://cdn2.iofferphoto.com/img/item/204/685/628/CAvN.jpg

[KT-Old School Glass]

the eternal struggle, AGAIN *sigh*
http://cdn2.iofferphoto.com/img/item/204/685/628/CAvN.jpg

THE ULTIMATE HOT HEAD!!!

[Shatner]

I'd get the Phantom. The only tool I use in pipe making is a carbon rod. To flare, close and push the bowl. And maybe a reamer to center a hole.

You can use a rod of glass to get your terminations good and anything else you may need to do that you'd use tweezers for.

Do you have a kiln?

PHANTOM!!!

[gn0me]

Have you considered a National 3 hand torch with 2 or 3 tips?

This is exactly the post I was going to make :)

A lynx will end up being sold due to lack of size pretty quickly. When you're just getting into it, your money would be better spent acquiring some various tools (claw grabbers, reamer, bowl push, tweezers, more grabbers and reamers... hell, since you'll have so much extra cash, get a medium Mickelsen Egg instead of the bowl push... them things are quality!).

A 3a or 3b hand torch is definitely a welcome addition to any shop. The versatility of a hand torch is always nice. Plus, if you ever need to do any metal brazing or the like, you're good to go. A Meco Midget (http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38344) is another great hand torch - I like mine much more than the 3a/b, because it is a great deal smaller and lighter, but it doesn't have quite as many tip options (although there is an adapter to let it use 3a/b tips).

Search Etsy.com for Shelbo Tips and grab at least the 33 or 55 hole tip, if you go for the 3a/b - it transforms the torch into something amazing. It's enough heat for a lot of things, pipes included, and you won't regret the decision later. And you'll STILL have some money left over to buy some gas and glass.

Don't get me wrong, GTT's are nice, but when you're still feeling your way, there are far better things you can use the extra cash for. If you feel you may need a two stage burner quickly, however, the recommendation for a Beth Bravo or Barracuda, or the Knight Bullet is sound, and they are inexpensive, quality burners - just barely over the price of a lynx alone. A Midget and either of the above is a stellar combination, and you'll never let the Midget go when you upgrade.

[teachme35]

I'd get the Phantom. The only tool I use in pipe making is a carbon rod. To flare, close and push the bowl. And maybe a reamer to center a hole.

You can use a rod of glass to get your terminations good and anything else you may need to do that you'd use tweezers for.

Do you have a kiln?

PHANTOM!!!

No,
no Kiln yet. starting to get my hobby studio setup and ready. i built my desk last week, working on getting torch and tools first then the Kiln.

[teachme35]

I can go ahead and get the phantom 4 stud and build the needed pedal, the only issue here is that it would put me back money wise for some of the other needed items.. This is not that big of a deal to me as it will give me time to use the glass I have and learn the torch.

What exactly can I do no the Phantom that I cannot do on the Lynx ? Can someone give me some ideas on this ?

Thank you

[ArtcoInc]

(the same answer I gave you on LE)

The center fire of the Phantom is the Lynx. If you learn on the Lynx, you will already have that experience if you move up the the Phantom. All torches have a 'learning curve', and GTTs are no different.

If you get the Lynx now, you can always sell it when you move up and recover most of your money.

There's a waiting list for the Phantoms at GTT. But, I have Lynxes in stock right now. :)

Malcolm

PS: I'll also add that there are other good torch options out there ... the National 3A with a Shelbo tip being one (I carry these too).

Plus, either the 3A or the Lynx will save you enough money to get a kiln. You will want a kiln!

[Julian]

I'd get the Lynx, a kiln and some tools, then sell the Lynx later and get a Phantom.

A Lynx is a great torch for small to midsize pieces. Some people can make pretty large things on them, but it's slow for larger stuff compared to a Phantom.

I'd say a Lynx is okay for tubes up to about 31 mm, and solid rods up to about 1 inch. It's best suited for 22-25 mm tubes as far as what's comfortable and fast to work. You can easily make spoons, perfume bottles, mainly limited by how thick you want to make the hollow stuff and what diameter.

The Phantom can of course do anything a Lynx does, since it has a Lynx in the middle, then has an outer fire that makes anything you do on a Lynx that takes a lot of heat much faster, and then is good for working tubes up to about 38mm. Most pieces you see out there in the pipe world could be made on a Phantom, other than the really large stuff.

So, in a nutshell the Phantom can work larger things, and faster. There's no definite line of 'what can or cannot be done' since it's a matter of degree.

My first torch was a Nortel Major/Minor, which can heat around as much glass as a Lynx. My next torch was a Phantom and it was a huge step up - I loved it then and still do.

[gn0me]

You will definitely want a kiln, though one thing the last year or so has taught me is that being able to judge the heat base in a piece and bench cool it without cracking is an absolutely invaluable skill. I probably wouldn't have learned to flame anneal pieces so well if I had had a proper kiln - I would have just thrown stuff in and not sacrificed a bunch of stuff to the glass gods in the name of education. Sometimes necessity is the best motivator there is :)

[Eric S]

dont get a lynx. you will be able to make pipes but they will be small and go slow. as everyone loves to repeat, you could sell the lynx for $$ to upgrade to a phantom, but then you'd have to sell your only torch and be without flames for the amount of time it takes to sell your torch, buy a new one and get it hooked up. Look around for deals, theres not 1 torch that is exactly what you need, just find a good torch at a good price. sometimes you can score a great deal on a used CC for like 5 or 600 which would rage for decades without needing to change.

I would certainly suggest getting a kiln before you spend all your $ on a torch. the national w/ multiple tips and a kiln sounds like the best balance.

[brettodie]

kiln,3a. save for big torch of choice. 3a was the best tool i ever added to my bench. it makes many different finishing processes much much easier.

[hashmasta-kut]

consider this: i was waiting for a phantom, but after about 6-7 months i gave up and bought a lynx cuz i had ten days coming up to practice for the first time and wanted a torch. the phantom i got oon after, but my point is that lynxes are often available, so if you want a torch now and cant get a phantom get a lynx and upgrade later cuz the lynx holds its value.

[Destrukt]

Some bendy straws, paper clips and some bubblegum...MacGyver that shit. The barracuda will probably take you further than a lynx, but if you want to focus on small things and detail the lynx is amazing. The national is probably the best bet as it will still be useful as a hand torch. I started on a friends barracuda, then bought a Delta. The cuda was nice, for a good while. I own a Delta and a national now. So like I said, the natty might not last you as a bench burner for too long, but will remain useful forever.

[Julian]

My brother wanted to get started, so I we bought a Lynx hand torch instead of a normal Lynx. It's convenient because not only is a great bench torch, it's a very capable hand torch too. Not dealing with tips or 800 decibels of white noise is a plus compared to a National or a CC. When he's ready to upgrade, I'll just take it as a hand torch.