Considering a Nortel Mid Range Plus....

[CirceLavender]

Hi Everybody!
Im almost ashamed to admitt Im still working on my hot head.....

However, the time to upgrade is drawing ever closer and I am considering the Nortel Mid Range Plus (with the Minor on top)....

Would like to hear anything anyone who uses one has to say about it....
the good, the bad, and even the ugly....before I take the plunge.

I'd be running it with one oxy con, and think it would be a good choice for me as I love BIG beads, and hope to get into blowing and some sculptural work.

Thanks for reading this!

Cheers, Lavender

[Bill Brachhold]

Lavender,

I have one of those torches and the Minor runs pretty well on one concentrator, the Midrange does not. Even on two concentrators, the Midrange doesn't get a really large flame.

I did a flame study for Nortel, where I used one then two concentrators, and took pictures of the Midrange flame cone. Here are those pictures. The important thing to note is that the flame w/2 ox cons is indeed bigger, but notice how curved it is. This is because the concentrators don't pump out enough PRESSURE. A result of the low pressure is that the flame "wafts" around in the slightest breeze. It isn't "stiff" like it should be and like it is with the Minor. The "wafting around" is because the flame velocity is low.

There are now ox con's on the market that will probably work with the Midrange but they are pricey. If I were you, I'd just buy the Minor and save my money !!

Bill

[CirceLavender]

Hmmmm, it sounds so sexy in the catalog description... Iam so glad I asked here!

Thank you Bill! For your firsthand experience and the great pictures - I can see where this torch would NOT be the one for me! With the Australian dollar holding at around 70 cents to the US dollar, you can see why I want to choose very carefully!

As I have no desire to use tanked oxy, I wont even ask if that would be likely to improve its performance.

It certinally appears that a Minor is the best way to go, but I still wonder if I can do the big beads on it - (35-60mm, more if possible)

In Australia, a re-conditioned ex-medical use oxy con will run between $800-$1500 AUD, so getting TWO of them - well, LOL! Not gonna happen!

Thanks again Bill!

Cheers, Lavender

[Bill Brachhold]

Lavender,

60mm as in OVER 2"

Wow, you like 'em big

NO, you won't do a bead that big on the Minor. You MIGHT be able to make a bead that big with the Midrange on TANKED oxygen.

The problem is that you cannot get the entire bead hot enough, inside and out, to be able to round it up. But, who am I to say, the biggest bead I've done is about 30mm diameter. I was using a National 8M ( a little bigger flame than the Minor) on ONE concentrator. It took FOREVER to round it up.

Bill

[CirceLavender]

Oh yes Bill, I have a serious problem! When I wear some of my big beads - I make sure I stay far away from large bodies of water - so I wont drown myself!

I can get a 35mm bead with "Helga" (my hot head), but theres a bit of luck or favourable planetary alignment involved. (One day I will slump alot of cabs!)

Ah well, the Minor is still in the lead, maybe I just have to dream about the 'proverbial big ones' a little longer!

Cheers!
Lavender

[Bill Brachhold]

One of the things about a HH is its big bushy flame.

It's not a particularly clean flame nor is it a particularly hot flame, but it is darn well a BIG flame !!

[Chad Trent]

I'm using a MidRange Plus right now myself. On two 5 LPM concentrators, I can make a boro marble about 1 1/4" Probably can do bigger, but with concentrators I can't get the colors hot enough to do what I want them to do. On tanked oxygen, I made one last night that is about 1 7/8". That's a pretty good amount of glass. Took me about 2 hours to make it.

[CirceLavender]

Boro marble - 1 and 7/8ths??
Thats an enormous marble - Cool! Id love see it!

Thanks for the info Chad, confirms that tanked oxy would be the way Id have to go for the mid-range. Almost a pity Im stubborn about not wanting to deal with the tanked oxy...
Shame about the colours - and even with two oxy cons, I get alot of frustration with the hot head for that as well...doesnt seem fair that even with the mid-range that is still an issue....sheesh.
Im so grateful to have the info guys, Thanks a million!
Cheers,
Lavender

[Chad Trent]

Ask and you shall receive. It's actually a little larger. About 1 15/16" or so. Just a hair under 2". I'm going to take some better pictures later. I ran outside a few minutes ago to take that on a break from work.

[CirceLavender]

Oh, Chad! Magnificent! Truly magnificent! I could just LIVE in there!
Love the depth, and of course, the SIZE....bet it feels marvelous in the hand....Thanks for the pic! Gorgeous!

Cheers!
Lavender

[Bill Brachhold]

Chad,

That marble is STUNNING !! Looks like Double Amber Purple on the sides. I'd like to see more pictures too, once you get around to it.

Thanks for sharing !!

Bill

[Chad Trent]

It's actually one of my new favorite color combinations - Elvis over GA Silver Strike 3. I'll try to get some better pics this weekend.

Here's one more for the time being. About 1 5/8" - this size is about as large as I like to do on my MidRange. Much bigger and it gets to be too much heat. That large one I had to use a punty on each end when I was shaping it to keep it from flopping around...

[CirceLavender]

Thats a swish marble too Chad - wonderful work! Bubbles? I love bubbles - I think it was the bubbles in an Italian paperweight I saw as a child that got me addicted to glass in the first place....
Hda a giggle imagining the double puntied whopper trying to get away -
Oh - Im looking forward to that problem!

Cheers!
Lavender

[blueflameart]

I'd love to see ya do a mini demo on some stuff Chad ... like evans demo's he does on quicktime videos over at LE ... good stuff! I'd buy your cd ... Awesome marble

[Chad Trent]

If I had a camera, I'd do it. I had a friend that was big into the video editing and stuff, but he moved out of the area. I'll keep an eye out for someone that can do it...