lightsaber oxycon blues

[Shangri-La]

HELP! 

My oxycon won't play with me. I've been on the bench lampworking for a total of 6 hours and i'm sure it's not meant to be doing this, but i thought i'd check.

It's fine initially but keeps saying low oxygen after about 30 minutes use and then flicks on to needing a service. I'm so not impressed!!! It is a refurbished one and it came with a piece of paper saying it was tested and came out "amber" and is fit for european service, not uk.  ~Have i been sent a dud? I'm very sure it's not meant to be doing this after only 6 hours play. It could be my own inexperience though. Am i meant to feed and water it and take it for walks or something? Or should i get on the blower and see about getting it replaced?

[sarah t]

mine decided not to play nice and behaved the same way but that was after a heck of a lot longer than 6 hours!(needed a new fan when it was checked over )

check the connections,been told droppping it from a few cm can jolt into action but i would get in touch with the supplier cus if its playing silly beggers already i would want to know why and want it sorted by the supplier rather than faffing about

they dont like cold or damp and need to be given a head start before you start torching but apart from that should wheeze away happily for ages before needing a service

do a search here as well, i know sal has posted how to maintain tips and i am sure others have too

good luck getting it sorted

[Kaz]

What level are you running it at? Try setting it on about 4 using the dial. Make sure you don't run it with the knob on the torch closed - that will make it throw a wobbler. Failing that, if you bought it from Martin, just give them a call.
Kazx

[lampworklover]

I would also check your ventilation; remember as well as an efficient extraction system, you need an inflow of 'clean' air both to keep you safe and ensure that there is enough fresh air for the oxycon to extract the oxygen from.

[Pat from Canvey]

As Kaz said, how much oxygen are you demanding of it. One of mine throws a wobbly if I set it to give out high levels of oxygen for too long. Initially the orange light comes on and if I persist, ( am doing a largish mass of glass) it cuts out.

[Ilona]

I think my Oxycon has come out in sympathy with yours as it is doing the same. I switched my second Oxycon on first last night and after 5 mins switched my first one on, and the noise difference was amazing. My Original oxycon in much more noisy, and after approx 6 mins the orange light came on to say it is giving out 1/2 Oxygen. It also still smells like it has smoked 80 a day. I bought mine a week before the Flame Off.

[Blue Box Studio]

Mine's normally a saint but it did this the other day and nothing I did seemed to stop it.  In the end, I turned overything off and came in for a read up on oxycons, went back, opened the window (in addition to natural draught holes) and it seemed to be OK after a rest. [Hopefully not famous last words and it's as dead as a dodo today]. 

I run my Devilbis at 4 and having once made the mistake, never leave it running with the tap closed.  Mine's silent, are they meant to beep or squeek when all the lights flash red and orange?  I only spotted mine wasn't right when a bead was taking an age to melt and I glanced down ....

If you got it from Tuffnells, I'd give Martin a call.  You could call him anyway, I think he will service any so am sure can help.

[ScarletLeonard]

If yours tested as amber then you will rarely get a green light, but for lampworking that isn't so much of a worry.

My first thought is have you checked and cleaned the filter on the back of the machine, they can get gunked up pretty quick, I clean mine every month even though it isn't that gunky just to be on the safe side.
Also where do you torch? With all the strange weather recently it could be having a bit of a hissyfit over being too cold.
If you do torch in a shed and have a jubliee rather than a lemon clip attaching him to the torch bring him inside to warm up then test him inside and see what happens.

If neither of those help, then get on the phone and see if you can get it serviced or if it is still in it's first year replaced.

[Shangri-La]

Thank you everyone!! 

I'm going to phone up and get this sorted as it's just been no fun playing with glass the past session. We're in a cellar at an average ambient temperature of 15 degrees, I know cause my kiln tells me when i switch it on  .  I have an extraction unit (obviously), a de-humidifier on 24/7 and also a big window wide open when I torch, mainly because the extractor flue gets chucked out of it. I think this should disrupt the airflow enough to bring fresh oxygen through the main window. spongy filter in the back is nice and clean too.


Is it actually fit for purpose if it's testing amber? There is hardly any difference between having the oxycon switched on and not at all at this rate.    Mine doesn't squeak when it's in pain either! i just know because the flame cools down (a lot!!) 

[Shangri-La]

It lives! 

After reading your responses, I decided to try a few things with my dearest oxymoron, and it turns out that it wasn't too happy with the location it was in...nor was it impressed at being next to the de-humidifier. Now I've moved it, it's a happy bunny, and so am I!

Thanks y'all. There will be a happy marriage after all!