Carlisle GR Glass Torch

The Carlisle GR is a combination burner with a flame much like the CC+, an independently controlled premix center fire plus a surface-mix outer, but built with a distinctive twist: it’s designed to move between the bench and a lathe. It takes any CC-series base, and the base removes so the GR can be adapted to a lathe-burner assembly.

The combination flame

Like the CC+, the GR pairs a hot, detailed premix center with a bushy, soaking surface-mix outer, and the two fires are independently controlled. That gives it the same versatility the combination CC family is known for, fine work from the center, broad heat from the outer. To understand the two halves, see surface mix vs premix torches and soaking vs penetrating flame.

Bench or lathe

The GR’s standout trait is flexibility. Because it accepts any CC-series base and the base removes to adapt to a lathe-burner assembly, the same head can serve at the bench or mounted on a lathe, useful for makers whose work spans both. Carlisle supplies it with three 72-inch stainless-braided hoses, and offers the head as water-cooled for demanding, sustained use. If lathe work is on your horizon, see the glass lathes guide.

Who it’s for

The GR suits advanced makers and lathe workers who want a CC+-style combination flame with independent fire control and the option to move to a lathe. As with any combination Carlisle, the premix center rewards a careful, consistent startup/shutdown routine, so it isn’t a first torch, beginners should start on the gentler Mini CC; if you’re mapping the range, see how to choose a glass torch.

Glass, fuel & oxygen

The GR handles soft (soda-lime) glass and boro, and burns propane or natural gas with oxygen; Carlisle’s GR page adds that these burners may be used with hydrogen, without naming a separate hydrogen version, so confirm that build with Carlisle. Carlisle doesn’t publish the GR’s jet count or exact oxygen flow in our source data; given its CC+-like flame, expect a comparable appetite, but confirm the figures with Carlisle and match them to your supply before buying. For sizing your system, see how many LPM does my torch need.

Where it sits in the Carlisle lineup

The GR is the CC family’s lathe-adaptable combination burner, closest in flame to the CC+, but built for flexibility across the bench and lathe. It sits among the combination CC, CC+, and CC++ and shares the CC-series base system that runs through the family.

Before you buy

Budget for the whole system, not just the torch: oxygen (a concentrator or tanks), the correct propane or natural-gas regulator, flashback protection matched to your torch and gas supply, didymium or boro-rated eyewear matched to your glass, and ventilation, plus, if you’ll run the head water-cooled, a cooling supply. New to plumbing a torch? Start with the fittings, hoses & connectors guide and the glass torch safety setup guide.

Editor’s note: spec details reflect Carlisle’s own materials. Carlisle doesn’t publish the GR’s exact jet count, oxygen flow, or current pricing in our source data, so confirm those specifics with Carlisle before purchasing.