Carlisle Wildcat: the 19-fuel-port surface-mix production burner

The Carlisle Wildcat is the larger Carlisle bench torch for makers who want classic Carlisle power with more heat than the CC delivers. It’s a surface-mix burner built around a stainless tube matrix of 19 fuel ports surrounded by oxygen porting in a brass body, aimed squarely at heavier borosilicate and production work. An earlier version of this page published a 31-port total by adding the 19 fuel ports to the 12 ports cut into the front casing. Carlisle describes those 12 as part of the Vortex cooling system, which draws air through the casing using oxygen flow, while some resellers call them oxygen ports. Because the sources disagree, we publish the documented 19 fuel ports and describe the rest separately rather than summing them.

The flame

The Wildcat is a pure surface-mix torch: fuel and oxygen meet at the face rather than premixing inside, which makes it calmer and less prone to backfire than a combination design like the CC. The payoff is a strong, penetrating production flame with the heat base to move thick glass. Carlisle’s 12 front oxygen ports also drive what the company calls a ‘Vortex’ cooling system, helping the burner stay cool through long, hot sessions. For the broader picture, see surface mix vs premix torches.

Who it’s for

This is an advanced and production-tier torch. Carlisle rates it for solid boro to roughly 1.5 inches and solid soft glass to about 2 inches, well beyond detail work. If you’re building heavier functional pieces and want a torch that won’t run out of heat, the Wildcat answers the call. If you’re still learning, start on the gentler Mini CC instead.

Glass, fuel & oxygen

The Wildcat handles boro and heavier soft glass, and burns propane or natural gas with oxygen. It’s thirsty: Carlisle lists consumption around 3 LPM propane and 15 LPM oxygen, with recommended pressures of about 2 psi gas and 5 psi oxygen. At roughly 15 LPM oxygen it will outrun a small concentrator setup quickly, so plan your supply around it, see how many LPM does my torch need and oxygen concentrator vs tanks.

Where it sits in the Carlisle lineup

The Wildcat is Carlisle’s step up from the CC into heavier boro and production. Below it sit the combination CC, CC+, and CC++ (premix center plus surface-mix outer) and the beginner Mini CC. Where the CC family centers on goblets, stemware, and detail, the Wildcat is the dedicated higher-output surface-mix workhorse.

Before you buy

Budget for the whole system, not just the torch, and at this output, the oxygen supply is the real constraint. Plan for the ~15 LPM oxygen the Wildcat wants, 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. New to plumbing a torch? Start with the fittings, hoses & connectors guide and the glass torch safety setup guide.

Editor’s note: spec details (port count, consumption, and recommended pressures) reflect Carlisle’s own materials. The pressure figures are line pressures, not flow rates, so match your oxygen supply to your work, and confirm the current price with Carlisle before purchasing.