Samantha

Only place you need oxygen for glass blowing is if you want to work in
quartz. Then you need a hydrogen / oxygen flame to get it hot enough to
flow (just barely - it's like working taffy). For borosilcate (Pyrex)
all you need is natural gas and compressed air. There's a good book
called "Scientific Glassblowing" which walked you through almost
everything and did a good job of explaining what was going on. Probably
out of print, but your local library may have it. Biggest expense will
be the burner, which will be several hundred dollars new.

One trick I learned from an old glassblower is keep a cup of water
within reach. Then when you pick up a hot piece of glass you can cool
the burn immediately which greatly reduces the damage. If you're quick,
you don't get a blister at all, just a scorch mark on the surface (and a
vile smell).

Jim