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This morning I took my kid to his football game. While I was gone, my dad decided he would come over and bend a side for a guitar he decided he wants to make. So he puts it in the fox machine, with my new LMI heating blanket (used just once!). He turns the blanket up 2/3, like I have showed him in the past. Then he turns on the light bulbs, which I always used before I got the heating blanket. :( I guess he didn't remember the part where I said to use the blanket INSTEAD of the light bulbs.

So, after ten minutes, there is a nice bunch of smoke, which my dad takes for steam. After the side is bent, he cooks it on another ten minute cycle, with plenty of smoke which he mistakes for steam. :(

Bottom line, no fire, but the wood is pretty charred. That's his loss. But I check out the heating blanket to make sure it still works after being heated to unruly temperatures. It heats up just fine, but makes a slight buzzing noise. I can't remember if it did that before. Is it supposed to buzz like that?

Kelby
Mine does the same thing so it must be normal.

Kelby,

My heating blanket is rated to 500F. More than likely your's is okay. So, did you give your pop a lecture?

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

   "It`s no wonder that we can`t have nice things"-Shame on Pops!

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

the buzz is not unusual. i assume you have done a colse magnified inspedtion looking for faults in the silicon rubber coating. do you use a gcfi recepticle?

Mine buzzes, always has.

Question though: one of my blankets has a slight bit of damage in the silicone layer. Don't think it can harm anything, the 'mesh' is intact, no probs, but I was wondering if there's an easy fix for it.

Hi Mattia,

Don't you guys have 240 volt mains supply like us? I thought Europe was on 240V? If you are on 240, where did you get your heating blanket?

One of the major PITA differences between Australia and the US is that we're on 240V (10amp) while the US with all it's lovely toys are on 110V. I could maybe find a heating blanket here, but these things usually end up an exercise in frustration.

Paul,
I think some of the guys here bought from Minco they have both voltages and as I remember low cost. The link is a download of their PDF catalog about a 3.5 Meg file so you need a fast connection.

I grabbed this off an old post and saved it for future reference:

"HR6686R16.5L12A is the complete part number. This equates to a blanket that is 5" wide x 35" long, 5 watts per square inch, 12" leads and the A means there is no adhesive backing. Cost is $61.90 each and they are in stock."

This is the 110V model looks like HR6687 is the same thing but in 240V. The wattage is 875W.

Hope this helps.


http://www.minco.com/uploadedFiles/Products/Thermofoil_Heate rs/Hs202.pdf

Paul,
I forgot to mention page 29 of their catalog for 120V
and page 30 for 240V

[QUOTE=PaulB] Hi Mattia,

Don't you guys have 240 volt mains supply like us? I thought Europe was on 240V? If you are on 240, where did you get your heating blanket?

One of the major PITA differences between Australia and the US is that we're on 240V (10amp) while the US with all it's lovely toys are on 110V. I could maybe find a heating blanket here, but these things usually end up an exercise in frustration.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, we run on 240 like most of the rest of the world ;-) I got my first blanket from LMI, for the record, and then the other two, 110v models, from Minco.

I decided it was worth investing in a stepdown transformer (in part after talking to Russ Wren), and I've now got a couple of US Porter Cable routers (a 690 and a 310, combined price about the same as I paid for my blue Bosch plunge, and that's a lot of router for the cash), and I have two stepdown transformers I need to work out how to wire specifically for the heat blankets (they technically step down to 100volts, which should be fine for a resistive heater). John Mayes' two blanket setup had me convinced, and the pair of blankets cost about as much as one from LMI. You can certainly find blankets locally, but it's much more expensive than getting 'standard' 110 volt units from the states.

There's also, if I understand my electronics correctly, the theoretical possibility of wiring them up in series (two 110V blankets) and running them at 240V, but that just seems a bit..risky to me.Mattia Valente38599.4393171296

Hi Mattia! 2 monthns ago, I bought 3 heaters from Minco Europe. 2 of them were for the Bender 5*35 inch, 875 Watt and 240V. They cost each Euro 79 incl. shipping. I choose these because the 110V units from the U.S. costs with shipping and tax more, and I need a transformer which is also expensive.

I have also one 240V heater from John Hall ( great Guy and great Service!!!), this is a 6*36 inch unit, also for the bender.

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    I don't recommend using a heating blanket without some type of controller. Most people when using price only as thier guide will end up having some problems. If you are on a 240 V ac system there is an economical system you can rig up.
   A simple on off switch and a cooking thermomter. What you do is watch the temp and use the switch to turn the blanket on and off. Once you get to your desired temp you kill the power. When you see the temp starting to drop you turn the power bacck on.
   I found that 325 Degress F is about perfect for wood bending. As long as you hold the temp about 2-5 minutes once the wood is bent that is all you need.
   Good luck
john hall

[QUOTE=Harald Lane] Hi Mattia! 2 monthns ago, I bought 3 heaters from Minco Europe. 2 of them were for the Bender 5*35 inch, 875 Watt and 240V. They cost each Euro 79 incl. shipping. I choose these because the 110V units from the U.S. costs with shipping and tax more, and I need a transformer which is also expensive.

I have also one 240V heater from John Hall ( great Guy and great Service!!!), this is a 6*36 inch unit, also for the bender. [/QUOTE]

Huh. Ah well, I'll stick with what I have. When I called 'em up, they quoted silly money at me for appropriate heaters.

Hi Guys

I am in the UK and use John Halls 110V system with a power tool transformer, as many power tools here come in 110 V, this is because when builders etc, work on site they must use 110v.

Russel, that I didn't know. How much does a 1000 watt (or so) transformer run over there? Might consider looking for one/picking one up next time I'm over, which is often enough.

I have the 120 unit with the LMI rheostat (?). I have no problems controlling the heat. I talked to my dad about using it with the light bulbs and the blanket, though. ;) Thanks, guys.

Hi Mattia

I bought a 3300 KVA (Which is around 3000 Watts) for ?54, they do smaller units, but they cost around the same about ?45 for a 1000 watt.

The plugs to fit them are around ? 1.50 each

The only thing with them Mattia is they are heavy to ship, so as you say you would be better picking it up on your trip over.

I got mine from screwfix.com, but axminster also do them, or if you are over in person most tool hire places sell them.

Screwfix 3300 KVA

Plugs

You could run your two blankets off this one unit.

Hope this Helps

RussellRussellR38600.7713773148

Oh and I should have mentioned Mattia, the shipping in the UK from Screwfix is free, so if you have an address of a friend office or whatever in the UK, you could get it shiipped there for you to collect. Their price was the best I could find.

Rockin'!

Thanks for the info!

Great info Russell, I'll need some new blankets soon as I had a small accident with my one (Involves a chisel ). So it looks like an order to John Hall and trip up to my local Axminster (20 minutes away ).

Russell, your becoming a very handy chap to know.

Colin

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Colin

I got an email from axminster today and they have them on special, the 3.3KVA is still about ?3 dearer than screwfix, but they have other sizes.

Russell

I do carry a 240 Vac unit . That is 6 inches wide and 36 inches long. That unit is $89 plus shipping. About $15 to UK
   This is a unit with the leads and you need to wire your plug to it. You can controll this with something as simple as a switch and use a thermomter to monitor the temp
john hall
blues creek guitars
tippie@epix.net

I went for the 110V version as I wanted the temp controls and Timer. I use a therometer and hold the temperature I want using the controls, I also like having the timer in the circuit, as I am terribly forgetful. I also tend to do other work simultaneous to bending.