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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2011-04-02, 9:01pm
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LFCookie
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Join Date: Sep 20, 2008
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 79
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Rod warmer
I can't afford $190 for a real rod warmer. I have seen somewhere that someone used a Hot comb stove to pre warm their rods which are priced at $50 which I thought was a good price. I've tried a small George Forman grill but it burned up quickly. Good thing it was used from goodwill! anyone else have ideas?
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2011-04-02, 9:36pm
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KitseyBelle
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Join Date: Sep 03, 2005
Location: Central Point, OR
Posts: 137
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I have a hot plate that I put a steel plate on to preheat my rods on.
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2011-04-02, 10:53pm
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Entropy increasing....
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Join Date: Nov 12, 2005
Location: In a box of paints
Posts: 25,098
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You can also sit them on top of your kiln. Costs nothing extra.
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"I am an artist
I am here to live out loud." Emile Zola
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2011-04-02, 11:15pm
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Forever P~P~P :0)
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Join Date: Jul 12, 2009
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 511
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LFCookie... If you check out Devardi glass and see their rod warmers, I think you would be happy with it. I believe it is what you are looking for!!
http://www.devardiglass.com/supplies.htm#PROFESSIONAL GLASS ROD WARMER
$32 seems like a pretty good deal to me, with only minor cosmetic defects. You should check it out........ it's next on my list.
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No hurry ~ no worries ~ unless its hot & drippy..! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Hot Head & big BBQ tank of propane!
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awesome banner by Knatty Dreadz!! WE MISS YOU!
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2011-04-02, 11:29pm
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Curmudgeon Engineering
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Join Date: Feb 15, 2006
Location: Near Seattle, WA
Posts: 1,723
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Gold-N-Hot or similar name. Works great, is enclosed, gets to about 950 degF, ceramic element (no shock risk), costs about $50, search for curling iron warmers.
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2011-04-03, 4:14am
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Detail G-Mama!
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Join Date: Jun 10, 2005
Location: Longview, WA
Posts: 7,130
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This is what I have and it works great! Rod warmer
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2011-04-03, 7:05am
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Peerless Thread Killer
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Join Date: Jul 20, 2007
Location: Mt. Chokula
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jennefer
I have a hot plate that I put a steel plate on to preheat my rods on.
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Ditto. I've had it for years, and it works great. It also has a heat control knob.
I found a tiny cast iron skillet, about 4" in diameter, which I put on the steel plate and in which I keep murrini and chunks of aventurine.
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2011-04-03, 7:21am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 01, 2009
Location: K'zoo, MI (wishing it were St. Thomas-USVI)
Posts: 856
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anne Ricketts
This is what I have and it works great! Rod warmer
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I have the same one and has worked great for several years now.
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BarbR in Kalamazoo.
Scorpion, bulk propane, 2 5lpm oxycons, tanked O2, a Minor and a HH (just in case)
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2011-04-03, 7:57am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 01, 2005
Posts: 2,159
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This is what I've uses for the last 6 years. Costs about $50 and the rack is made from a BBQ grill part and some bent welding rod.
Robert
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Robert Simmons
(Former) Director for Bead Donations
Beads of Courage, Inc.
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2011-04-03, 8:04am
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LFCookie
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Join Date: Sep 20, 2008
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 79
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Woo-Hoo! Thanks all!
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2011-04-03, 8:50am
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Triumphantly Knit!
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Join Date: Dec 30, 2010
Location: Ninth Level Lightbody
Posts: 1,332
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I have the devardi warmer, actually I have 2. The first one melted my rods, the second one Daniel sent me doesn't melt them as much. The softer rods do bend and they will fuse if touching.
I found having fewer rods in it at once works better, less heat being held by fewer rods, I suppose.
Someone suggested putting it on a dimmer.
I like what Robert did, using the bbq rack, I'm gonna do that with an old toaster oven rack as soon as I'm done typing this.
I'd go for the scarch n'dent and just know what you're dealing with.
I also shut it off intemittently, if I'm working for a long time, that way I control the heat.
They are a big help, esp. with those punky 1# cannisters. thing for me is, I always change my pallette and inevitably the rods I put in the warmer, other than clear, I hardly use. I need like a rod warming table!
I think they're worth it.
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2011-04-03, 5:30pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 01, 2005
Posts: 2,159
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If you use a curling iron heater be sure to put some heavy metal screen or hardware cloth in the bottom to keep softer colors like white from sticking to the ceramic lining. If you look closely at mine you'll see a piece cut from a metal gutter guard on the bottom.
Robert
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Robert Simmons
(Former) Director for Bead Donations
Beads of Courage, Inc.
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2011-04-04, 8:14pm
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I'm meeeeelting
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Join Date: May 27, 2007
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,236
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Amazon has a good price on the curling iron heater with free shipping. I have a piece of graphite in the bottom of mine to prevent sticking. If you leave the rods in for hours at a time, they may warp - this thing gets hot!
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2011-04-04, 9:12pm
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LFCookie
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Join Date: Sep 20, 2008
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 79
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thanks for all the tips everyone!
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2011-04-04, 10:02pm
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Member
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Join Date: Apr 14, 2010
Posts: 75
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Not any electric frying pans?
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2011-04-05, 6:37am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 01, 2005
Posts: 2,159
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Electric frying pans don't really get hot enough and you have the matter of the rim giving you contact with the hot surface at only one small point. The curling iron heaters allow you to pretty evenly bring up a couple of inches of glass to over 800 degrees and reduce thermal shocking.
Robert
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Robert Simmons
(Former) Director for Bead Donations
Beads of Courage, Inc.
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2011-04-05, 7:55am
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Ready to hit the road
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Join Date: May 06, 2006
Location: Zimmerman, MN
Posts: 2,418
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I use a cheap hair straightener from Walmart with a rock on it to keep it partially shut. It keeps the rods warm, and it has a 2 hr. turn off switch, which is nice for those senior moments when I forget to unplug it.
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2011-04-05, 10:25am
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Member
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Join Date: Apr 14, 2010
Posts: 75
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RSimmons
Electric frying pans don't really get hot enough and you have the matter of the rim giving you contact with the hot surface at only one small point. The curling iron heaters allow you to pretty evenly bring up a couple of inches of glass to over 800 degrees and reduce thermal shocking.
Robert
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Excellent points.
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2011-04-06, 4:02pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 11, 2010
Location: Long Island, NY (East End)
Posts: 104
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I use Electric rollers. Took the rollers out and put in some fiber blanket.
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2011-04-06, 5:23pm
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I fart diamonds
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Join Date: Jun 14, 2005
Location: Altamonte Springs, FL
Posts: 3,893
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I have fiber blanket in mine to prevent the rods from sticking.
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2011-04-06, 5:52pm
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Bigger, longer, and uncut
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Join Date: Aug 01, 2007
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Posts: 447
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I turned my Holey Roller upside down and tucked it into my Gold 'n' Hot. The rods rest on it and not on the bottom of the unit.
Also set the Gold 'n' Hot on top of something that is heatproof, like a piece of cement board.
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Evelyn
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2011-04-07, 10:56am
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Hot Glass Neophyte
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Join Date: Aug 06, 2009
Location: Mt. Pleasant, SC
Posts: 3,293
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Rod Warmer or Ceramic Heater Stove
Rod Warmers are also called Ceramic Heater Stoves, when used in hair care. You can do a search for the best prices using that name and get many. They run about $35 and up, and reach 800-900 degrees, so no Crock Pot or Grill can come close to what they do for your rods in preheating. You can see the jumbo rod in the picture for example. It will be easy to pull stringer from it after preheating.
I have a little plate on top of mine to set murrini on as well. I use one all the time, and have a medium-sized nut can from walmart turned upside down to hold the ends of my rods level. Can't get more frugal than that!
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2011-04-07, 2:13pm
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Ready to hit the road
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Join Date: May 06, 2006
Location: Zimmerman, MN
Posts: 2,418
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You know, I might have to get one of those. I like the way you heat murrini on the top of it.
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2011-04-07, 2:17pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 21, 2007
Posts: 589
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I had an old buffet server - flat glass that heats up to keep hot food hot. I use it and works great. But I had to learn not to put bags of murini on it - the plastic melted! At least I saved the murini.
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Vicki
SRA #C88
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2011-04-07, 4:45pm
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Hot Glass Neophyte
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Join Date: Aug 06, 2009
Location: Mt. Pleasant, SC
Posts: 3,293
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Quote:
Originally Posted by betsymn
You know, I might have to get one of those. I like the way you heat murrini on the top of it.
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I'm on a Hothead, so I also set brass presses on top for a few minutes to warm them up for a better press. But only a few minutes... 900 degrees heats things up fast!
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2011-04-15, 4:34am
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Ready to hit the road
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Join Date: May 06, 2006
Location: Zimmerman, MN
Posts: 2,418
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I bought the ceramic stove from Amazon, and I really like it!
I'm going to have to break one habit, though. For years, as a final step to remove any dust, I swipe clear rods under my arm. Just let me say that this stove heats the rods enough that it left streaks of my burned shirt to the rod.
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2011-04-15, 6:10am
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Hot Glass Neophyte
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Join Date: Aug 06, 2009
Location: Mt. Pleasant, SC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by betsymn
I bought the ceramic stove from Amazon, and I really like it!
I'm going to have to break one habit, though. For years, as a final step to remove any dust, I swipe clear rods under my arm. Just let me say that this stove heats the rods enough that it left streaks of my burned shirt to the rod.
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Yikes, that Rod Warmer reaches upwards of 900 degrees Imagine how hot a 500 degree oven is, and then double it No more swiping!
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2011-04-15, 1:18pm
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Ready to hit the road
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Join Date: May 06, 2006
Location: Zimmerman, MN
Posts: 2,418
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Learned my lesson!
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2011-04-15, 1:40pm
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Ass-kicking Cephalopod
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Location: Duh, Squidville
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Quote:
Originally Posted by betsymn
I bought the ceramic stove from Amazon, and I really like it!
I'm going to have to break one habit, though. For years, as a final step to remove any dust, I swipe clear rods under my arm. Just let me say that this stove heats the rods enough that it left streaks of my burned shirt to the rod.
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DOG is my co-pilot
Cricket w/two 5 lpm oxycons - and sometimes a Minor.
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2011-04-15, 1:44pm
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Living Life Creatively
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Join Date: Sep 25, 2006
Location: Maple Valley, WA
Posts: 605
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I love my ceramic heater too—and just posted an article about it to my blog just before I saw this thread! LOL Here's the link, if anyone is interested:
http://loribergmann.blogspot.com/201...od-warmer.html
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Lori Bergmann Design - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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