[AzZ]

We demand pics!

[Plain Old Me]

I would advise anyone to be extra careful when doing anything here. I just tried out my nichrome stuff again (see my alternative to coal thread) and it again melted, and using light dimmers the only control I was able to achieve really was just about totally off and melting temp. I think pots may be the better way to go in order to control the temp, but be sure that you get some damn high rated pots if you are using a 120v/15w plug. The direct radiation and contact method this guy seems to be using would definitely need less heat than the convection method I am attempting, and with my experiences of melting nichrome I could easily see running a coil off of batteries, though perhaps a 9v battery might be more able to keep the heat goin.

[WesleyPipes]

Haha, ya I'm sure 120V to your nichrome wire would make it get way over the desired temperature fast. I'm using a 120VAC - 12VAC transformer with a potentiometer.

There is a chart with desired temperatures and the current needed for each guage of nichrome wire.

[*HOT&SMOKING*]

If you have managed this, I would be very interested, because as canon said alot of people have tried and failed.

+1 to pics and walk through of how you did it.

-H&S

[WesleyPipes]

As soon as this damn nichrome gets here, I'll have pictures and video of this beast in action.

Temperature equilibrium? Ya boy.

[Guinea_Pig]

2.6A/.272A = 9.55 hours of battery life

ok cool i can see how that works... but .272A* 12V = 3.2W.... i just dont see how that can generate enough heat... but by all means if it works then thats awesome

i too want to see some piccies... im looking at building my own hookah and electric may very well be an option

[WesleyPipes]

We will see. It's quite thing wire, it should be able to heat up solid.

[paiintballa182]

PICS NAO

[*HOT&SMOKING*]

2.6A/.272A = 9.55 hours of battery life

ok cool i can see how that works... but .272A* 12V = 3.2W.... i just dont see how that can generate enough heat... but by all means if it works then thats awesome

i too want to see some piccies... im looking at building my own hookah and electric may very well be an option

This has made me wonder now also if it will generate enough heat....once pics are up maybe ill try it and see from there...

-H&S

[WesleyPipes]

I'm pretty sure it will work, but of course that nichrome still isn't here...

Low voltage doesn't mean it won't heat up the wire. Put 1V on a 1 ohm resistor. It will get way too hot to touch...she will work.

[WesleyPipes]

http://www.wiretron.com/nicrdat.html

The chart with all of nichrome's important information.

[tyson]

I definitely would like to see a write-up of this for DIY purposes. If it really works, I'd be willing to buy a starter kit from you to customize myself.

[Ninjalex]

People always talk about using those coil heaters from walgreens for $10 to light natural coals. Could you not flip a coil like that upside down and use the control knob to control the temperature? I know that could would be huge, but maybe someone makes a smaller coil?

[Cerritus]

What about the heater element from a toaster? They stay around 350-400F and you can reshape the thin walls they're wound on already. I've been debating making one. I'm buying a spare toaster to mutilate this weekend

[Plain Old Me]

What about the heater element from a toaster? They stay around 350-400F and you can reshape the thin walls they're wound on already. I've been debating making one. I'm buying a spare toaster to mutilate this weekend

The problem is not really with the heating element, or even how you mount it. The real issues I have been having are with making the system adjustible in temperature. With a low voltage system, a simple pot can easily adjust the temperature, but working with 120 V its impossible to use a common pot to adjust the temperature, and the light dimmers I have tried to use don't do much but turn the element on and off. I have been wondering about using a universal potentiometer (which can be found fairly cheaply on ebay) but I have no clue if they could handle the 1600 watts I would be putting through em. Short of that, I have been thinking about possibly getting some sort of rheostat (which is really just a high-rated pot).

[Cerritus]

Does it really need to be adjusted though? If you can get it to be the same temp as a coal normally is you wouldn't lose too much by leaving it there. The coal heats up for maybe a second or 2 while you pull. I doubt that will make a huge difference, but I could be wrong.

[Steemax]

I demand pics!
If I like the way this looks to be working, I'll be considering.

[Seanij]

until you havr a pinkshirt of it in progredd, me drinl more green farty and eat more crakcers.

[mj_b90]

until you havr a pinkshirt of it in progredd, me drinl more green farty and eat more crakcers.

... wtf?!


But for real, where are the pictures?

[teq]

While this seems like a nice experiment, I've come to terms with the practicality of using anything that needs constant power as a heat source. Coal is simply more cost effective than electricity or gas.

However, for the sake of experimentation, the simplest way to make this work seems to be by using a 15W soldering iron.

Glycerin boils at 550F/290C and a 15W soldering iron from Radio Shack can output up to 600F/320C, which happens to be the highpoint temperature of both natural and quicklight coals. The heat can be transferred by attaching a conductive material to the tip or by convection.

This post has been edited by teq: 26 March 2008 - 10:40 PM