Anyone have success with a cartridge heater/pipe bending sides...?

[doggadog]

hey everyone. I need to make a bending setup to do the sides on guitars and ukes etc. When teaching high school I used a gas fired pipe but that was messy and HOT. I figured one of these cartridge heaters would do the trick. Maybe a 500watt would do it. Any suggestions on anything........cheers and thanks and HNY too.

[Malibu]

My initial bending iron was a 60mm round solid of aluminium drilled with a 10mm hole and a cartridge element inserted to it. I'm pretty sure it was a 100W and provided plenty of heat, although a little slow to heat up in taking 10 minutes to get to temp. You need to have a firm fit to the element with some heat transfer paste to get good thermal transfer.
I used an omron temperature controller to set and monitor as it went.

Hope this helps...

[doggadog]

My initial bending iron was a 60mm round solid of aluminium drilled with a 10mm hole and a cartridge element inserted to it. I'm pretty sure it was a 100W and provided plenty of heat, although a little slow to heat up in taking 10 minutes to get to temp. You need to have a firm fit to the element with some heat transfer paste to get good thermal transfer.
I used an omron temperature controller to set and monitor as it went.

Hope this helps...

thanks Mal.......I`ve trawled the net and the `best` info I`ve come across is to stuff the pipe with al foil and really pack it in. Then drill the hole to fit the CH. Pretty much the same result as you have achieved. I think I`ll give it a go. Prolly get a 400w x 150mm long x 16mm dia heater. That should give it plenty if heat. Then I`ll get a rheostat thingy like a fan or light dimmer. cheers, Graeme

[Malibu]

Just remember to get a good earth on the pipe (or whatever you use) and preferably use an RCD plugtop as well...

[doggadog]

Just remember to get a good earth on the pipe (or whatever you use) and preferably use an RCD plugtop as well...

thanks John. I `certainly will` make a good earth connection on the pipe. I must ask however...RCD? not sure what that means.....

[Malibu]

Sorry Graeme, an RCD is more often called a safety switch and a plug top version is one that's built into the plug. Here's an example of one...

[doggadog]

Sorry Graeme, an RCD is more often called a safety switch and a plug top version is one that's built into the plug. Here's an example of one...

thanks John ...I should have looked the term up before replying....doh. I have a meter box that has this feature so no problem. I`ll only get zapped for a split second.....

[lucpet]

http://lukethier.blogspot.com.au/201...re-test-1.html

This is the final entry on my bending iron and you can go through my blog for steps and thoughts

my apologies if this post is to little too late but It might help others.

Cheers Luke