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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2009-09-08, 7:29am
bryntaran bryntaran is offline
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Red face warming glass rods

Unfortunately, winter will be here sooner that I'd like. Before that happens, I need a way to warm my glass rods. Obviously some are very shocky no matter what, but I'd like to reduce glass loss and burn blisters by warming my glass.
Inexpensive would be best, but any thoughts would be a help,
Thanks,
Judy
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  #2  
Old 2009-09-08, 7:38am
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I have some of those old warming plates that I bought from thrift stores. I have three - the cheapest was 10 cents, and the most expensive was $1.49. They heat the rods to hotter than I can hold on the end that I set on the warmer.
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  #3  
Old 2009-09-08, 7:44am
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The curling iron heater has been a great rod heater for about 5 years.



Robert
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  #4  
Old 2009-09-08, 7:52am
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Use a Halogen lamp, you can control how hot they are with a dimmer.
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  #5  
Old 2009-09-08, 9:10am
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I use a small George Forman grill. It has the ridges in so they don't roll around. Got mine at a yard sale for 5 bucks.
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  #6  
Old 2009-09-08, 11:12am
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ohhh lots of good ideas!!!!
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  #7  
Old 2009-09-08, 11:14am
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Depending on your kiln, you could also set them on top of the kiln. I believe some even had rod warming shelves at one time (don't know if those are still around).
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  #8  
Old 2009-09-08, 1:27pm
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I would thing an old heating pad would do the trick too
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  #9  
Old 2009-09-08, 2:03pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RSimmons View Post
The curling iron heater has been a great rod heater for about 5 years.



Robert
I looked and looked for one of these but they don't seem to have them in australia, dayum!
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  #10  
Old 2009-09-08, 2:43pm
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Hmmm - hadn't heard of the halogen light with dimmer idea. I like it!

Depends on your kiln, but I stick rods beneath mine. They get pretty toasty. I know some people put rods on top of their kilns, but I like to keep a little dish for murrini & shards on top of mine.
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  #11  
Old 2009-09-08, 8:00pm
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I made my rod warmer out of pyrex rods.It works pretty good, although i'd like to get a real one.
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  #12  
Old 2009-09-08, 10:09pm
bryntaran bryntaran is offline
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Thank you all for such great ideas. I think it is time to head to my parent's house and do some cleaning in their cellar - I know I saw a George Forman grill somewhere down there! I am pretty taken with the curling iron warmer though. Any thoughts on where to find one?
Thanks again everyone,
Judy
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  #13  
Old 2009-09-08, 10:15pm
Carmen Isaacs Carmen Isaacs is offline
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I have just bought one on Amazon.
Kym buy one in America and use a transformer with it, that is what I am going to do.
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  #14  
Old 2009-09-09, 6:14am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chayes View Post
I made my rod warmer out of pyrex rods.It works pretty good, although i'd like to get a real one.


I'd like to see a pic of that.
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  #15  
Old 2009-09-09, 6:30am
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You can get the curling iron heater at Sally's beauty supply or on eBay or other online shops.

I put a terra cotta pot upside down in front of my kiln's bead door and slid the rods partially into the kiln, resting the ends that were hanging out of the kiln on the terra cotta pot. Get a pot that is the right height for your kiln door.

Now I have a scientific hotplate that I use and it is easier, but the kiln worked even better because it as hotter. The only drawback to the kiln was that the ambient heat sometimes made the rods hot too far up their length and I didn't have much to hold onto.

If you're just trying to knock the chill off, and not thoroughly preheat them, I would say just set a few out on top of the kiln...that would keep them warm enough.

~~Mary
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  #16  
Old 2009-09-09, 8:39pm
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You can order the curling iron stove on Sallys Beauty Supply website. Thats where I got mine, if you don't have one locally.They get super hot. But they work great. I've tried everything and this seems to help the most.
Just checked website at Sallys, they have been discontinued online, but you can get them in the store . There is 2 different sizes. Jumbo& regular size.One has a curved top, the other one is flat on top.
They are made by Belson and the are called Gold N Hot Ceramic Heater Stoves.
Just Google- Gold N Hot Ceramic Heater Stoves.There is another vendor in California that sales them too.
Hope this info helps.
Janet

Last edited by Janetlee; 2009-09-09 at 8:58pm. Reason: add more info.
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  #17  
Old 2009-09-09, 11:52pm
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Quote:
I'd like to see a pic of that.
here ya go
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  #18  
Old 2009-09-10, 12:28am
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Very cool, Chris.
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  #19  
Old 2009-09-10, 8:02pm
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Chris, that rod warmer is way cool. Thanks for sharing.
I use a mini crock pot to cool down my beads. I was just thinking the other day with the weather starting to get cooler here in Montana, if it would make a good rod warmer. I found one on ebay for about $6.00.

Carmen, I see you are from South Africa. We just got back from there, we had the best time. Great place to visit.
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  #20  
Old 2009-09-10, 8:09pm
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OK, my studio goes down to -15C in the winter and I never warm my rods. hey, I get the best colours from raku!
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  #21  
Old 2009-09-10, 9:44pm
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Glad you had a good time.
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  #22  
Old 2009-09-10, 11:19pm
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I have the curling iron type also.
I bought it on ebay and the brand name is Kentucky Maid.
Do a search on Google and you'll find tons of them.............Valerie
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  #23  
Old 2009-09-10, 11:22pm
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Hi Robert,
What is holding up your rods? and what is it that you have inside the unit?
I need something like that to go with mine...........Valerie

Quote:
Originally Posted by RSimmons View Post
The curling iron heater has been a great rod heater for about 5 years.



Robert
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  #24  
Old 2009-09-11, 6:42am
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I made the rack to hold the rods with a piece of bbq grill top that I got at Home Depot. The support for it is a couple of 3/32 welding rods bent to shape and attached with metal duct tape. The inside floor can be covered with a small piece of hardware cloth - it's just enough to keep the rods off the ceramic. White will stick - trust me. I used a piece of screen from an old gutter guard, but hw cloth might be easier to get. I've since added a small square of brass to sit murrini slices on for warm-up. It sits in the back on the oven and out of the way of the rod tips. I can reach in with a 2mm puntil to pick them up with I need them.

Robert
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  #25  
Old 2009-09-11, 10:41am
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Originally Posted by chayes View Post
here ya go


Very cool! Then does that sit kinda under your flame? Is that how the rods get warm?
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  #26  
Old 2009-09-11, 11:33am
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i use a old mug warmer i bought for $2 or $3 at Value Village - plunk on an old mason jar - toss the rods i plan to use in a session inside and turn it on. it holds quite a few rods, gets the tips of the rods pretty hot and cuts down on shattering esp. in winter.

also since the Mega gives off so much radiant heat, i've found i can just leave the few rods i plan to use during a particualr bead underneath the torch while i'm working on it... I then put them back in the mason jar when i'm done so my work surface doesn't become an obstacle course...lol
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  #27  
Old 2009-09-11, 7:36pm
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Quote:
Very cool! Then does that sit kinda under your flame? Is that how the rods get warm?
This video shows the warmer in action. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoID=59220340
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  #28  
Old 2009-09-11, 8:30pm
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I have a metal bowl with a graphite pad set on top just a tad to the right and half under the flame of my torch... it's where i put the glass i'm working with. *shrug* i've noticed that some of the rods are *almost* too hot to touch (on the end that was near the flame).

if i want to warm a cz or milli, i'll put my handheld marver on top of this set up with what I want warmed.

NEer mind the rod warmer, i want a leg warmer in the winter. I sleep with an electric blanket in the winter cuz my legs can never warm up quickly, and i can't sleep if my feet are cold. .
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  #29  
Old 2009-09-12, 6:30am
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Ellyloo...you need battery heated socks. They are for hunters but when my studio was outside and unheated I used to have to blow the snow off my torch before I could light it. The battery heated socks saved me! They are made from wool, knee high, and have wires through them just like an electric blanket, you put a transistor battery in a little harness at the top of each sock and they heat up like gangbusters.

I lived in mine at the torch. They are super sexy too. LOL
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Last edited by Moth; 2009-09-12 at 6:33am.
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  #30  
Old 2009-09-12, 6:31am
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...and they don't eat batteries really fast. One set of batteries lasted me a month or two.
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