Do you use a rod warmer?

yeepers · #1 2005-11-19, 6:47pm

And if you do, what kind of rod warmer do you use? Now that it's getting colder and with my workspace in the garage I'm in dire need of some sort of rod warmer. I was using the kiln but that's awkward and is a pain in the butt opening and closing the door - making the internal temp all screwy

Any suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

Cheers.

-Yee

dogmaw · #2 2005-11-19, 7:33pm

I need suggestions too. It is darn cold out there with no heat! I know, not Alaska cold, but still cold.

J. Savina · #3 2005-11-19, 9:44pm

Hi!
I know what you mean about getting colder out there. Here in NW Indiana we went from 70 degrees to 39 degrees overnight.

My rods were rather chilled in the shop 1st thing in the AM.

We have heat in the studio, but keep it low at night. So here's what I do during the colder months. I have a deep fryer filled with vermiculite (it's what I used to cool the beads before I started kiln annealing, and so glad I kept it around.). It's a great warmer. Just stick your rods in and turn it on and wait 10 or 15 minutes. It warm the rods up enough to prevent that initial thermal shock. I'm sure there may be other better solutions out there. This is just what works for me. Hope it helps.
J.

WhiskerWood · #4 2005-11-19, 10:14pm

A rod warmer has been on my "Want List" for a long time!

I want this one from Auralens: http://www.auralens.net/kiln_rodwarmer.cfm

I can only imagine how awesome it would be not only for cold climates but for those big fat shocky rods...

BeadMaven · #5 2005-11-19, 10:25pm

We had out first (and early) freeze here last Wednesday nite.
Early Thursday morning I went to a friend's to torch together.
It was cold in her garage and we knew the glass would be really shocky.
Since we had no rod warmers or vermiculite we decided to try warm water in a crock pot set on low. Worked like a charm! We also put a large towel right in front of it so as we pullled to rods out of the water we just wiped them off a bit and went straight to the torch.

We also used her kiln as a heater. She set it to go to 500 and hold for an hour and it really knocked the chill off!

HTH
Take care,
Dona

LavenderCreek · #6 2005-11-19, 11:55pm

With kilns that have a clear space underneath, like my Chili Pepper, you can just lay the rods underneath the kiln to warm them.

HardwoodTrailGlass · #7 2005-11-20, 6:32am

I just got my rod warmer from Aura Lens, and I love it. To me it is worth the money.

I used to warm them in the kiln and it was a pain w/ the opening and closing of the door.

Carrie

maddog1050 · #8 2005-11-20, 7:39am

I have the Auralens rod warmer and really love it. I keep it next to me on my workbench and it's design makes it so easy to quickly grab and replace rods--no fiddling with doors. I use a lot of large diameter clear for encasing and that's the main reason I bought it. But I happened to place an extra marvering pad on top of the warmer and realized that it also got hot, so now I use that surface to heat small slices of millefiore and murini. Double duty.

Just Nancy · #9 2005-11-20, 8:51am

We could have used something here for our get together yesterday. It was cooler than ideal and the heat isn't in our building yet. Mostly it was shocky rods and maybe nothing would have made a difference.

I completely forgot I've seen suggestions of using an old curling iron as a warmer. I think I'll see if I've got one around when I head out today.

Thanks for the thread.
Nancy

Dale M. · #10 2005-11-20, 9:48am

A simple electric hot plate from local "thrift" store works really well. May have to find something to prop up ends of long rods though.

Dale

Lizabeads · #11 2005-11-20, 2:29pm

I've used the hotplate and it worked and I purchased a curling iron warmer/heater from the beauty salon supply store and it works great... the hotplate thing is one of those slow cookers that the pot sits on to cook a roast... took the roaster off and use it and it is great too..

Spiralcurlz · #12 2005-11-20, 2:40pm

I pre-heat glass rods by placing one end on a graphite square that sits on top of a hot plate. The remaining - unheated - portion of the rods rest on an elevated piece of grooved kiln ceramic. This set up is positioned within easy reach to the right/forward side of my torch (since I'm right-handed). It allows me to pre-heat 8 to 10 rods at a time.
A cheap solution that I've been using for years.
SC

Mustang Dawn · #13 2005-11-20, 6:53pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by LavenderCreek

With kilns that have a clear space underneath, like my Chili Pepper, you can just lay the rods underneath the kiln to warm them.

I lay my shocky rods on top of my chili pepper kiln

Nice and toasty with NO MORE snap, crackle, POP!

Have a great Holiday! Dawn

Anne Ricketts · #14 2005-11-20, 8:31pm

Don't forget the ceramic flat iron warmers you can get at a beauty supply store!

Kevan · #15 2005-11-20, 10:29pm

Oh...this is about glass rods! I was worried there for a moment.

I use one of those crock pots full of vermiculite. They are surprisingly hot and can be left on for hours. That is what they are for, right? I got one at the Goodwill for 3.99.

Cosmo · #16 2005-11-21, 7:35am

I just keep the bead door on my kiln open. I set the rods on a piece of metal mesh that I folded up so it's the same height as the kiln, and place the tips close to the open kiln door. Works like a charm.

DenetianGlass · #17 2005-11-21, 7:55am

I have to dig out my little George Forman grill again - torching yesterday, even in a heated studio, was still cold and the rods shocky. The ridges are just the right height, I just prop the front up to keep it level so the rods stay in.

Sue in Maine · #18 2005-11-21, 8:11am

You're gonna love this one!

I use a coffee mug warmer that WalMart sells for $2.50!!! AND it even comes with a mug! I just stick my rods in the mug and turn it on. It helps... well, except for anise white and opalino's. Nothing I have seems to help their shockiness, although a better rod warmer probably would. lol

Sue

cghipp · #19 2005-11-21, 9:01am

Even when I pre-heat my Anice White rods in the kiln, they start spitting as soon as I get to the un-pre-heated part. It drives me crazy. Last night I just pointed the rod at my bead, hoping some of the flying glass would shoot onto it.... And these are rods that I annealed!

I have one rod of the old stuff. It's really smooth and not nearly as shocky. Aaaah, the old days!

I would love to get one of those flat iron warmers, but I'm going to have to come up with some more counter space first. I can't keep track of all the stuff I have on the table right now!

Courtney

Quicksilverart · #20 2005-11-23, 4:59pm

I use an electric grill that I got at Target for $20. It's the kind you would fry pancakes on. Adjustable and keeps my glass so warm, I can put it right in the flame...even shocky colors. It takes up a bit of room, 10"X18", but I pile it up with murine, rods, broken bits that I melt back onto rods, etc.
Now if I can just find something to keep ME so toasty in my cold New England garage. I use a heating pad on my feet, but I'm thinking about using an electric blanket on the rest of me.