A friendly contest

[HenryC460]

I have seen a lot of questions on this topic and a lot of solutions to the problem. I would like to propose a contest.

Who can build the cheapest heated base for a lubrisizer?

Here are some proposed rules:

Parts must be generally available. If you used a PID controller that your boss let you have from work (I use one on my melting pot), I suggest you price a comparable unit for judging purposes. Likewise heating elements, heating cartridges, lightbulbs, relays, bimetal thingies, dimmer switches, and inch-thick aluminum blocks. Your labor is free.

You have to actually build it.

You should tell us enough about your design that someone else could build it.

Come up with a bottom line price.

Judging is on your own. A really nice setup is worth more than an electric shockin' fire starter that takes 4 hours to get up to temperature. Consumer Reports manages to give high ratings to $50 cordless drills, "in their category," and we could probably manage. You know if you won.

[uscra112]

An alternative to PID controllers is the simple Variac. Variable AC transformer. They can be bought on eBay for anything from $25.00 to $100.00. They are not much used anymore, but prior to the advent of cheap SCR controllers they were very common.

About 10-12 years ago, I had to design an special enclosure for precision machinery that would hold the interior air temperature +/- .5 degrees F. One of my engineers found a very cheap PID system by a company called Watlow. They make these controller systems for all sorts of industrial situations where control of process heat is required, from papermaking to food processing. The little PID controller unit was about $125 and the SCR controller that actually modulated the electric current was a little more. We had to supply an RTD temperature sensor, and the heating coils. Over a ten year period, we delivered a coupla hundred of these, and never had a failure in the Watlow components.

Thing is, using Watlow components is pretty much a plug and play system. Not electronics knowledge required.

But when I feel the need for heat on my lubrisizer, I'm going to use one of my Variacs.

[fecmech]

I'll play! Total cost $1. for the iron at a yard sale, found a scrap piece of aluminum in my garage for free. I can also turn the iron upside down in my drill vise to melt lube to pour into my Star. Seeing as it does double duty does that make the cost $.50?? Crude but effective!

[Hardcast416taylor]

Back when I was younger, more adventurous and of course more broke I made a heater the following way. I found a 5" x 5" x1/2" piece of aluminum that I made a 3 loop "S" on. I put a heater coil from a crock pot into the groove and then attached a #12 gauge cord to the coil for power and a heavy duty fan speed control switch for regulating the heat. I placed a 1/16" thick piece of copper sheet over the coil block and bolted the luber onto this assembly. Worked fine for about 5 years till I bought a Midway heater. I gave the homemade unit to a friend, yes I do have a friend, in Fl who is still using it to this day. Total cost would probably be under $20, less if you can scrounge parts.Robert

[Springfield]

Mine is better. Also cost 1.00, but it heats 3 Stars! I found the larger irons got way too hot and were hard to control.

[357maximum]

Mine is very similar to Fecmech's except mine was free. I stole the small travel( like Springfields) iron from my Wife and Babores scrap pile kindly provided the aluminum plate.

[fecmech]

I found the larger irons got way too hot and were hard to control.

I must have got lucky, I can turn that one down to where I can put my hand on it!

[Kraschenbirn]

'Nother yard sale travel iron ($1) and hunk of aluminum tool plate (free) from the scrap bin of a buddy's machine shop. The iron gives me good temp control which I monitor using one of those non-contact infrared thermometers from Harbor Freight.

Bill

[geargnasher]

I use a 100-watt bulb and a $5 small-reflector, springy-clamp spot lamp from a home improvement warehouse. Clamp it to a brick and vary the distance, or bulb wattage, to control temp.

I guess that I can't win this contest, but you can get 100% brand-new heater parts for about $6. It doubles as a light source, so does that cut it to $3?


Gear

[btroj]

Oops, I paid Lyman to build mine. It looks like I am out.

[geargnasher]

Oops, I paid Lyman to build mine. It looks like I am out.

Sucker!



Gear

[btroj]

But mine works well and meets my needs. It also prevented large amounts of foul language, purchases of items about which I have no clue, and electrocution!
I may have spent more but the cost was low to me!

[HenryC460]

Well, I'm beat, and mine's not even built yet. I was looking to vivisect one of those one-cup coffee warmers, but unless I can find one for a nickel at a garage sale...

[Gunfixer]

I use the same rig as Gear, mine was a .25 yard sale light and I use different wattage bulbs for winter or spring ( which is when? 84 yesterday, 49 today)

[firefly1957]

I have my lube sizer on wood board when it is cold I warm it with propane torch it stays warm long enough for quite a bit of lubing/sizing. My bench top is 1/2 inch aluminum so if I do not separate them it cools fast again! And heating it would spread to rest of bench which is 50X30 inches.

Only real cost is propane used ! which is quickly getting to be PRO PAIN!

[geargnasher]

I use the same rig as Gear, mine was a .25 yard sale light and I use different wattage bulbs for winter or spring ( which is when? 84 yesterday, 49 today)

And those temps were the HIGHS. 41 here this morning, it was in the 90s last week.

Gear

[cbrick]

I cheated, found a Midway heater on a "for sale" table at a match for $5.00, it went under my Star. A few years later before I had my second Star I found another one (Midway heater) at a match up in Oregon for $5.00, that one lived under my bench for several years until I bought the second Star. Guess where the second Midway heater lives now?

Ok, I spent $10.00 on two adjustable heaters, does that count.

Rick