Hot plate/bought one?????

[Willyp]

I bought a hot plate,at my local hardware store,to melt down some lead. Got me a small steel sauce pan and went to my shed. Plugged it in and dumped some scrap lead into the pan. 2 hours later it still was not melting,so i took a Berzamatic,to it.
What a waste of money. I sure miss my old Coleman stove!!!!!!!

[WILCO]

1,000 watts and a wire coil burner are all you need in a hotplate for smelting and boolit lube.

[Bret4207]

My hot plate is an open coil 1100 watt model I bought for $8.00 at Walmart. It will melt a 35 lbs pot of lead in 20 minutes or so and hold temp within 10 degrees all day long.

OTH, my wife bought a 2 burner smooth topped hot plate that won't melt snow hardly, much less lead. If yours is the covered or smooth top type that's probably part of the problem.

[462]

So much energy is used to heat a smooth top (Hob) hot plate that it is not useful for other than the low temperatures used in cooking.

If your hot plate is an open coil type, return it for an exchange.

[fishnbob]

I bought a Proctor Silex from Tru Value and it will not hold a constant temperature. It is either red hot or warm enough you can touch it. Aggravating ***!

[SlimTim]

Is this what is meant by "open coil"?

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=204735927&sellerid=14387982

SlimTim

[WILCO]

Is this what is meant by "open coil"?

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=204735927&sellerid=14387982

SlimTim

Yep. That's it.

[Dale53]

On the other hand, I MUCH Prefer a solid top hot plate to pre-heat my moulds. I don't imagine a Calrod unit (as pictured) would be good for a mould what with the differential heating pattern.

So, it depends on what you need it for...

Dale53

[SlimTim]

Walgreens has one for $15 it appears.

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/sylvania-1000-watt-single-burner/ID=prod6047661-product

SlimTim

[geargnasher]

Make one of these to use for pre-heating moulds on an open-coil hotplate:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094e5ad65ae2e31.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1966)

I leave it on during a casting session, set to keep the air inside around 400-450 degrees (depending on what the mould likes), and I can park the mould in there any time I need to pause casting for a few seconds or minutes, and it will be ready to roll when I resume the session.

Gear

[G__Fred]

I bought a old waffle maker at Good Will for $5.00, works well.

[milprileb]

All I see at thrift stores is those sandwich hot plates... can these be used ?

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Most from gwanghzou are junk. Look for an older American made hotplate just where you would think to find them. With an open coil, heat reflector /drip-pan, closed bottom, and heat dissipating space under the closed bottom.

If its a junk store or flea market or yard sale ask to plug it in. Turn it up wide open see what it does produce.

We have dozens of posts on this exact topic going back years.

BvT

[milprileb]

Well Baron, hot plates are so old tech, they just don't pop up
often if at all around here used. So its either I go Geo Foreman
Sandwich gizmo or buy a new one from Walmart. I have traveled
a few months chasing dutch ovens and other things like this to
no avail. Lots time and money on gas for no hot plates or ovens... waste of effort !

So, in lieu of what you said, will Geo F work or what will as a substitute

[plmitch]

I got my hot plate, open coil at the local Sal Army for $5.00 and it works like a little champ!nice even temp on it, I'd buy another in a heart beat.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Well Baron, hot plates are so old tech, they just don't pop up
often if at all around here used. So its either I go Geo Foreman
Sandwich gizmo or buy a new one from Walmart. I have traveled
a few months chasing dutch ovens and other things like this to
no avail. Lots time and money on gas for no hot plates or ovens... waste of effort !

So, in lieu of what you said, will Geo F work or what will as a substitute



M-1 Garands are old tech too ! So good they are hard to find now. A sign of QUALITY ! There are not many Garands for sale HERE either. I would not expect to see very many Griswold pots or good hot plates for sale here.

How many old posts here have you reviewed for clues from a nice comfy chair to get an idea of where our casting brothers are getting theirs?

I frequently see hot plates at flea markets, although I only go to the big church sponsored ones, mostly. Heck, I bought a brand new in the box 25 year old Rival electric crock pot for other uses (cooking) a month ago for 5$ at a regular flea market. It did cost a buck to get in and I saw lots of junk while looking. Like hummingbirds hot plates are not always out when you want to see one.

But you are right. Hot plates are old tech..........like common sense , diligence and Powder Milk Biscuits.



Ever go to local yard sales, not the ones with a yard full of plastic kindergarten toys, but household sales of folks giving up independent household living, or local used larger appliance shops where the trip seeking a hot plate is not so extensive? Fingers do the walking ? Ever ask your elderly Aunts if they could part with one? Yard sales where " the IN SINGLES" live in condos probably would not be productive either.

Buy from WALLY. If you don't like it, he will take it back. Others besides me tell of usable products in these threads. I have no experience with Geo Foreman. Isn't he kind of like that ear biting fighter? Isn't he a huckster? I don't think I would buy a hot, fresh sandwich from him. His machines are (were) very trendy though.

You ask for a substitute. OK. Go buy a Coleman single burner liquid fuel stove. Internet sale, no travelling. My first in the 60's lasted 30 years of heavy usage and my buddies used their 2 burner stoves so hard they nearly melted the grids. Want a good steel pot? Ask in our WTB area. A feller makes them and will ship to your door for 30$ or so. Sears will ship you a very nice gourmet, stainless, heavy gauge cook pot that you can bragg on if you care to be among the elite of WW melters. It will work nicely on a turkey cooker.

Good Luck searching. Success is mostly achievable with a diligent effort.

BvT

[462]

BvT,
Right on. By the way, the ear-biting boxer was Mike Tyson.

[Dale53]

Hot plates are available from the discount dept. stores everywhere for reasonable prices. I ONLY use mine for heating moulds, so have a solid top such as the one pictured in the link. I use mine every time I cast bullets. I wouldn't be without it:

http://www.target.com/p/AROMA-Single-Hot-Plate/-/A-10155042

Dale53

[94Doug]

Another option is the "lab" style hot plates, I picked one up on "you know where" for around 20 bucks. More expensive, but should prove a better heat source, AND, it has a 1" thick metal top plate to set the mould built in!


Doug

[montana_charlie]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=115198&postcount=25

CM