hot plate - specific recommendation?

[jimb.]

I've read other posts about hot plates & I've researched the subject, but I haven't seen anyone mention specific recommendations on a reliable, good-quality, single-burner hot plate that will get the job done for heating moulds.

I don't know yet if I'm being too cheap, but I'm hoping to spend no more than $50. On the internet, I've seen a GE Model #169215, and a Deni Tabletop Burner Model #16310, and both have good and bad reviews, which make me hesitate to buy. I don't know if the bad reviews are written by folks who just are crusty old curmudgeons who don't want to say anything good about anything, or whether their opinions are valid.

What, specifically, do you folks use, and can solidly recommend? As always, thanks a bunch.

jimb.

[alrighty]

I like the cheaper is better principle. I would first try the thrift stores, and pawn shops.I seem to always find a few while searching for other treasures.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The older units tend to be better for mold preheating application since they typically run hotter, which is better for the wallet...since they can be had at thrift shops for as little as 50¢ that's my story !
Jon

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

ALSO,
I've heard some NEW units don't get hot enough ???
maybe some saftey things built in to not allow it to get too hot ???
Jon

[Calamity Jake]

I like a mininum 1000 watt unit.

[wallenba]

Fifty Bucks!? Look in the local drug store or hardware store. I bought one not 2 or 3 years ago for $15. Super cheapos are out there. Look at these http://www.acehardware.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=hot%20plate&origkw=hot+plate&f=Taxonomy/ACE/12550829&sr=1 The $17 one is 1000w., same as mine.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Here is the kind I purchased from bi-mart , elite brand , had one I had previously purchased from a candle making/ soap making outlet , I find that low is all the higher I need to use on its settings

http://www.bimart.com/skudetail.aspx?loc=k.433065_s.409A_c.1A_d.1&nm=Appliances

[2wheelDuke]

I bought mine at the grocery store one day. I paid less than $20. It just didn't seem worthwhile to go out of my way to try to find one cheaper. Mine's an open coil style, so I lay an old masonry saw blade on the top.

[mongo]

I picked one up at Walgreens Drug store for a whopping $8 works fine, coils get a cherry red glow, plenty hot

[94Doug]

I found a lab style on fleabay a few years back for around $45 with shipping. I do like the fact that they come with a metal plate to set the mould right on without any other mods needed.

Doug

[Muddydogs]

I bought a cheap Wal Mart hot plate that sucks. It must have a auto shut dowm switch in it as it will get hot and the coils will glow red but then it will shut down for a few minutes and then get hot again. Takes for ever to melt lead or warm a mold to 400 degrees. I am not sure if the hot plate did this from the start as I just used it to heat my molds but I noticed this happening when I was preheating some wet ingots. I did drop a 2 pound ingot on the front of it which made a small dent and might have messed something up but I dought it. I'm in the market for a new one myself.

[gravely]

I have been very happy with a $10 Walgreens hot plate purchased with a coupon about 5 years ago. I cut a round piece of sheet metal to fit on top of the burners to displace the heat evenly. I heat my H&G moulds on low heat while the pot is heating up and my first cast bullets are almost good and then my 2nd and certainly third throws are excellent. This is a great $10 or so expenditure for all the time it saves you.

[Cane_man]

Walgreens, $17, 1000w, heats up my 2C Al mold to 400F in 7 minutes

[Texantothecore]

Walgreens, $17, 1000w, heats up my 2C Al mold to 400F in 7 minutes

That is the one I use and it works perfectly. There is no need to go with a higher cost unit.

[Leadmelter]

Walmart, GE about $18. I have been using it for three years with no problem. I set mine to med and I good to go when the lead is up to temp.
Check it out.
Leadmelter
MI

[Bullwolf]

I vote for an old and inexpensive electric coil hotplate. Check out the local thrift stores.

Here's a picture of my hotplate set up, while casting with 2 different molds.
66639

I also place a used skill saw blade on top of mine for a steady base.

Will perform double duty as an ingot warmer, but need to be careful when doing that. Set the dial on 7 or higher... and ingots can easily melt on top of the skill saw blade. Ask me how I know.


- Bullwolf

['74 sharps]

I paid about $20 at Meijers. Turn it on "Medium" when I plug my pot in. First bullets out of mold are fine.

[cajun shooter]

jimb, If you would of stretched out your search, I'm sure you would of found at least one of the 3-4 postings I've done on this subject. I tell you about my search and what I've found to work. I've been using the hot plate to heat my moulds for about 15 years now.
I not only use the hot plate for preheat but for my entire casting sessions.
My current GE large single solid burner plate with thermostat has served me for the last three years.
I have either purchased them from Walley World or Amazon. They start at around $25 and go up. You have to remember that the retail may be much higher than the sell price. Go to GE and find the model then go to a seller for purchase.
I paid about $30 for my present one. The one before this one lasted about 5 years for around $22 which is not bad. It all depends on how you treat it. GE is by far the best for the money. As all items in this world of today, they are most likley made in China. Try to find one that is not and you will never cast again with a hot plate.
All of mine have had a great thermostat and heat more than needed on high. After they reach your casting temp you have to learn where to turn the thermostat to as each one is different.
As in all items that are electrical you may find a faulty one but my luck has held with these models. Look for higher wattage. Later David

[Tazman1602]

Walgreens for $10 gets you a nice one burner. I've had one for a couple of years now and it works FINE.

Art

[MattOrgan]

Thrift stores are a great source. I found an old Montgomery Wards two burner for $2.00. It must be from the 1950s from the cloth insulated cord, works great. Don't over look the small electric griddles that are about 12 inches square with the plug in heat controls. A friend uses one to Pre heat his molds and ingots. I think he paid 25 cents for it. He likes the fact he can set the temperature, especially for the ingots. He casts fast and preheats ingots to 400 degrees. Still kinda smells like bacon and pancakes when he plugs it in.

[trixter]

Here is the kind I purchased from bi-mart , elite brand , had one I had previously purchased from a candle making/ soap making outlet , I find that low is all the higher I need to use on its settings

http://www.bimart.com/skudetail.aspx?loc=k.433065_s.409A_c.1A_d.1&nm=Appliances

That is exactly the same thing I got at Fred Meyer, same price too. LOVE IT!!

[Echd]

Paid $10 at Roses.

I need a spare toaster oven for that sort of thing too.

[w0fms]

I use a $18 "Aroma" that I added a PID controller for actually casting from Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/Aroma-AHP-303-Single-Plate-Black/dp/B0007QCRNU) It's nice because you can modify the thermostat a little -- if you don't PID it like I did, it is bypassed on mine) to make it warmer (I can run it all day at 900F-- it's safe..) and the coil is in a cast iron casting, so there is a little thermal mass to it. I use a pan to melt the lead and there is still enough room to set down the mold. Not ideal for production like a lot of you guys do, but 400-500 at a time from a 6 cav or 200 at a time for a 2 -- it works well enough for me. It'd be overkill to just heat up a mold...

[David2011]

The cheap ones from Walgreen's will get hotter than you need or want for heating molds. I've been thinking of putting a thin aluminum or steel plate on mine to have a flat surface.

David

[johnh57]

I just threw away an old george forman grill - it would have been fine.

[Raven_Darkcloud]

I got mine at Bi-mart for $14 1000w works great will melt lead on med. No need to ask how I know. :groner:

[repawn]

Just picked up an 1100 watt model at Woodman's for 8.99

[jimb.]

FYI - Just continuing my research, along with reading all of your helpful replies (thanks). I've called a few places to ask them how hot, in terms of actual degrees, the operator could get the surface of their product. I got a specific reply from only one place - Waring. They said that their SB30 would get up to 865 degrees.

So, the best ones I've heard of so far, by specific name, are the Waring SB30, and the Elite ESB301F. About the Walgreens product that you guys have mentioned, the store here does not have any in stock, and I've not been able to see anything specific about it in the internet research, but I'm keeping that in mind, because of what you guys have written about it.

Other products that I've looked at are: GE #169215; Deni Tabletop Burner #16310 (quite a few user reviews said that the Deni is junk); Aroma AHP-303 (not much info.on this one); and Brentwood Appliances TS-337 (solid top)& TS-322 (coil element).

I'm looking strongest at the Waring SB30. Even though it's about $50, it seems to be the highest quality, & the best user reviews, and they are the only ones to tell me how hot I can get it (865 degrees sounds plenty).

jimb.

[johnh57]

Picked up a proctor silex 1000 watt single element at ACE for 17.95 and a Lodge 8" cast iron trivet for $10 to use as a flat surface to set the molds on. seems to do fine.

Here is one on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-34101-Proctor-Silex-Burner/dp/B000690WNU

[montana_charlie]

For preheating a mould I like a hotplate that will hold very close to a desired temperature. That is why I chose a laboratory type unit. There are two old-time hotplates that appear on ebay quite regularly, and either of them is an excellent choice, in my view.
One (the one that I bought) is the square, 750 watt, Thermolyne Type 1900 (HP-19xxx), and the other is the round, 325 watt, Thermolyne Type 2300 (HP-23xxx).
If trying to buy one today, I would simply check eBay every day until one comes along at a price that suits me. (Mine cost $25 if I recall correctly, but I bought it six or seven years ago.)

Just so you know what they look like, here are two current listings from eBay.
1900 - http://www.ebay.com/itm/SYBRON-THERMOLYNE-TYPE-1900-HOT-PLATE-HP-A1915B-b-/190822722945?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6debad81

2305B - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermolyne-Model-HP-2305B-3-5-325W-Hot-Plate-2305-B-325-Watt-120V-HotPlate-/310646092142?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4853f3316e

Here is a real spiffy 1900, WITH a spiffy price - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermolyne-Model-HP-A1915B-Type-1900-Hot-Plate-/200914761838?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec773f86e#ht_711wt_1156
But, it gives you an idea of the kind of 'value' built into the lab-grade hotplates.

When judging the usefulness of a hotplate, don't be swayed by a higher wattage rating.
A mould only needs to reach 500 degrees at the highest, so even a 325 watt unit will get you there ... if you don't mind that it takes a bit longer.

And, finally, you don't NEED to even buy a hotplate.
I just browsed through seven pages of lab-grade plates currently listed on eBay.
The prices on (most of) the Thermolyne plates are pretty far up there.
So, I am posting information about creating a hotplate out of some other kind of electric appliance ... for instance:

I cut the sidewall off of an old deep fat fryer, leaving a small 'rim' of about an eighth of an inch, and the plug-in heat control keeps it at a very stable temperature.
The thing is eight inches in diameter, but (as you can tell by looking at the bottom) it could be reduced to about six inches without any problem.

The rectangular heater part of those 'slow cookers' should also get hot enough to preheat a mould.

New hotplates come in boxes. Think outside the box.

CM