Power supply/surge protector converted to reostat unit

[enfieldphile]

After 30 + years of using 50/50 lube, I have decided to switch to a hard lube. Hard lubes require a heater. I see that the Lyman heater unit is D&T'ed for my RCBS Luber/Sizer. However, the Lyman heater does not have a heat control or a power switch.

I had an old battery backup / power supply / surge protector. It's circuit board was bad, but it has a 15amp circuit breaker, built-in sockets and of course a power cord! I removed the battery & circuit board. I got a rheostat @ and prong-to-light socket @ Wal-Mart. Power runs from the cord, thru the circuit breaker to the switch side of the rheostat, then to the 3 receptacles. I wired only 1 set of 3 receptacles. The rheostat has an on/off switch.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q228/ultramag44/Reostata_zpsf026d478.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q228/ultramag44/Reostatc_zpseaad8912.jpg
Circuit breaker Reset Button
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q228/ultramag44/Reostatb_zpsf59200b2.jpg

[el34]

I bet that was fun. Is it a light dimmer or fan speed control? If so, the lower the setting the slower it will be to heat up and it won't really regulate temperature.

You probably checked this already- most light dimmers are ok up to 600 watts, which is right at 5 amps. The Lee pot uses a little over 5 amps, making a regular light dimmer a candidate for failure.

I could be way off base here, my imagination might have led me to wrong assumptions.

[Walstr]

Nice backyard solution & recycles stuff too. RE: 5 amps comment: True, but I believe Enfieldphile wants to set a power level below max, otherwise just a switch would do, IMHO.