What kind of hotplate?

[brown bass hunter]

I need a hotplate for heating my molds and need info on what you guys are using.

They range from $15-150+ on Amazon. I plan on a single burner,but they come in a range of wattage and size.

What should I look for ?

Thanks for any info.

[drfroglegs]

Pick up a single electric hotplates from Walmart for about $15 (IIRC). Works fine. Heat is heat...

[ndnchf]

I use a $10 hotplate from Walmart with a piece of aluminum plate on top. I forget the wattage, but I don't set it higher than medium heat.

[marvelshooter]

I am using an old 4 cup coffee maker that was collecting dust.

[brown bass hunter]

lol. Didn't even think to check wally world. Thanks for the info

[edler7]

Mine is a 1000 watt single burner (coil type) from Walgreens with a 1/2" aluminum slab on the top. Picked up the slab at the scrap yard. Medium setting will melt a 1 lb lead ingot if you forget about it and leave it on there too long.

[Gofaaast]

Mine is a $2.88 special from Goodwill. I don't think it had ever been used when I bought it.

[Dragonheart]

About a year ago I picked up a deal on Ebay, a Nesco induction hot plate for $26 delivered. Induction on works on metal that is magnetic. Since the induction transfers energy directly to the object one could put the steel molds directly on the top; I cut the bottom of an old cookware pan to protect the hot plate and set my molds in the pan to heat. It easily brings my brass molds up to 450 degrees.

[376Steyr]

For something different, I use a cheap electric skillet and put my moulds and ingots directly on the skillet surface. It doesn't get hot enough to melt an ingot, but I can keep a lot of ingots and moulds warm at once.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I bought my older "open coil" type at a thrift store for $1

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/reduced.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/reduced.jpg.html)

[Stonecrusher]

I have the cheapy from Walmart also. Put a thick piece of aluminum on top to hold heat. A hotplate was the bestcasting tip I have picked up here. Once the mold is hot, it's hot. You can walk away for a while and come right back and start casting.
I would like to think that I would have thought of using one after another twenty five years of casting!

[Dragonheart]

For something different, I use a cheap electric skillet and put my moulds and ingots directly on the skillet surface. It doesn't get hot enough to melt an ingot, but I can keep a lot of ingots and moulds warm at once.

I never thought about preheating the ingots; Good idea, thanks.

[bangerjim]

The best ones are ~750 or 1KW FLATT tops. No silly saw blade needed! Just something else to fall on the floor when it is HOoooooooT!

But if you cannot find a flat one, use the saw blade to even out the heat.

Mine is a laboratory analog controlled flat-top plate that can easily melt lead, yet has very accurate temp control from 150F up to over 950F.

Check WalMart. None of mine around here carry them.

banger

[WALLNUTT]

Goodwill is your friend for cheap oddball casting tools. I've gotten hot plate,ingot moulds(CI muffin pans),skimming spoons,lube making equip,even pewter.

[RogerDat]

I do not have this exact model but this style with the cast iron surface rather than the coils of olden days. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Elite-Cuisine-Single-Flat-Burner-Hot-Plate/8467244

Old ones tended to have a more basic heat control, just controlled how much "juice" flowed to the coils. Newer ones tend to have a thermostatic control that cycles on and off which is Ok for molds but tends to be annoying for melting a small pot of lead for a little ladle casting or small batch alloy mixing. The thing keeps going on/off and I think the heat from the lead fools it into not going on as often as I need it to in a fairly cold fall/winter garage to maintain good melt temp. Like I said really good for molds since it has the flat plate and won't heat them to warp temps as easily. Not so much for lead melting but hey that is the job of Mr. propane fish fryer.

[David2011]

The best ones are ~750 or 1KW FLATT tops. No silly saw blade needed! Just something else to fall on the floor when it is HOoooooooT!

But if you cannot find a flat one, use the saw blade to even out the heat.

banger

Darn you, Banger! It never occurred to me that the saw blade might fall off of the hot plate and roll around onto the rubber floor mats burning them and rasin an odor that would require ventilating the room. :? Now, "nickel to a donut," I'll knock the darned thing off next time I use it just 'cause I read your post!

Saw blade tip: I knocked the sharp tips off of the blade before using it to spread the heat.

David

[irishtoo]

walmart 10 bucks, single burner. i cut a metal 3lb coffee can (bottom 3 inchs or so) and a section out for the handles to stick out. i start it on high then turn back to medium. i run two molds at the same time. pour one, while it hardens, open and refill the other one, rinse and repeat. irishtoo

[bangerjim]

Darn you, Banger! It never occurred to me that the saw blade might fall off of the hot plate and roll around onto the rubber floor mats burning them and rasin an odor that would require ventilating the room. :? Now, "nickel to a donut," I'll knock the darned thing off next time I use it just 'cause I read your post!

Saw blade tip: I knocked the sharp tips off of the blade before using it to spread the heat.

David

Just at your service, my friend!!!!!!!!!!! HA......ha.

Don't ask me why I know it DOES happen!

banger

[Bigslug]

I'm running a ~$60 Waring that has about a 9-10" smooth heating area. When warming molds, I top it with an artistically-cut coffee can. It does double duty as a lube-cooker. Very satisfactory all around.

[Frank46]

I bought a labratory type hot plate on ebay. Solid aluminum plate with heater inside. gets plenty hot to warm up molds prior to casting. Frank

[ArrowJ]

I just bought a double burner with cast burners from Aldi for $18. I emailed the distributor and was told it did not have overheat protection built in and would not cycle on and off. The large side is 1000 w and the small 700. I am hoping that is enough to melt for ladle pouring. For heating the mold do I need to have an aluminum plate on top of the burner to prevent damage to the mold or can I just set it on there? I have not taken it out of the box, but it has cast iron burners with ridges cast into it I believe.

[edctexas]

After melting some ingots that I was preheating, I added a TC to the cast hot plate heating assembly and control it with a PID. Now the surface goes goes to about 425F and the molds measure about 400F. Two casts and bingo we are off to the races with casting. The brand is Oster.

Ed C

[pretzelxx]

I ordered mine off amazon. I feel if I got it anywhere else I would have bought two. The first one didn't work, it was $19 with prime free shipping. They sent another and I used their free return label as well as all the packaging from the new one to send back.

I'm fairly lazy, so if I picked it up anywhere else I feel as if I wouldn't have returned it. Anyway. The thing works wonders. It's a single burner and heats up to 900 degrees or so, plenty of room to warm two molds and a few extra ingots. (or to hold my aluminum molds in contact) I use a cast boolit to measure temperature right off the bat while my pot heats up. If the boolit melts, I turn it down slowly.

[Good Cheer]

Goodwill is your friend for cheap oddball casting tools. I've gotten hot plate,ingot moulds(CI muffin pans),skimming spoons,lube making equip,even pewter.

Amen to that! I always keep an eye peeled for those odds and ends of bronze flat ware from 1960's SE Asia. Getting a bronze blade for a buck is hard to beat.