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PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:17 am 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:02 am
Posts: 214
Location: Sebastopol, CA
First name: Michael
Last Name: Smith
City: Graton
State: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 95444
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Do not follow a previous posters advice and pack your pipe with steel wool. Steel Wool burns rather well.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:51 am 
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Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 2:25 pm
Posts: 1958
First name: George
City: Seattle
State: WA
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Good advice. Thanks! I'm pretty cautious in the workshop and have multiple fire extinguishers handy. Hope everyone here does the same. Heat source, wood, sawdust, finishes, solvents... that's serious business.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:28 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2006 6:50 pm
Posts: 2711
Location: Victoria, BC
First name: John
Last Name: Abercrombie
Status: Amateur
JohnAbercrombie wrote:
(I believe some folks have stuffed their pipes with steel wool or similar, but check on this..)


Michael Smith wrote:
Do not follow a previous posters advice and pack your pipe with steel wool. Steel Wool burns rather well.


HUH? Not advice at all.

Please post a demo of lighting densely packed oil-free steel wool on fire using a charcoal lighter.

We are talking about a substitute for an open-flame propane-heated device here, right?

My point was (and is) to increase the heated mass/heat capacity of your pipe. A thin muffler pipe 'iron' will not work as well as a heavier iron . Period.

Cheers
John


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:37 am 
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Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:05 am
Posts: 9191
Location: United States
First name: Waddy
Last Name: Thomson
City: Charlotte
State: NC
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
I solved that problem by splitting a second piece of tail pipe, and squeezing it inside the main piece. However, I used a truck tail pipe and it's 3" in diameter. I have the charcoal lighter touching the sides inside the pipe, and it works great without any additional stuff in there. I had no problems bending my lighter without cracking the tube, but I was only bending to fit the 3" pipe not a 2" one.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:42 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2006 6:50 pm
Posts: 2711
Location: Victoria, BC
First name: John
Last Name: Abercrombie
Status: Amateur
WaddyThomson wrote:
I solved that problem by splitting a second piece of tail pipe, and squeezing it inside the main piece.

Good idea!
I've also seen a pic somewhere of a pipe with rolled-up sheet metal inside the outer pipe. Anything that increases the heat capacity and avoids hot spots (from the contact points of the heater, if any) will be an improvement over a thin tube.

John


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:54 am 
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Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 1:11 pm
Posts: 2390
Location: Spokane, Washington
First name: Pat
Last Name: Foster
Country: USA
Focus: Build
I've been using mine cracked open for a couple of years now, though only for touchups and bending bindings for soundports and cutaways, without a problem. I have it hooked up to a Gralab darkroom timer and router speed controller. The timer runs up to one hour max, about $25 on fleabay.


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:28 pm 
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Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:13 am
Posts: 451
First name: Tim
Last Name: Allen
City: San Francisco
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
For a buck I bought a short length of thick-walled aluminum pipe at a building supplies salvage yard. This pipe is called "conduit"--it's used to surround cables in large buildings. The only down side of it has been that it's too thick for me to bend into an oval shape with anything I have around here. However, for touch-ups and bindings it works fine. I too use wads of crumpled aluminum foil to close the ends and a router controller to adjust and maintain the temperature.

I use the same timer switch that I use with my Fox bender. I think I will never forget and leave it on when I leave the shop, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:00 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:05 am
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Location: United States
First name: Waddy
Last Name: Thomson
City: Charlotte
State: NC
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
My pipe is round, and not squished. I don't really see the advantage. Just keep the wood moving a bit more. Still bends the same way. I bent my first on a 2" pipe with a biig old soldering iron in it, and still didn't have any problems.

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