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Question for those that have built their own electric bending pipe; What electric heating element are you guys using?

I use a pipe heated by propane for specialty task bending but want to get away from propane and go to electric.

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Michael,
A BB-Q charcoal starter bent to fit in the pipe.

Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Yep, that's what I used too.

I just bent mine cold, but gently, in a vice, but I have heard others say it's easier to bend them when they are hot.

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

same here .. 16 buck heater bent in my vise.... 500 watts, controlled with a variac to about 85 volts.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Waddy...what's the diameter of that pipe?...and do you have a size or model # for the starter you used?...TIA

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

JJ, the pipe is about 3". It was a Truck Tail Pipe section that I bought at Auto Zone. Cost me about $7 - 8.00. It has a flared section at one end. I cut the smaller part in half, then I slit the second half, squeezed it together, and shoved it inside the other half. I think you can see both pieces in this picture, or maybe not, but it shows how I did the rest.


The starter is one I got at Home Depot. It's about 4" wide, and I squeezed it so it was a tight fit in the center of the pipe. I don't have anything else in there, except a jar lid inserted in the front of the pipe to keep the heat in. Here is a starter similar to the one I bought.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Very nice Waddy!!! Thanks!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I use the BBQ starter as well. I twisted mine--took all my muscles but it still works fine.

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Evan McCartney

I use a 600 watt old style heating element that screws into a porcelain light fixture. Usually available on Ebay. An airplane strut makes a great cylinder for it.

Thanks to Coach Minard. Good to know a guy that builds guitars and has plane parts lying around.

Danny

http://mobilehomepartsstore.com/Merchan ... ode=210130
Here's another choice. I'm pretty sure you could control the temp also with a electric range control knob .

If you want to spring for an Ibex this is where I got mine.
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBEX-BENDING-IRON-a ... m153.l1262

I've heard of people using water heater elements with the voltage turned down low. The usually run about 3000 watts at 240v so you really have to choke them down. If you run it low enough you can use a submersible type.

I've also heard of people using halogen light bulbs. If the unit is sealed you won't be blinded. A 200 watt bulb will get really hot and it is easy to change once is burns out.

Just like the dudes be saying
a BB-Q charcoal starter, hot bent in a vise to fit in a 2" pipe.

Now Michale, since you use to using open flame, then you know about burn...so if you know about burn then don't bother with the rheostat to control the heat.

I too bent for many years with propane into an old cooking pot. Learned all about burn. So never bothered with a rheostat. Just mounted the pipe on top of an old vise...couple wraps of binding wire and plugged her in....never looked back ...works like a charm...ummm but ya know...sometimes she burns a bit...oh well.


Blessings
the
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I use one of these bulbs in a pipe:
http://www.lightbulbdepot.com/product.asp?prod=00999C
I bought the matching base and wired it up to a dimmer switch rated at 600W and enclosed everything in a box. It was about 2 years ago, but I think the total cost was less than $15. I never measured the temperature, but it gets hot enough to make water drops dance and wood bend.
Mike.

Two inch by half inch cartridge heating element from Grainger.

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Chris

I use a 300 watt incandescent in my 3" teardrop pipe and a 500 watt halogen in my 1 1/2" pipe with a 600 watt dimmer on each of them.

Thanks for all the replies to Mikes question. I want to go to an electric element also. I set off the CO monitor in another room away from the shop the last time I used the propane torch to heat my pipe. Kinda startled me a little, maybe I was about to take a dirt nap.
Bill