Official Luthiers Forum!

I noticed the "Little Dipper" one pint crock pot at the big ol' kitchen store the other day. I figured for $15 it was worth trying. Plus if it didn't work I'd have an excuse to eat more melted cheese products. I've tried the hot pot, but on mine, the lowest setting on the thermostat ranges between 145-155 and has a fairly large cycle range.

I got it home, did a little reading and found out others already were using it. I don't know how I missed those threads last year. When I plugged mine in full of water it settled in around 180 degrees F. Without the lid, it moved around a bit in the 125 range. Can anyone who is using is successfully expand on their set up?

I'd also like to hear people's thoughts - If it can get up to 180, does that mean it would be scalding the glue each morning when it was warming up? It seems to me that the bottom layer would get pretty hot before the glue thinned down and spread the heat about?

Thanks,

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

That's a large temp range. Mine runs right at 140F with the lid off. If I put the lid on it will get up to 150+F. I keep it full of water and put the HHG in a 1 or 2 oz plastic squeeze bottle.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Thanks, Steve, I'll do some more experiments and see if I can figure out what going on. Are you measuring the temperature of the water or of the glue?

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

I picked one up a few years ago and it ran hot. I wasn't able to get it down in an acceptable range. And of course an hour after I got it home my wife was taking it to a party full of cheese.

With no lid, it still sits around 128. But, when I throw in a 2.7 ounce empty spice jar, it displaces enough surface area to raise the temperature to 138-139. I expect that with two small glue bottles will settle in around 140-145. We'll see how it goes.

Not bad for $15. But I was really looking forward to some queso.

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

I have been using mine for a couple of weeks now. I have 2 very accurate thermometers, one for water and one for glue. Water stays at 160 and glue stays at 140-148 in baby food jar, if I keep the lid on the Little Dipper. Some people cut a hole in the center of the lid to access glue with a brush, and claim temps remain the same.

Bob

I just keep a thermometer in the water. I don't think the HHG is all that picky although you don't want to cook it.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"