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I've just made a bending machine with a heating blanket, but I've realised I need a bending iron as well for touching up and other things. I was thinking of getting a metal pipe, rolling up the heating blanket and putting it inside to power it. Is this safe or will the blanket overheat? I do have a regulator for it.
If not, I guess I'll just get a heat gun or something.

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Hi Peter
I wouldn't recommend using a heating blanket in this manner as damage to the blanket is likely.
They're meant to be used with a heat absorbing, transfer material next to them. ie bending slats.
I think a lot of people are using an electric BBQ charcoal starter with success. They run for around 20
bucks around here. Just noticed you're in UK so I'm not sure where you could source one. I normally use a blanket and form with slats for bending. I don't often use a pipe but when I do I use a torch.
Ken

This is just my take on using a rolled up blanket. My view says that it would burn up the blanket, having it rolled up and heating itself inside the pipe. If you had a short blanket, that would only be one layer inside the pipe it might work fine without burning up the blanket.

I heat my bending iron with an electric charcoal lighter and control with a router speed controller. It works fine. My pipe is a section of truck tail pipe that I cut in half, split the cut off, taking out about 1/2" lengthwise and inserting inside the other half to thicken the wall. Then I bent the lighter and inserted it into the pipe so it was a tight fit. Works just fine. I did insert a jar lid into the end of the pipe to protect me from escaping heat.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

We use the pipe bender described in this thread almost every day -- read the entire thread, timer, controller and temperature senor are important and simple and inexpensive to fabricate as well.

http://acousticguitarconstructionforum. ... ?f=8&t=794

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

That's what I was thinking might happen.
For some reason you can't seem to get electric BBQ lighters in the UK unless you pay ridiculous shipping charges from the US!
Thanks Ken, I've seen your bender before somewhere - that's what gave me the idea. My blanket's a bit too big to wrap around only once though, hence rolling it up and putting it inside.
I think I'll try using a heat gun instead. I've seen a few of them on youtube that seem pretty simple.

Edit: Just realised how cheap those small blankets are! Seems a lot more controllable than a heat gun.

_________________
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

A heat gun works well for me.

Propane torch.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Electric BBQ lighters available in the UK £9.07. 800 watt, 240V
https://www.alza.co.uk/clatronic-electric-lighter-ega-3404-d1182962.htm?kampan=adeupla-uk_produkty_vareni&country=GB&gclid=Cj0KEQjw9JuuBRC2xPG59dbzkpIBEiQAzv4-GyhcCmIRWpKvsFjnFFDABh1KkfPKBi1ohWjlY3zIftkaAjr_8P8HAQ
Larger ones are also available, but not really necessary.
800 watt dimmer switch might be useful but is actually more expensive, especially after adding a mounting box....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIMMER-SWITCH-1-Gang-2-Way-800-Watt-Push-Aurora-Branded-/300435192648?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item45f3553b48

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

We did used a propane torch set up for many years --- I went to the electric element after what could have been a very bad incident. I had let a good friend of mine use the pipe and benders for his project. I was in the shop at the time, but never thought to check the propane torch -- I discovered the next morning that the torch still had a low flame burning over night. That reminded me that I had a "good memory but it is short"

For me it usually safety first with timers and shut offs --- took this to get me off my butt and modernize the pipe bender a little.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Somebody posted sometime in the last six months or so about using one of these with a PID. I think it's these. Couldn't find the thread though. Maybe someone else can?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-300W-M ... 014wt_1145
I really like this idea and might build one sometime for doing tight radius stuff. I think they come in other wattages as well. Just a tidbit of info for anybody searching for tidbits.
The price is right. No lads, I didn't say timbits
Ken

Pity on the link you attached the first thing I saw was "Does not ship to the UK" !!! Cheers, Bob

I use a steel pipe and a cheap heat gun that I got at Screwfix for a tenner. Works fine. Use no 2 heat setting to get it up to temperature (about 5 mins) then turn it down to 1 and it holds pretty steady. Watch out for blowback melting the plastic on the gun! I use a soldering mat with a hole cut in it to protect the gun. Also prop the gun up so that the metal mozzle does not touch your pipe or the gun can overheat and cut out.

Cheers, Bob

Heat gun works well for me and they're usually pretty inexpensive. And it can have other uses around the house.

I have built a pipe bender using a cartridge heater, similar to the one shown in this Youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mic5PHIzBvM
The cartridge heaters from China should be available on ebay and the cost is pretty low.

Richard

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Richard

I don't see why you couldn't use a small one that would fit inside the pipe without rolling it up on itself then fill the pipe with shot or BB's which should prevent the heater from burning itself up and also hold the heat.

Here's a link that I think I originally got from Ken.

http://www.omega.com/pptst/SRMU_HEATER.html

Here's the UK link
http://www.omega.co.uk/pptst/SRMU_HEATER.html

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

This is brilliant, thank you! I've gone for this method. Just ordered all the parts for £16 ($25) including shipping.

_________________
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Ken, my dimmer, outlet and timer are set up pretty much just like yours. Each time I plug it in, I always wonder if I turned it off last time or just let the time run out. The night light is genius in its simplicity! No more coming back a few minuets later and realizing it didn't heat up.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Why not just lay your blanket over a pipe. Why shove it inside where it is likely to wreck the blanket.

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Michael F Smith
Goat Rock Ukulele
http://goatrockukulele.com

Thanks Bryan -- I looked at an outlet with a pilot --- $$ yikes!


I think someone above mentioned it already -- but the blanket cannot be free standing it must be against a heat sink or it will burn up very quickly.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/