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I just wonder if I should go with 800 rather than 1200 for any reason?

And what kind of off-the-shelf unit could I use for controlling temperature? I'm struggling to find something.

Thanks in advance for any advice,
Nick

Nick, you might want to PM Fred Tellier about controllers. He's helped quite a few people, and he is a really good guy!

Alex

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Thanks, Alex! Will do.

I think I'm going to order it tonight. 1200 watt must be ok or there wouldn't be demand? Guess it'll just speed up the process.

My blanket, from Omega, was rated at 10 watts and I could have gotten a 5 watt model so I'm a bit confused about 800 - 1200 watt heating blankets.

I just looked again at the Omega specs ad noticed it's 5 or 10 watts per sq inch so not sure how that relates. I got the 10 watt PSI and it very hot very very fast - will smoke itself pretty quickly if not watched carefully..

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Thank You and Best To All

Easiest off the shelf temp controller is a router speed controller from Harbor Freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/router-spe ... 43060.html

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Thank You and Best To All

These are they...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Keenovo-Silicone-Heater-Heating-Blanket-Guitar-Side-Bender-6-X-36-800W-220V-/271396127432?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Access_RL&hash=item3f307842c8
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Keenovo-Silicone-Heater-Heating-Blanket-Guitar-Side-Bender-15-95cm-1200W-220V-/281264981600?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Access_RL&hash=item417cb30660

36 inch by 6 inch = area of 220ish, divide the 1200 by that and it seems like the 1200 watt is 5 per square inch... Or is that 10? Electronics is not something I tend to touch to often.

Would you say the 10 is overkill? Or just advising to be careful with it?

I may have to get one of those harbor freight ones. Can't find them over here. Maybe I'm not looking right.

Thanks for the help, Larry!

I really like the blanket i have and couldn't imagine having only half the power. It's a bit like horsepower, can't really have too much but you have to be more careful. So to answer your question more directly, no I don't think the 10 is overkill.

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Awesome. Cheers, Larry!
Now to work out if I got that maths right. I hope the 1200 is 10w psi!

EDIT: No, it looks like it's definitely is 5w psi. So thank goodness I risked overposting and asked! The hunt continues....

Larry, I just checked on Omega, and they don't list a 10w psi 6 x 36" blanket... What size did you get?

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Keenovo-Silicone-Heater-Blanket-6-X37-4-1-2KW-220V-w-Rainbow-Thermostat-0-200-C-/00/s/MTA1NlgxNTg0/z/tLAAAOxy4fVTFHYp/$_58.JPG
I can get that with it for 12 quid extra. Should be as good as the router controller but only goes up to 200 degrees C (392 fareingheit).

That site is very hard to navigate for me. It's been a very long time and can't recall what I ordered or what I got. Sorry I can't be of any more help.

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Thank You and Best To All

No worries at all, Larry, thanks for all your help! I'll hold off on ordering a little longer!
Cheers,
Nick

Anyone else using a 5 watt per square inch one happily?

If IIRC the blanket I use is 2.5 W /sq.in. and it works fine. I think many people use the 5 watt blankets. In the U.S. household voltage is 110v, so a 10w blanket could potentially draw over 18 amps - exceeding the recommended limit for many branch circuits. In England with 220v circuits the amperage may not be a concern (what gage wire is used for branch circuits there?).
The 5w blanket might be easier to find a controller for also.

That is not a temperature controller, it will control the amount of power to the blanket but does not control the temperature, you must do that by monitoring the temperature. A temperature controller uses a thermocouple to monitor and adjust automatically to the temperature you have set then will hold it within a couple degrees of the set temperature.

I also added a timer to my controller box as sometimes a person can get distracted and might forget the controller is still heating the wood, 15 minutes is plenty long enough to bend and set a side.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
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Cool, thanks, Clay! That makes m'mind up! I don't know what gauge wire we use. If i need something wired, I call a mate!

Thanks Fred, Does this rainbow controller fit the bill?

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Keenovo-Silicone-Heater-Blanket-6-X37-4-1-2KW-220V-w-Rainbow-Thermostat-0-200-C-/00/s/MTA1NlgxNTg0/z/tLAAAOxy4fVTFHYp/$_58.JPG

It does look like the Rainbow has a thermo coupler. I assume the dial is used to set heat in Celsius. If those are true it should work as a controller... how good of a controller? That would be the question. The kind I am use to shows the actual temp and the set temp in a digital display. That does give you a better feeling for what is going on.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Thanks for the input, Joe! That's kinda what I figured. I bought it anyway. For £12 it's worth a shot! Was dispatched yesterday.
Cheers!

Definitely interested in how you get on with this blanket, as I have been considering one myself

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

And Nick please let us know how that controller goes. I've been looking for something in 220v that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Cheers,
Shane

Will do, Shane, no worries!

building a blanket controller is easy, look up some of Freds posts...mine consists of a pid controller, ebay for about 35 bucks , 20 amp solid state relay, thermocouple wire , cheap timer and a regular 110 outlet..

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MK5acoustics.com

Very neat. Lucky you didn't post before I bought it or my brother would've given me an even harder time for not making it myself! Mine was only £12 though!? If it works well, it will have saved some dough.

(Thinking about it, I probably didn't do enough searching about the controller, just asked. My bad.)

Hi All,

I got back from holiday a couple of days ago and the blanket arrived today. It's porbably a couple of weeks before i can test it but here are some pics for now...

£72 on eBay direct from Keenovo - free delivery took just less than 3 weeks.

I still need to put a plug on it. The controller seems good to me, if it works well. The thermometer connection is a bare silver wire, I don't know if that's usual or what?

The controller worked out to £12, so I don't mind if I have to buy another one. I thought it was worth the gamble. As soon as I've made my bender and mould, I'm going to give it a full test and I'll report my findings.

Would love to hear any thoughts from those who were waiting to see what I thought of it.

I'd be interested to see if this works too. Just been thinking about upgrading to a bending machine myself. Where did you find that controller though? The only one from keenovo I can find on ebay is this one for £60... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-PID-C ... 417fc23b91

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