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PostPosted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 6:08 pm 
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 4:15 pm
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First name: Joey
Last Name: Holliday
City: Palmetto
State: Florida
Zip/Postal Code: 34221
Country: United States
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Status: Semi-pro
I recently bought a relatively inexpensive ($110.00) bending iron on Ebay from an 81 year old violin maker- seems like a nice fella. However, the bending iron worked for about 30 minutes. He has lifetime warranty and has already agreed to replace the heating element. After taking it apart I could tell that the heating element wasn't that great (to be expected for the price) and also the wire powering it seemed pretty small and the dimmer switch was not grounded. I'm thinking that I'll keep the replacement element as a backup and buy a higher quality one: http://www.cartridge-heater.com/eng/shop_product.php?r=13866

...as well as running a new wire with a ground and maybe adding a nicer dimmer switch since I have that stuff laying around anyway. I don't know much about wiring stuff. Anyone have any input as I've not done this before?


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 8:18 pm 
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City: Lenoir City
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Here's a thread were I rebuilt an Ibex bending iron and put a hotter heating element in it. Perhaps that will help.

http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=37310&hilit=ibex

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These users thanked the author SteveSmith for the post (total 2): dpetrzelka (Sun Sep 10, 2017 11:04 pm) • James Orr (Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:29 pm)
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 8:09 pm 
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First name: Kevin
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The element you linked to is 160 Watts at 230 Volts. You'll only get half the watts (heat) at 110 Volt.

I don't know how much you need for a bending iron but 80 Watts seems too low.

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PostPosted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:13 pm 
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Location: Southeast US
City: Lenoir City
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I agree 80W is too low. Not sure what the bending iron you have purchased looks like or how much metal needs to be heated. For comparisons sake, the one I put in the rebuilt Ibex was 400W and I turn it up about 60% or 70% when bending so actually using around 300W. The original was 200W I think and just didn't get hot enough.

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 10:52 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 4:15 pm
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First name: Joey
Last Name: Holliday
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State: Florida
Zip/Postal Code: 34221
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
Good call, they have so many elements that I'll have to call to find the right one.


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