Where Do You Buy A Hot Plate Without All The OSHA Safety Cr*p?

UtopiaTexasG19 · August 23, 2011, 06:54 AM

I am getting ready to try out a new 6 cavity mold and need a electric hot plate to pre-warm the mold. All the hot plates on the Internet I find now have a safety device that turns them on and off at 190F! Is this warm enough to pre-heat properly? I sure am glad our government is helping to keep us from scalding ourselves with boiling water since we have dumbed down since childhood.

Crosshair · August 23, 2011, 07:03 AM

I just set them on top of the furnace.

steve4102 · August 23, 2011, 07:09 AM

I use hot plates in my home made smoker. I just take them apart and bypass the auto-shut thingy.

Shootest · August 23, 2011, 07:14 AM

In 25 years of casting I have never used a hot plate. Aluminum moulds preheat quickly on top of the furnace.

maggys drawers · August 23, 2011, 10:27 AM

Try Wally World, Walgreens or Harbor Freight. I got mine at Walgreens, heats my 6 cavity up real nice.

AlaskaMike · August 23, 2011, 10:36 AM

Agreed--I got mine at Wal-mart. The hot plate warms the mould up much better than setting it on top of the furnace.

Also, once I got my mould up to temp I turn the heat down on the hot plate and use it to pre-heat my ingots before I put them in the pot.

mkl · August 23, 2011, 12:10 PM

I use this one:http://www.amazon.com/Maxi-Matic-ESB...4119010&sr=8-1

and it gets plenty hot.

Main reason I like it is that it has a solid plate top made of cast iron instead of the heating coil. Heating is much more even than the coil burner type.

I don't cast, but I can tell you the cast iron plate will glow dull red on high which should suffice for your needs.

**Mike Irwin** · August 23, 2011, 12:14 PM

When I was casting I used a blow torch with a duckbill spreader on it.

**Unclenick** · August 23, 2011, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by utopiaTexasG19

All the hot plates on the Internet I find now have a safety device that turns them on and off at 190F!

Something's wrong there. That won't even boil water (212°F). You must have found some kind of warmer rather than a hot plate, at least, not a hot plate the way I use the term.

Dave P · August 23, 2011, 03:38 PM

What's a furnace???

UtopiaTexasG19 · August 23, 2011, 03:38 PM

I looked at reviews at the Wal-Mart and Amazon web sites and many complained that the hot plates did indeed cycle on and off all the time and would not even boil water. Maybe just poor construction from China!

**Unclenick** · August 23, 2011, 03:43 PM

Then they're warmers. Don't know what else to call them. I took a quick look and noticed one brand seemed to be everywhere. That may be the problem. The factory could have tried a conversion from °C to °F and got it backward.

langenc · August 23, 2011, 03:50 PM

What's a furnace???
posted above..#10 by Dave who needs to get out and about

Another name is anti-air conditioner!!

Crosshair · August 23, 2011, 06:32 PM

Quote:

What's a furnace???

furnace, Noun - an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.

For casting bullets they tend to look like this.

Hope that helps.

chris in va · August 23, 2011, 10:33 PM

Found mine at the local Big Lots for $12. Heard they shut off a bit early so I took out the switch and filed off the stop a bit. Melts wheelweights in a little iron skillet well enough, but not ideal.

jmorris · August 24, 2011, 08:10 AM

The heater for my casting machine is about as anti OSHA as you can get. It is just a 3500 watt 230vac oven element wrapped around a pipe. I use a solidstate relay and PID to control temp but if you just plug one in they will keep going up in temp until they melt.

Shootest · August 24, 2011, 11:16 AM

You have to forgive Dave he is from Florida, they don’t know what a furnace is down there.

hAkron · August 24, 2011, 09:52 PM

Also try the housewares section at a Goodwill or Salvation Army

fyrecalg17 · August 24, 2011, 10:08 PM

You just need one with higher wattage. This one at Wally World will definitely boil water.

And living in Houston, where we average 2 days a year below 32 degrees..... what the heck is a furnace?

August 23, 2011, 07:03 AM	#2
Crosshair Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2004 Location: Grand Forks, ND Posts: 5,333	I just set them on top of the furnace. __________________ I don't carry a gun to go looking for trouble, I carry a gun in case trouble finds me.

August 23, 2011, 07:14 AM	#4
Shootest Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2011 Location: Just outside Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 722	In 25 years of casting I have never used a hot plate. Aluminum moulds preheat quickly on top of the furnace. __________________ The private ownership of firearms is an American Heritage. Anyone who disputes that is Anti-American and unpatriotic. NRA Life Member

August 23, 2011, 12:14 PM	#8
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	When I was casting I used a blow torch with a duckbill spreader on it. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 23, 2011, 03:43 PM	#12
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	Then they're warmers. Don't know what else to call them. I took a quick look and noticed one brand seemed to be everywhere. That may be the problem. The factory could have tried a conversion from °C to °F and got it backward. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

August 24, 2011, 11:16 AM	#17
Shootest Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2011 Location: Just outside Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 722	You have to forgive Dave he is from Florida, they don’t know what a furnace is down there. __________________ The private ownership of firearms is an American Heritage. Anyone who disputes that is Anti-American and unpatriotic. NRA Life Member

August 23, 2011, 06:54 AM	#1
UtopiaTexasG19 Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Location: S.E. Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 743	*Where Do You Buy A Hot Plate Without All The OSHA Safety Crp?** I am getting ready to try out a new 6 cavity mold and need a electric hot plate to pre-warm the mold. All the hot plates on the Internet I find now have a safety device that turns them on and off at 190F! Is this warm enough to pre-heat properly? I sure am glad our government is helping to keep us from scalding ourselves with boiling water since we have dumbed down since childhood.

August 23, 2011, 07:09 AM	#3
steve4102 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,955	I use hot plates in my home made smoker. I just take them apart and bypass the auto-shut thingy.

August 23, 2011, 10:27 AM	#5
maggys drawers Senior Member Join Date: March 4, 2006 Posts: 178	Try Wally World, Walgreens or Harbor Freight. I got mine at Walgreens, heats my 6 cavity up real nice.

August 23, 2011, 10:36 AM	#6
AlaskaMike Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Posts: 941	Agreed--I got mine at Wal-mart. The hot plate warms the mould up much better than setting it on top of the furnace. Also, once I got my mould up to temp I turn the heat down on the hot plate and use it to pre-heat my ingots before I put them in the pot.

August 23, 2011, 12:10 PM	#7
mkl Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2008 Location: DFW area, Texas Posts: 494	I use this one:http://www.amazon.com/Maxi-Matic-ESB...4119010&sr=8-1 and it gets plenty hot. Main reason I like it is that it has a solid plate top made of cast iron instead of the heating coil. Heating is much more even than the coil burner type. I don't cast, but I can tell you the cast iron plate will glow dull red on high which should suffice for your needs.

August 23, 2011, 03:38 PM	#10
Dave P Senior Member Join Date: August 16, 1999 Location: North Florida Posts: 1,346	What's a furnace??? __________________ I think this country is screwed.

August 23, 2011, 03:50 PM	#13
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,551	What's a furnace??? posted above..#10 by Dave who needs to get out and about Another name is anti-air conditioner!!

August 23, 2011, 10:33 PM	#15
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	Found mine at the local Big Lots for $12. Heard they shut off a bit early so I took out the switch and filed off the stop a bit. Melts wheelweights in a little iron skillet well enough, but not ideal.

August 24, 2011, 08:10 AM	#16
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 3,077	The heater for my casting machine is about as anti OSHA as you can get. It is just a 3500 watt 230vac oven element wrapped around a pipe. I use a solidstate relay and PID to control temp but if you just plug one in they will keep going up in temp until they melt.

August 24, 2011, 09:52 PM	#18
hAkron Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2011 Location: Akron, Ohio Posts: 318	Also try the housewares section at a Goodwill or Salvation Army

August 24, 2011, 10:08 PM	#19
fyrecalg17 Junior Member Join Date: August 24, 2011 Posts: 6	You just need one with higher wattage. This one at Wally World will definitely boil water. And living in Houston, where we average 2 days a year below 32 degrees..... what the heck is a furnace?