Crock Pot Surgery!

[imaradiostar]

thus my post
$16.89

these work really well; people use them for Cooking Sous Vide!
Cooking Sous Vide the DIY Way | Popular Science

I cooked some steak this way over the weekend- it was really excellent!

Do you own the controller you linked? I think I could use one for a glue pot and one for sous vide cooking!

jamie

[big_teee]

I cooked some steak this way over the weekend- it was really excellent!

Do you own the controller you linked? I think I could use one for a glue pot and one for sous vide cooking!

jamie

You guys are making me Hungry!
T

[David Schwab]

I was going to start a thread on my Crock Pot Little Dipper 16 oz crock pot intended for warming dips and sauces. I finally got around to trying it out and besides taking a long time to melt 1/2 lb of paraffin it did do the job. I think it has a 150 degree thermostat because the wax never got any higher than that. I'd unplug it from time to time to keep the temperature where I wanted it using a digital meat thermometer. If you check out the listing at Amazon you will see that most of the people who bought it also bought various hobby paraphernalia and not other culinary items so it is evidently popular with hobbyists of all kinds. ($12.95 and eligible for free shipping)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]17098[/ATTACH]

Crock Pot Little Dipper

I just ordered one of these. It will be here on Wednesday. My paraffin warmer has gotten leaky, and takes a lot of wax, so I'll hoping to replace it with the crock pot.

[David Schwab]

I was going to start a thread on my Crock Pot Little Dipper 16 oz crock pot intended for warming dips and sauces. I finally got around to trying it out and besides taking a long time to melt 1/2 lb of paraffin it did do the job. I think it has a 150 degree thermostat because the wax never got any higher than that. I'd unplug it from time to time to keep the temperature where I wanted it using a digital meat thermometer. If you check out the listing at Amazon you will see that most of the people who bought it also bought various hobby paraphernalia and not other culinary items so it is evidently popular with hobbyists of all kinds. ($12.95 and eligible for free shipping)

Did you measure the temperature? If so, what did you use to measure it? Mine seems to get damn hot. It gets uncomfortable to touch. I stuck a meat thermometer into it, but it turned around so many times I couldn't tell what it was saying! First I thought it was 200°F, but then it looked around 140°. I can also start to smell the wax. So I also unplug it for a while. I'll have to get a candy thermometer and see if I get a more accurate reading.

Other than that it works fine, and isn't leaking like my old paraffin warmer did. But it does get awfully hot.

[big_teee]

Did you measure the temperature? If so, what did you use to measure it? Mine seems to get damn hot. It gets uncomfortable to touch. I stuck a meat thermometer into it, but it turned around so many times I couldn't tell what it was saying! First I thought it was 200°F, but then it looked around 140°. I can also start to smell the wax. So I also unplug it for a while. I'll have to get a candy thermometer and see if I get a more accurate reading.

Other than that it works fine, and isn't leaking like my old paraffin warmer did. But it does get awfully hot.

Same with my mini Crock Pot.
I use a barbeque cooking thermometer.
I start with it on high, then right before all the wax melts, I plug it into my Dim Bulb Limiter.
That keeps it around 140.
T

[Steve A.]

Did you measure the temperature? If so, what did you use to measure it? Mine seems to get damn hot. It gets uncomfortable to touch... But it does get awfully hot.

The first time I tried it out it must have taken over an hour to melt a little more than a pound of paraffin. So once it was melted and seemed to be the right temperature I measured it with a digital meat thermometer and it read between 140 and 150 degrees. I wasn't potting a real pickup but just a loop of wire for a dummy coil so it only took a few minutes. The second time I used I wasn't watching it like a hawk and when I tested it with my digital thermometer it was around 200 degrees. Yikes! Not the best thing to leave unattended- what temperature does paraffin catch fire?

I may take it apart and see if there is a thermal switch that I could replace with one that has a lower temperature. Or I could use my variac and figure out what voltage keeps the temperature right around 140 degrees- and then use Ohms law to figure out the resistor I would need to get that voltage plugged directly into the wall. But I think it would be better to replace the thermal switch if I can find one that will work.

Steve Ahola

[Steve A.]

Same with my mini Crock Pot.
I use a barbeque cooking thermometer.
I start with it on high, then right before all the wax melts, I plug it into my Dim Bulb Limiter.
That keeps it around 140.
T

So what value bulb or combination of bulb do you use for your mini Crock Pot? Or is that one of those things that if you told me you'd have to kill me?

I was looking at your drawing with the radio plugged into your Dim Bulb Limiter. I think it would be easier to just use the volume control if the radio was too loud.



I don't know if anybody mentioned this yet, but those Dim Bulb Limiters are great for testing a tube amp for excessive current after repairs, etc. If the light burns brighter than normal something is drawing too much current.

Thanks!

Steve Ahola

[big_teee]

Yes the amp testing is why I built the tester.
Mine is a 2 bulb lite fixture.
I keep a 100, and 75Watt in it.
I can screw in one or both bulbs.
It is really a pretty neat gadget.
I bought a whole drawer full of bulbs, just for my tester.
I thought they were going to take them off the market.
I will try to take a picture of it.
T

[tedmich]

I cooked some steak this way over the weekend- it was really excellent!

Do you own the controller you linked? I think I could use one for a glue pot and one for sous vide cooking!

jamie

yes, I built a 4kw Watlow immersion heater into a 100 gallon tank for a local soap maker; these units are all made in SEA and marked up 10-30 fold by Omega/McMaster, buy them on ebay/Dealextreme (like LEDs) and save a TON!

fusing is a good idea; current AND thermal (cheap insurance!)

[big_teee]

yes, I built a 4kw Watlow immersion heater into a 100 gallon tank for a local soap maker; these units are all made in SEA and marked up 10-30 fold by Omega/McMaster, buy them on ebay/Dealextreme (like LEDs) and save a TON!

fusing is a good idea; current AND thermal (cheap insurance!)

That thing is Huge!
My wife could really cook a big stew in that.
B_T

[David Schwab]

The first time I tried it out it must have taken over an hour to melt a little more than a pound of paraffin. So once it was melted and seemed to be the right temperature I measured it with a digital meat thermometer and it read between 140 and 150 degrees. I wasn't potting a real pickup but just a loop of wire for a dummy coil so it only took a few minutes. The second time I used I wasn't watching it like a hawk and when I tested it with my digital thermometer it was around 200 degrees. Yikes! Not the best thing to leave unattended- what temperature does paraffin catch fire?

This was my observation as well. The first couple of times I used it, it did not get as hot. It seems to get hotter now and melts a half pound of wax in about a half hour.

I looked it up and the flash point for paraffin wax is 356°F. That's a relief!

[Steve A.]

I looked it up and the flash point for paraffin wax is 356°F. That's a relief!

I always used a double boiler on the stove so that there were no hot spots, but I would be very careful around a gas range! Poof!

I was just thinking that the Mini Crock Pot (if tamed!) would be great for potting things like small circuit boards- like the Fender Eric Clapton Mid Boost board. I installed one of them in a lap steel a few months ago using true bypass to keep the authentic sound of the pickup (which is how the Richie Sambora model is wired up) and the darned leads kept breaking off the PCB. I think I had to resolder every one of them, and some of them more than once. I've used silicone or hot melt glue to secure leads in the past which was always a real bear to remove. The wax would also act as an insulator to keep things from shorting out. If the board was too big for the Mini Crock you could spoon some on the board with a ladle. Just a thought...

So what percentage of beeswax do people use for potting? I couldn't find it locally but I did find a seller on Amazon that participated in the Super Saver program (free shipping over $25) so I got 2 lb for $16. Niche sites like ones for hobbies are notorious for having outrageous s/h charges... just because they can. In the US we have Priority Shipment boxes- if it fits in the box it qualifies for the flat rate (~$5 to $15 depending on the size.) That simplifies things for sellers on eBay, etc., since they don't have to weigh the item and compute the charges by zip code. Of course free shipping is even better (for the customer!)

Steve Ahola

P.S. You could use the Mini Crock for waterproofing wooden matches! If you look on the Amazon site it looks like most of the people buying them were hobbyists. Not a lot of fondue aficionados in the bunch.

[big_teee]

I always used a double boiler on the stove so that there were no hot spots, but I would be very careful around a gas range! Poof!

I was just thinking that the Mini Crock Pot (if tamed!) would be great for potting things like small circuit boards- like the Fender Eric Clapton Mid Boost board. I installed one of them in a lap steel a few months ago using true bypass to keep the authentic sound of the pickup (which is how the Richie Sambora model is wired up) and the darned leads kept breaking off the PCB. I think I had to resolder every one of them, and some of them more than once. I've used silicone or hot melt glue to secure leads in the past which was always a real bear to remove. The wax would also act as an insulator to keep things from shorting out. If the board was too big for the Mini Crock you could spoon some on the board with a ladle. Just a thought...

So what percentage of beeswax do people use for potting? I couldn't find it locally but I did find a seller on Amazon that participated in the Super Saver program (free shipping over $25) so I got 2 lb for $16. Niche sites like ones for hobbies are notorious for having outrageous s/h charges... just because they can. In the US we have Priority Shipment boxes- if it fits in the box it qualifies for the flat rate (~$5 to $15 depending on the size.) That simplifies things for sellers on eBay, etc., since they don't have to weigh the item and compute the charges by zip code. Of course free shipping is even better (for the customer!)

Steve Ahola

P.S. You could use the Mini Crock for waterproofing wooden matches! If you look on the Amazon site it looks like most of the people buying them were hobbyists. Not a lot of fondue aficionados in the bunch.

I think Bees Wax is a Myth.
I have opened a lot of pickups and I've never found anything but regular wax, like Canning wax.
IMO it is one of those things that is in the Magic formula that everyone supposedly uses.
I thin my canning wax with pure Paraffin oil.
You can also use a little mineral oil.
Good Luck,
Terry

[Steve A.]

I think Bees Wax is a Myth.
I have opened a lot of pickups and I've never found anything but regular wax, like Canning wax.
IMO it is one of those things that is in the Magic formula that everyone supposedly uses...

I don't go for Magic Beans either but doesn't adding beeswax (or paraffin or mineral oil) make the paraffin more flexible and less likely to flake off? I've been potting pickups around my house with paraffin ever since I got the Donald Brosnac book in the early 80's and it worked fine- although I eventually learned that some pickups sound better without potting. But I've been having trouble with my 300 ohm dummy coils made from 38GA magnet wire wrapped around an aluminum can to support the wire and to allow me to dip it in wax. After removing the can with a knife much of the wax flakes off and I really need to wrap them with electrical tape to hold them together. So I'm hoping that the beeswax will help with that.

For covered humbuckers that are microphonic before I get my wax pot out I try less drastic measures. After removing the pickup from the cover I will cover the slug coil with one or two layers of electrical tape. And sometimes I will wrap the coils with Teflon tape if I think that the outer windings are loose. If it is still microphonic I might dip it (cover and all) into the paraffin very briefly just to fit the space between the innards and the covers, until the bubbles stop coming out (maybe 5 minutes max.)

Steve Ahola

P.S. I need to get a family crest wax seal ring and would use it on all of my correspondence only I'm not sure how I would get the wax inside my computer for email.

[big_teee]

On the Flaking, maybe add 5-10% bees wax.
That should make it more flexible.
I use the gulf brand canning wax with good results.
I add a lid full of the lamp paraffin oil now and then.
I've found with Hum buckers that most of the issues is with the cover not the pickup.
with humbuckers, I pot the pickup with the cover off.
Drip some wax in the cover then solder it on.
If it is still microphonic, I pot it cover and all.
I do drain most of the wax out of the cover.
T