Tip: What is a Crockpot good for? A resin box warmer!

[SMO]

Answer: A resin box warmer!

For those who need to do fiberglass work in colder temperatures you might want to keep your resin and hardener warm so it sets up better. In my case, I let the shop cool to ~50* F at night and warm it up when I want to work in there. However I would like to keep the resin warm. So I made a box out of galvinized tin and surrounded it with 2" foam insulation. Then I needed a way to keep the box warm.

Eureka! A crockpot dismantled and the inner liner cut:


Readying the outer surface for cutting:


Wire it up and add some tabs:


And Voila!


Buy a cheap temperature controller off ebay - something for a bird brooder - that has a probe, wire it up, install the probe and it now keeps a reasonably constant temperature in the box:


It turns the heat on at 26* C and shuts it off at 27* C. The residual heat warms the space to ~31* C before it falls back to 26 *C and starts the cycle over. Here is the box all closed up:

[Mike S]

A small light bulb will do it also, keep the crock pot for making dinner.

[vfrazier]

Or steal wifey's heating pad and a old cooler.

Mark's solution is good too. Whatever heat source you have handy!

[whittfic]

The light bulb inside a box works well but be sure to protect the bulb from damage, and check that it's still in good condition from time to time. Resin fumes and air inside a confined container can become a bomb if exposed to a burning out filament.
Likelihood of it happening? Probably very low
Consequences if it does? Let's just say it will hurt if you are standing next to it!

Clive Whittfield
Auckland
New Zealand

[bobnoffs]

either with the lightbulb or the crockpot a $12 line voltage thermostat for baseboards will keep the temps where you want them for probably cheaper.
bob noffs

[catmandu]

Well, I think that is the cat's pajamas, Mark. Nice job, great pictures. I used a similar controller for my Keezer to keep my home brew chilled. Speaking of which, look at the time! Pardon me while I crack the lid and whip out a hose . . .

[David Paule]

Or drop a small fish tank heater into a large wide-mouth bottle of water, run the cord out the cap and seal it. Which I haven't tried.

But I made a dandy environment for rising bread dough out of a cooler, filling it a few inches deep with water, inserting a fish-tank heater, and floating covered bowls of bread dough in it to keep at the right temp while rising. I use it all winter. Have for several years. I've even got a dedicated cabinet in the kitchen for it.

Dave

[cattflight]

What a crock!

A Goldenrod also works well.

[panhandler1956]

Originally Posted by cattflight

What a crock!

A Goldenrod also works well.

I like it! Both the crock joke and the idea itself! Good show!