Heat Source for Holster Heat-Drying Box.

[Darren8306]

Block heaters from cars come in a few testable formats. I have one which is a plug, the heater, and a magnet to mount it to the offending oilpan. It was cheap and I keep it around for emergencies. There are more modern versions which come as a pad, and are made to be mounted under the battery, or onto the engine at a suitable location.

They may also be a bit cheaper than something marketed to pet fanciers.

[bruce johnson]

Here's something I stumbled across a while back....I fiddle-farted around with drying boxes with bulbs, a cooler with a light bulb, and the open-door low-heat in the kitchen oven when I was making a bunch of sheaths and molded stuff. They all worked and all required some level of baby-sitting. Fast forwarding to the full time tool restoration period of my shop life. I was having trouble with my rattle cans not spraying as well in the cold temps and then the paint being slow to cure. Several on-line tips - set the cans in a bucket of warm water an hour before, incubator, old smoker, etc. It worked. One restorer suggested the Dr DryBooth paint drying cabinet from MicroMark. Intended for hobby model painters for drying but he was using it to heat cans and preheat tools to accept treatments and then keep warm for penetration and drying.  I started with the XL size for drying splitter frames and set my cans to one side. I eventually got the other size vertical one on a special. I had a guy come by and saw them. He wondered how they would work for drying sheaths and holsters and bought one. His feedback a couple years ago to me was that is was really nice. Basically stack them in there, turn it on, and no babysitting. Controlled heat with airflow, no scorching risk, no babysitting and likely safer than his EasyBake oven set up in a flammable wooden box.  

[wizard of tragacanth]

 Bruce, that's a great product recommendation. I just looked it up and it's on sale with 25% off but there is additional shipping cost.

"Temperatures inside the cabinet can be set from approximately 135 degrees - great for finishing die-cast, other metals and wood - to approximately 100 to 105 degrees - ideal for plastic, resin and more."

People have mentioned using heat up to 140° for holsters but I think that's too high. 110° is perfect. 

https://micromark.com/products/dr-dry-booth

Nick

Edited 15 hours ago by wizard of tragacanth

[Yellowhousejake]

They still sell incandescent bulbs for rough service and utility service. Some hardware stores will have them, if not Jeff Bezos will take your money.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=incandescent+light+bulbs+100+watt

I do not like using Amazon, raised in a self employed family, I try to keep my money local. But, if the stores will not carry what I want I go to who does. When we find them, we stock up.

DAve