Heating the press alternatives to blankets...

[TexMurphy]

Hey guys Ive got a few questions.

What I understand heating is important but not nessesary if room temperature. Though must be at least room temperature.

My problem is that my workshop isnt heated and is quite cold.

So I need to come up with a heating idea for my press.

Im gonna be using a vaccum press.

Ofcourse I could just get a few heat blankets and get it done with but they are quite expencive from what I have seen and the cheap ones Ive seen (for heating terrariums seem to be too weak (50-80watt only). So I need alternatives.

The main one Im pondering and one Id like to get oppinions is making a insulated box that I put over my press. The box has one wall (one of the short ones) missing. Where that wall should have been there is a heat fan such as you can have in a car.

Would this do? Anyone have a feeling for what temp one could achive inside such a box?

Thanks in advance
Tex

[breid19]

I have the same situation as you. I just cover my vacuum press with a tarp (like a tent) and place a heater inside. I gets to about 40 degress Celcius.

bill

[rockaukum]

I use a pellet stove to heat a small room in my shop. The only suggestion I would make and I'm sure others will confirm, when using open flame type heaters....Please use caution! No fires and watch out for the gases.
rockaukum

[scottychop]

You know those radiant floor heat pads you can put under your carpet or hardwood? Those come in all shapes and sizes, and have thermostat kits an everything. One could buy a small piece, trim to size (they are mesh), and stick it in there?

Just thinking outside (or inside) the box.
Scott

[TexMurphy]

You know those radiant floor heat pads you can put under your carpet or hardwood? Those come in all shapes and sizes, and have thermostat kits an everything. One could buy a small piece, trim to size (they are mesh), and stick it in there?

Just thinking outside (or inside) the box.
Scott

Do you have any pics of what you mean?

TEx

[hafte]

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... reNum=8125

[cal]

I too have a cold shop issue. I just pressed a splitboard the other day with good results. I kept the epoxy and most of the materials inside the house where it is nice and warm until it was time to press everything. I used a common electric blanket for the bed to preheat the mold, I did my layup (vacuum style, this will NOT work for pneumatic or hydraulic presses) and then put the electric blanket over the mold again covered with a couple regular blankets). In the morning everything seemed to be fully cured and nice and toasty warm. I got my electric blanket for free from a friend, but you should be able to find one for $40 or so at K-mart or Wal-mart or similar. Hope that helps.

CAL

[Greg]

One really cheap way to keep everything warm is to get a heating blanket from sears or any other store that sells mattresses and bedding. I have used one to keep all of my skis warm during pressing and it actually works pretty well. Additionally, you could use a heating blanket, then put an old blanket over the whole thing to keep the heat in. I found that with just the standard heat blanket, I was able to get the ski up to about 100 degrees F, which isn't all that hot, but it certainly helps to improve the results.

[ed]

Check out this guys liquid heated cat track. Seems like an interesting idea, I wonder how well it could work?

http://www.skibuilders.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1092

[Nick's Sticks]

Has anyone tried using a cars windshield defroster? You know, the grid that goes over your rear hatch. I think they are just some sort of conductive 'paint' at least that's all the repair kits are. It seems like it might work. My heat blanket works fine so I'm not going to mess around with unknown technology; I just wanted to through the idea out there.

[GreenState]

[quote="ed"]Check out this guys liquid heated cat track. Seems like an interesting idea, I wonder how well it could work?

Burton uses hot water lines ran through their molds top and bottom in their production presses. They have a ridiculous amount of really hot water on tap for this purpose, but it works really well.

[stenmark]

Hi,
This is my contribution to the cold shop/heating problem.
I disassembled an old drying cabinet for clothes. And build a larger cabinet keeping the heater. The heater has a built in fan which is great. The air inside the cabinet is alomst 100% equal temperature. I set the temp.switch to 40 deg. cels. Which is around twice the room temp. That gives me a ca.10h hardening process. I should say that I'm on the vaccum track.
And it will give consequences to my electric bill...

Here is the pictures I have for now. Sorry no pics with vaccum mold inside.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/26 ... directlink

[DutchDesigns]

I took it one step further and inbetween my bottom mold ribs I have fastened 1/2 hose just below the mold surface and am running a automotive recirculating block heater and a pump. The block heater keeps it between 130-140F and its not presurized, it just flows to a sump area and is pumped back through the system. Still in the process of getting to finally do a full run (sick of trials), should only be a few weeks now. Will try to get pics and if anyone has any more ideas let me know...