Big Hide Glue Pot Questions–Including baby bottle heater question.
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Avent-Express-Bottle-Warmer/dp/B001C3I1AA/ref=pd_ybh_5?pf_rd_p=280800601&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1501&pf_rd_i=ybh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0B7D3Y6QW70516JQXR0V It is a Philips Avent. Looks very stable; big base. It has three settings. I am thinking it will not get too hot on low once warmed up on high. The manufacture site says max is 85° C (about 185° F). Too hot; should be 140°F to 150°F. Some say it is designed to heat cold things from the refridgerater and on medium and high setting it can get way too hot even though it has an upper limit and doesn’t go beyond the temp I posted. There is almost no mention of the low setting. So; will any woodworkers actually using it tell me the facts? I was looking at the various suppliers of the glue pots made for woodworking such as this http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/electricgluepot.aspx Is this $70 dollar copper insert from Old Mill https://www.oldemill.com/store/product_info.php/cPath/36/products_id/176?osCsid=accdc21de3cd244b60da13790ce04dba smaller than the aluminum one ? Does it go inside the aluminum one ? It is out of my price range for now unless it is way great and the only right way to go. and it even looks like they don’t use water in the outer, heating, container like a double boiler any more. In addition I was thinking I want hot water on hand to thin the glue after a while and having it in the double boiler ready to add to the glue seems like a good idea. Can I just put water in the outer part of the pot or are some dry use only ? I don’t really need this much glue and figured I would just get a baby bottle warmer when it came time to use hot glue on a regular basis instead of the on the hot plate halffast way I been going at it up till now. I haven’t found THEE best baby bottle warmer yet so what do ya say?
Replies
Baby Bottles
Roc,
It looks like the first model you listed has an adjustable temp dial on the front, so It would most likley work.
For what it's worth, I buy used "Parents Choice" bottle heaters off ebay. They are the perfect size to hold a 1/2 pint jelly mason jar (which is what I store my hide glue in), and on full blast, they heat the glue to 145 degrees, which for me is perfect.
Hope this helps,
I may be on the right track after all
Gregory,
Hey thanks. The Parents Choice looks very much like the one I was thinking about. Looks like same temp adjust knob to.
Cool,
Crock pots with temperature controls also work, and are often found at tag sales or at Goodwill stores. Of course a new one should be available at under $30.
concerned about spacing jar with glue up off bottom of heater
Thanks Steve,
The ceramic crock makes a lot of sense for holding the heat and being an efficiently designed heater. I was looking at a fondue pot but was all stainless and it seemed like it might dissipate heat into my shop rather than keep the heat in. I don't need any more heat in the summer in the shop if I can help it. No windows to open.
Are you thinking just put the glue right in the ceramic crock or put jar or a bowl in with water between crock and glue container? Problem is spacing jar up off bottom so doesn't over heat lowest layer of glue. I am probably over thinking this but have , like I said, been using less than ideal stuff and I would like something that keeps heat in as much as possible and is not precarious to use.
As you pointed out a crock is less than $30. If the dedicated glue pots don't have a water jacket I am paying about a hundred dollars more for a couple of wire bail handles.
I've used a wide mouth mason jar in a large pot, and a large bab;y food (juniors) in the mini-pot. Jars allow capping and refridgerating if you won't need to use the glue for a while.
I've just set the jars on the bottom, surrounded by the water. The jars don't have super flat bottoms so I suspect there is at least some water circulation. I don't usually have the glue pot going all day, so some might need to have a small spacer--a flat coil of wire sized to fit in the bottom might work and not make it tricky to put the jar back in.
Wire coil is a great idea
I see. Thank You
Roc,
I have used an older model of that exact same baby bottle warmer for several years now. It is a hand-me-down from my sister that ended up in the storage room when our kids no longer needed it. It only holds a relatively small jar of glue (think of the diameter of a baby bottle) but that has been plenty for my smallish veneering and marquetry projects. The warmer works great - it heats up very quickly and holds a steady temperature. I use a digital quick read thermometer (that my wife did not like - another reject that has found a home in my shop) to make sure the water is the correct temperature. As long as the little temperature knob does not get moved from the appropriate setting of slightly below half way it heats to the same temp every time.
I do occasionally have to suck up a little water from the bath with a syringe and put it in the jar to thin out the glue - easy to do with this setup.
Chris
The people on Knots are the best ! Thanks
Chris,
I won't hold you to it, since you have an older one, but thank you very much for the good word!
Man this could be just the ticket for the size of projects I do mostly.
Baby bottle warmer for hide glue
Roc,
Like I said, this setup has worked great for me. Mine is older, the knob is white plastic and the top lip is the same color as the body, but otherwise it is identical. I would bet the guts are exactly the same. I would also bet that most any baby bottle warmer you could get your hands on would work very ewll for heating hide glue. Might be worth asking any friends you have who have kids who are 2-3 years old... they would probably let you have their old one for a very attractive price.
Chris
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