heating a heat box. Has anyone used......

[Aussie Yeoman]

Has anyone used those ceramic 'bulbs' that emit infrared radiation, usually used to heat reptile tanks, to heat their heat boxes for curing bows?

Incandescent bulbs are impossible to find here, and even the halogen globes are going 'eco' which is great for the household, but not so great when you actually want the element to generate heat.

Failing that, has anyone used anything else to heat their heat boxes?

Cheers!

[mikekeswick]

I haven't used those bulbs but have used a couple of electric hot plates before.
I have a stash of 'old' 100 watt bulbs that I'm guarding!

[Aussie Yeoman]

Hot plates, eh? Did you have a fan to distribute the hot air?

[Pappy]

I like Mike have stashed some bulbs for my small hot box, and use a small under the desk heater in my large one,it has a small fan built in. Works great and they are really cheap.
 Pappy

[Aussie Yeoman]

How hot does it get and how long do you run it in one go? I was aiming for around 150F or so for five hours to cure Smooth On in short order.

I had thought small fan heaters had a small thermostat inside them to prevent them getting too hot, but apparently not if they're cheap enough, eh?

I plan on making a hot box big enough to fit five longbows glued up and held in Perry Reflex at any one time. Would a small heater cope with that?

[Pappy]

Mine has a setting I just adjust i until I get it where I want it,not sure if it would get up to 150,maybe  I only use them for stave drying and curing so 90 to 110 is plenty hot for me and it does that easily.
  Pappy

[PatM]

If you wrap a glued up stave completely in inner tube  you can put it in the sun and it will likely get that hot.

[peterdragon]

I use then to heat reptile enclosures and thats about it. I have had about 8 running at 100 degrees for about two years and another two that have been going at 90 give or take a few degrees for about ten. They will get pretty hot. Just dont use a thurmostate from a pet store. They are trash or way over priced.

[Aussie Yeoman]

Thanks guys.

Ordinarily I wouldn't bother with a heat box, I'd just let it cure at room temp or leave it in a car in the sun. But I'm changing to Smooth On from another adhesive for bowmaking classes I run, and I must be able to guarantee myself that the adhesive will be fully cured (and cooled down) overnight.

Heat strips seem not to be an option these days. Quite expensive when they were available, and not available anymore.

Maybe I could go as low as 120 F and cook them for six hours or so. A fan heater should be able to do that in an enclosed and insulated space, surely?

[PEARL DRUMS]

I don't have a hot box. But I can tell you how I do the same duty. I use those yellow halogen work lights. Two doubles cover a whole bow and it gets plenty hot to cure URAC and the sort.

[Buckeye Guy]

Aussie
if you are getting into it that big you may as well go ahead and build a system to cure the smooth on, its not that hard to do
a battery charger , rheostat and some strips of metal
probably find it on youtube I suppose
Have fun

[Aussie Yeoman]

You mean like this?

http://tradarchers.com/forum/index.php/topic,221.0.html

Thinking about it. Seems almost too technical for my tiny mind.

[Drewster]

If you decide you'd like to stay with the tried and true incandescent bulb, they're still available.
Here's one source.  http://www.l ightbulbsdirect.com/page/001/CTGY/Incandescent

[Aussie Yeoman]

My word. Those are expensive bulbs! Shoulda bought a couple hundred when i heard they were being phased out.

[Buckeye Guy]

You mean like this?

http://tradarchers.com/forum/index.php/topic,221.0.html

Thinking about it. Seems almost too technical for my tiny mind.

Yes thats it
been many years since I did that but
If you are going to do many lamination bows it is the only way to go
Just my opinion and that of many a glass Boyer
it really is not all that bad just a good bit of research to find the best available components
once its all together its easy as can be
Have fun