Heating Blanket

[Jim88]

Hi hope all well!

1200w or 800w Silicone blanket ?

Looking to buy a Keenovo 6” x 36” blanket for side bending,,which wattage would be best?,,,pros n cons?

Price is same .

Cheers. J

[mirwa]

1200, you can always turn the power down, on an 800 you can’t turn it up any higher than max.

Steve

[Bruce Sexauer]

I use the Keenovo 6 x 36 800w with time and heat control and it is more than adequate. It is also far and away the best of the several blankets I have used.

[Jim88]

Thanks for answers

Sounds like the 800w does the job fine ,so think ill go for that,,

Not planning to use controls,at least not initially so the lower wattage might be better for a beginner,,,

Thanks again

[mirwa]

Running a blanket without some form of control is a recipe for disaster, you can make / buy cheap controllers for around 30 dollars.

Steve

[printer2]

I use a variac to control the heat, just have not got around to rigging up a control system. I keep an eye on my thermometer and adjust the current accordingly. I think they have some heavy duty light dimmers that would work.

[Jim88]

Thanks for advice,,

Think I'll use a 1000w dimmer switch and a some kind of timer,,

Cheers

[Bruce Sexauer]

The controller that came with my blanket is what makes it superior. It added about $30 to the price, which was very close to $100 on eBay. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish, IMO. As far as 800 vs 1200, 800 is enough to start a fire if you run it w/o a controller.

[printer2]

The controller with a thermocouple and a SCR brick is the way to go. (Says the guy who worked making sure heat treating furnaces kept running good as new in another life.) I never toasted a side yet controlling the heat manually but I don't leave it for that, 'I'll be back in a minute cup of coffee'. I treat it as if you have a live flame.

[tahoeguitar]

Heat control is essential, and even with heat control you can still turn a side into a piece of charcoal. When using a heat blanket don't leave the room, don't answer the phone, don't leave the immediate vicinity of the work piece. I got distracted once, but was lucky and only wrecked a side... another ten minutes of neglect and I would have been calling the fire dept.

BTW with all the solvents and various heat sources involved in guitar construction and repair a fairly serious fire extinguisher near the exit to your shop is cheap insurance. I have a 5 lb dry chem extinguisher hung on the wall where I can get to it in abut 5 seconds.

[printer2]

Even with a controller I would not go too far from the blanket. In an industrial setting we have two controllers on a furnace or oven. One is the main controller and the other is a high limit that is set a set amount above the main controller's set point. If for some reason the main controller loop fails and remains on the high limit controller will interrupt the power to the heaters if the temperature reaches the high limit set point.

[Jim88]

Thanks for all comments

Going to put abit more money aside and buy the leenovo with digital controller,

If I made a home made controler and timer its not really going to be much of a saving,,so looks like a good option to buy the complete unit,,its an purchace which hopefully will last a good while,

Having had a lucky escape with fire previously its not something ,,well just not a nice thought,

Thanks again for advice,,