Heater for Spatulas, Putty Knives, and Palette Knives.

[Robbie Collins]

I came across this Belson Gold N Hot curling iron heater and thought it might be the ticket for heating tools for lifting the fretboard tongue and such (see image). The problem is that it has a constant temp of 875° or so.

Perhaps a resistor or rhreostat could be used to lower the wattage and therby lower the temp. A quick search indicates a rheostat that could handle this amount of power (400 watts?) would cost more than the stove ($40). I know glassblowers use these to keep rods hot but the temp would work for them.

Anyone have an idea on how to make this useful for luthiery or have an alternative? Merci!

[Ned Knepp]

  There are some companies that make these with variable temperature control but they are 3 times the price of the constant temp models. If you really have a need, it may pay to check into one of these rather than try to modify that one you are looking at.

  I don't know how you intend to use this but, in my experience, I need to heat things only when I am actually using them so I don't see that keeping my tools hot all the time is efficient or desirable. I also don't think it  

If it were me, I would use the oven as it is and just leave my tools in long enough to get them as hot as I want. As it is, I  use a Bunsen burner to heat my knives and irons as I need them. ( I am careful about the chemicals and wood dust when I use an open flame like this.) A few seconds in a flame heats thing nicely. 

[Robbie Collins]

I came upon this idea after seeing a photo something similar in Don Teeter's 1st book. He describes his as a "knife heater" made by Star Chemical Co. See p.45 of the 1996 paperback.

[Steve Williams]

Something that should work with a curling is an old trick used to cool down soldering irons. A diode is placed in series with one of the hot wires. It should cut the heat by about half. 

[Thomas James]

You can get a 600W dimmer at H Depot for about $9. I use one of these on my electric pipe bender.  I use an aluminum top hot plate for heating tools, etc. I got it off ebay cheap. Before that I was using an old iron clamped upside down in my vise. I use thick aluminum scrap with a handle to weight and hold the tools.

[Thomas James]

This is the hot plate idea: It will heat the knives, boil water, heat your glue, or coffee cup.

[Robbie Collins]

Nice!  I looked at these industrial hot plates on eBay after you mentioned them. Not cheap! Looks like it will do the job and then some.