Heat Plastic In Owen

[lajo1976]

Has anyone heated plastic in a oven? How long does it take to heat compared to a micro.

/Joakim

[Gator44]

It might work, but if your wife is home you will most likely not live long enough to find out.

[Jig Man]

Before you try it, order a new stove and fix yourself a place to sleep in the garage.

[BBK]

Will not work. Every time you open it up to stir you will let the heat out, thus letting the plastic cool before the oven heats up again.

[lajo1976]

I can buy a small oven to a cheap price. I'm going to put it in the garage.

It would be more even heating process compared to micro.

I think the loss of heat when opening is small.

[Delw]

I can buy a small oven to a cheap price. I'm going to put it in the garage.

It would be more even heating process compared to micro.

I think the loss of heat when opening is small.

A oven works the best, however it needs to be a commercial oven( forget what there called) that disributes the heat evenly from all sides. you dont need to stir plastic in one of these.

this is the proper way to cook plastic.

kitchen ovens dont work that great cause they either heat from the top or bottom and you have to stir alot. Some guys have had luck with those toaster ovens, but you dont hear about them much.

microwave, stove top, pots, are most common, however heat lamps work increibly well and they dont burn the plastic like the other ways.

[longhorn]

I'm surprised to hear Del say heat lamps work incredibly well. I thought I was the only one on earth using heat lamps.

[lajo1976]

Longhorn: How long does it take to heat plastic with heatlamps? Do you have to stir when heating and when your pouring?

Think I will buy some heatlamp soon!

[longhorn]

Here's my setup:

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/17165-new-pouring-table/page__p__129929entry129929

I don't have any figures on heating times.

Yes, you have to stir while heating...not constantly. While pouring some stirring is required but not much.

I'm usually pouring laminated swimbaits so once I get the mix ready to pour heres where the real advantage kicks in...I pour the belly(s) of the bait and then that pan goes back under heat while I pour the back so I can keep pouring until I run out of plastic or mold cavities because the pan not being used is always being heated. IMO much better than putting in and out of the mwave.

I can pour 24 4.5" laminated swimbaits in minutes without stopping.

A big advantage is pouring out of pans...much easier than measuring cups...you can pour a really skinny stream.

I'm not into big production but this has worked for me since 1975. You could set up any number of stations...I used to have three but rarely used the third.

A little history...I bought what was called a "worm table" for $25 in 1975 in Mineral Wells, TX. They were home made out of cannister light fixtures and sheets of 3/4" plywood with cutouts where the pourers could get closer to the middle. They came from the American Angler lure company which sold hand poured worms...about the only kind available back then. It was owned by John Fox but he was no longer making worms by then. The plastic was heated in stainless bowls and the pourers used spoons or ladles with a spout on the side. Most pourers I was told were women. That's where I got this design and find no reason to change it. I just substituted pans for the bowls so I could pour directly.

[Gator44]

Here's my setup:

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/17165-new-pouring-table/page__p__129929entry129929

It looks like you have a great setup.

Do you have any information of the wattage, type, or make of heat lamp you are using?

[longhorn]

The lamps are GE 250 watt heat lamps (not the red ones) and are nothing special...Walmart has them and they last forever. The fixtures are cannister light fixtures...the ones available now don't look exactly like mine because mine are so old. If you're going to try this I'll give you the dimensions of how far apart they are if you want them. I'll have to measure.

[FishingBuds]

Longhorn is there a less of an oppurtunity to burn the plastic this way? and By chance does it cut down on the smoking part?

I have not heard of this style(newbie) and I have yet to pick a heat source yet

[longhorn]

This will burn the plastic too but with a separate switch for each lamp you have more control I think. If one pan is ready before the other you can turn off the top lamp or both and the heat instantly stops...if you overcook in a micro you don't know until its too late. It doesn't cut down on smoking. Experience will do that...if you don't overcook it good plastic doesn't smoke that much.

[FishingBuds]

This will burn the plastic too but with a separate switch for each lamp you have more control I think. If one pan is ready before the other you can turn off the top lamp or both and the heat instantly stops...if you overcook in a micro you don't know until its too late. It doesn't cut down on smoking. Experience will do that...if you don't overcook it good plastic doesn't smoke that much.

Interesting!?

One more here, how fast does it heat up, lets say your trying a new color and so its a smaller batch?

it appears I could use my infrared thermometer and have a step up to not burning it than on a microwave?

Edited December 11, 2009 by FishingBuds

[longhorn]

If speed is important to you then probably the microwave would cook it fastest.