What a difference a bit of heat makes.

[Chrispy]

I've been laminating up three layers of 1.5mm beech veneer with "Cascamite" and finding the results rather variable, I thought that by heating the press it would speed things up and improve quality at the same time.
I have used steam + copper pipe in the past but that was quite messy so wanted to try low voltage heating this time.

So with a bit of school science and maths ie I=V/R and W=VxI and a it of old 1.2mm steel wire, new batteries for the multi meter and a good reason to buy an arc welder this is what I ended up with.
Press with heated former

Former

Close up of wiring

And the difference it makes is incredible!
All I need now is a thermastat for it, the first batch that I glued up I over cooked the beech to a well steamed colour.

 

[Racers]

Nice!

You could do the bacon for your sarnies at the same time!

Pete

 

[Bale]

a well steamed colour.

Yeah, my face goes that way after a good night out. Nice set-up, Chris, and thanks for posting it.

Pete

 

[MARK.B.]

It does what it say's on the tin =D>
the old saying about "neccessity being the mother of all invention" or something along those lines is right on the money here, great job Chrispy. Got to say though that first picture looks like a torture device from a Hammer house of horrors movie :twisted: .