The Pyrex SS hybrid Wick

[dsy5]

I need to clean out my PMs a bit, so don't start flooding me just yet. LOL. I will let you know later today when to start sending me your info. I plan to send 2 15mm pieces to each, or a single 30mm depending on who wants what. So that should be enough to accommodate as much as 75 or so orders. If I don't receive that many orders, then I will offer up larger lengths of what is left for a nominal price to offset shipping. We'll have to see how this all meshes. Please bear in mind that this is the first time I have done something like this. So be nice.

I'm awaiting your OK to PM... almost as badly as waiting on vapemail!

 

[beamrider]

Same here, this just sounds like it will work so easily...

 

[mre777]

I have a 5" or so piece of 1/8" 3/16" tubing. I polished one end with steel wool and the other end I sanded with 100 grit. I had planed one medium coat but noticed that the steel wool end would hardly take the paint and the sanded end needed a heavy coat to cover it. I did an inch or so on each end. The middle portion, which was dull took the paint quite readily, it seems. It's sitting at present and I'll put another coat on the steel wool end, let it sit a bit and then toss in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour or so.

Nice job on contacting Kanthal about the coatings, would be grate to hear something from them.
Just a note on the brass coating, when its done curing to your liking hit it with a meter and check continuity. That paint should be a good insulator. I would be doing this myself if i had the tubing but HobbyLobby was closed today. I went looking through my parts to see if i had any of those little brass nipple fittings, yaknow the ones that come with small brass pipe connecters for hooking them to copper pipe. no luck there I look forward to your report on the outcome of the paint job trial

 

[the ob]

ok. three items here.

one a hollow aluminum piece, one a ss piece that can be bent and one a ceramic piece taken off a fuse (which I broke doing it.)

any thoughts on using one or any?

The ceramic, although maybe not porous, could be used with a mesh inside in a similar manner to the glass that have been used. I am not sure any or one would heat properly.

any thoughts?

 

[Cool_Breeze]

Nice job on contacting Kanthal about the coatings, would be grate to hear something from them.
Just a note on the brass coating, when its done curing to your liking hit it with a meter and check continuity. That paint should be a good insulator. I would be doing this myself if i had the tubing but HobbyLobby was closed today. I went looking through my parts to see if i had any of those little brass nipple fittings, yaknow the ones that come with small brass pipe connecters for hooking them to copper pipe. no luck there I look forward to your report on the outcome of the paint job trial

In thinking about it, it would probably take some engineering to come up with something that would withstand 'red-hot' (or more) dry-burning of coils while maintaining flexibility. I like the idea of porous ceramic with heaters in it, but that won't come for pennies a foot. ...depends on longevity vs. cost if they could be viable.

I turned the oven off about an hour ago, so will be getting on with that soon. If it looks promising, I may spring for some 1/8" tomorrow. The walls of the 1/8" should be about 0.8 mm. ...still some thermal mass there. Other options may include aluminum and copper tubes. I suppose aluminum has the least mass. I haven't a clue about mass vs. thermal conductivity.

 

[mre777]

ok. three items here.

one a hollow aluminum piece, one a ss piece that can be bent and one a ceramic piece taken off a fuse (which I broke doing it.)

any thoughts on using one or any?

The ceramic, although maybe not porous, could be used with a mesh inside in a similar manner to the glass that have been used. I am not sure any or one would heat properly.

any thoughts?

Next time you go after a fuse just heat the ends with a soldering iron, they just fall off You could wrap a coil on that one you have and test the thermal abilities of it, but be careful I may need a really good cleaning first. there could be lots of junk on it. torch it if you can.
Also if you want to try the metal ones me and Cool_Breeze have been discussing an option on painting them with high temperature grill paint to isolate the coil from the metal. There are a few posts about it if you want to read back a ways.

 

[bstedh]

The gunk is flux.... clean wth alcohol.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2

 

[the ob]

The gunk is flux.... clean wth alcohol.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2

tried this and cannot get it off. I have gunk off, but am afraid to use it. Pic coming of one where I got the ends off well.

 

[the ob]

Here. Tried alcohol and the left over stuff will not come off.

 

[JPoodles]

Still trying to stay caught up on this thread....

I take it this suggestion was to use the ceramic in place of the glass as originally posted?

Is there a porous ceramic made in tube shape like this that may work in place of the SS wick with wire wrapped around it, and no glass used?

There is and if you use it let us know how it works. I will say that the diameter is larger than we would probably need though. I havent found aything under 3mm. AND porous ceramic can be a PITA because it supposedly clogs quickly. Its normally used to filter biomass from liquids. once clogged I can't think of how to remove it. Even if you torch it, there will still be ash collection cloging it up. I havent done the testing however but apparently it was tested some time ago and it failed to absorb after a few uses. I still would like to see it done though. The "apex alpha" and "cera" use porous ceramic as a juice well but other than that I dont think it works as a wick with direct heat on it.

 

[the ob]

There is and if you use it let us know how it works. I will say that the diameter is larger than we would probably need though. I havent found aything under 3mm. AND porous ceramic can be a PITA because it supposedly clogs quickly. Its normally used to filter biomass from liquids. once clogged I can't think of how to remove it. Even if you torch it, there will still be ash collection cloging it up. I havent done the testing however but apparently it was tested some time ago and it failed to absorb after a few uses. I still would like to see it done though. The "apex alpha" and "cera" use porous ceramic as a juice well but other than that I dont think it works as a wick with direct heat on it.

see my post above. I am not sure we NEED porous ceramic with this specific method. We could use a ceramic in a similar way that dan was using the glass with the mesh or cotton or something else inside. The ceramic would provide a barrier to prevent shorting.

If I could get my ceramic tube cleaned off, I could try this method. I just cannot figure that part out.

 

[bsidb]

Denatured alcohol?

 

[dsy5]

How about acetone?

 

[the ob]

I'm worried about using something that would seep in there and then I'd be heating it up.

I suppose I could use gunk off and that would work, but I'm worried about the remains.

 

[dsy5]

I'm worried about using something that would seep in there and then I'd be heating it up.

I suppose I could use gunk off and that would work, but I'm worried about the remains.

Acetone evaporates pretty well and then a simple boil in distilled water should be fine.

 

[the ob]

I do not have acetone. only gunk off and that stuff has warnings all over it.

 

[dsy5]

I do not have acetone. only gunk off and that stuff has warnings all over it.

Sears Hardware and Ace Hardware carry it. Do you have any lighter fluid? That might do the job.

 

[Michaaar]

Talking to an associate of mine about creating a solid glass probe that has the element inside of it (similiar to a rear windshield defroster), wrap mesh, wool or any other wicking material around said probe and you have a completely safe wick that can be replaced in seconds. Not sure if this has been tried, or if it will even work.. but we'll see!

 

[Cool_Breeze]

Beta v0.2 of the Brass Clad SS Wick is up and going. It has 5/6 wraps of 30 ga. Kanthal. It appears the Rust-Oleum Specialty High Heat paint can provide sufficient electrical insulation for this to work...short-term, anyway.

As it is now, the 3/32" SS wick has additional SS wrapping to make it approximately fit the 5/32" interior of the 3/16" O.D. brass tube. The section I cut from the painted tube is about 3/16" high. There is substantial thermal lag, though I'm still at low voltage...3.4 at this time. There's a lot of mass of SS Mesh under the brass tube.

Tomorrow I may hunt a 1/8" tube which may be about optimal for a 3/32" wick. Choices may include brass, aluminum and copper.

If you have thoughts about the thermal and mass efficiencies of brass vs. aluminum vs. copper, please comment on that or other related matters.

 

[mre777]

nice to know you got it going and the paint is holding up. was there any residual orders coming of it at initial heat up? my take on materials would be aluminum because that's what they make heat sinks out of, probably much better at conducting heat then brass. my initial thought was an anodized aluminum tube but i don't know where to get one in the dimensions we are looking for plus if the paint works, that is a lot easier to get then having something anodized.