Need help with wiring

[Mike Baker 2]

Thanks, John. My Charcoal starter pulls 500 watts, according to the specs written on it. The dimmer switch is rated for 600 watts.
But I think I know what happened. I have wired this about 4 different ways, maybe five. The first time I wired it up, when I plugged it in, it sparked at the outlet. I checked that the breaker wasn't tripped, and thought no more of it. I think I fried it the first time I plugged it in, and have been working with a dead dimmer the whole time.
I might grab another here locally at Lowes, and wire it up correctly this time; see how that works. Worth a try before I run in to Winchester for the router control. If that fails, I will pick up the router speed control when I can.
I have what I think is a bad hub bearing in my vehicle. I just replaced the front left axle, now this. Can't make that trip just yet. Lowes is three miles away.

[Mike Baker 2]

You may have fried the triac in the dimmer with your random wiring experiments and there's just enough current flow left through the control circuit to warm the heater. Do as Mike suggested and test the dimmer with an incandescent lamp. If the dimmer's bad it's your choice whether to risk another $8 on a new dimmer or go for the $20 option. Personally I would go with the new dimmer.

It won't even heat up at all now, so safe to say it's done. I know the starter is good, the only other thing it could be is the dimmer. In my situation, if I want to get moving with the guitar build, I'll go get another dimmer. I have read on several threads that the dimmers work just fine for this, but they are old threads. I can't find anything new enough to ask questions on. Everyone has gone to heating blankets. Not in my financial reach right now. Besides, I want to learn to bend over a pipe. If I have to, I'll break out the propane, but I'd rather not.

[Bill Dufour]

You have to bend the heater before it has ever been heated up. bend the tube to the desired shape before ever plugging it in. The cement type insulation can be moved and stay intact until it is cured by heat. Once it has reached full temperature it will crack and break if reshaped. this may cause short circuits to the grounded shell.
This was true several years ago and I assume the insulation material has stayed he same.
Bill D

[Mike Baker 2]

You have to bend the heater before it has ever been heated up. bend the tube to the desired shape before ever plugging it in. The cement type insulation can be moved and stay intact until it is cured by heat. Once it has reached full temperature it will crack and break if reshaped. this may cause short circuits to the grounded shell.
This was true several years ago and I assume the insulation material has stayed he same.
Bill D

Yes. this is the way it was done.

[John C Cox]

The first light dimmer - if it worked - awesome... But it didn't.... Maybe the wiring was wrong.... Maybe something else.

If you can get on with propane for this build - great...

If not.... I recommend you cut losses and go with the router controller. Otherwise - you risk throwing good money after bad.... Buying your second one puts you basically the same price as buying the router controller... Maybe less once you count the junction box, face plate, and the extension cord you must have sacrificed....

Maybe it will be fine... But I have gone down this route too many times...

[Kev Williams]

Have you ever noticed your electric stove, be it a cal-rod or ceramic coils, that the burners don't work at 60 or 80% power? What they do is cycle on and off at 100% power. I'm not electrically inclined enough to know why, but I figure that if a simple rheostat would work, they'd use them on stoves... but they don't!

Only other way I can think of to vary the power output of a heating element is via a variable voltage transformer to vary the input voltage...

[Mike Henderson]

Have you ever noticed your electric stove, be it a cal-rod or ceramic coils, that the burners don't work at 60 or 80% power? What they do is cycle on and off at 100% power. I'm not electrically inclined enough to know why, but I figure that if a simple rheostat would work, they'd use them on stoves... but they don't!

Only other way I can think of to vary the power output of a heating element is via a variable voltage transformer to vary the input voltage...

The problem with a simple rheostat is that quite a bit of power is dissipated in the rheostat when you turn the burner down. What most modern controls do is change the waveform - that is, it blocks the power for part of the cycle. But those controls are probably somewhat expensive for the amount of power needed by a stove burner, so they go with a simple off/on control, as you described.

Mike

[Mike Baker 2]

Wanted to report back. I bought another dimmer, and everything is working like it should now. Apparently, I fried the first one.
But...I tried running it wide open. The Cumpiano book says if the water "dances" on the pipe, the heat is right, and if it instantly turns to steam it's too hot.
Run wide open, water sprayed on it instantly turns to steam. However, I bent a 1/8" by about 1/2" wide strip of cherry I had laying around, intended for binding years ago. It went really well, no scorching or burning, and in my limited experience Cherry scorches easily. I know a 4" wide side is a lot different, but I think it's good with or without temp control. We shall see.
Thank you to everyone who offered help and advice. It was greatly appreciated.

[Mark Walden]

Check with the appliance shop and get a rheostat for stove top burner that might work better than a dimmer.

[Mike Baker 2]

Wanted to post this. The bender in action.

[daryl moses]

Great video Mike I really enjoyed it. Glad you got it sorted out and running!

[Mike Baker 2]

Thanks, Daryl!

[Pat Barry]

Thanks Mike. I was curious about how it would be used. Nice work.

[Mike Baker 2]

Thanks, Pat!