Hot plate pros and cons for heating plastics

[tourdriver]

Seems like most are using a microwave to heat the plastic before adding color.
Would not be permitted to use the one in the kitchen.
What about a hot plate?

[snake River]

Caution using a hot plate you can burn your plastic very easily the safest way to the plastic is the microwave. if you do use a hot plate put a barrier between the pan in the burner and gradually heat your plastic. you can go to the goodwill or a garage sale something like that and pick up a used microwave and go to Walmart or any place and pick up the Pyrex cups I use a commercial microwave and also I use a cheap one that commercial grade that I have is about 300 bucks but it is well worth the money because it takes a pounding and unable to do the right temperatures that I want we have one dial I turned on for about one minute at a time and keep stirring until I get it to where I want. at your coloring before you put sure plastic in the microwave. I don't do it this way but anyway that's way they usually do it.

[CTom]

You probably shouldn't be cooking plastic in the kitchen at all, hot plate or otherwise.

There are a couple people who use hot plates but I think the pots with stirring apparatuses will work better and afford better temperature control. Microwaves are super good for the hobbyist or small to medium sized business injectors. What works for one person may or may not work well for another. This is something you have to decide for yourself. As far as a hotplate goes, I avoid them simply because I don't make plastic in batches large enough to warrant using one. For me the microwave on the garage work bench works great.

Walmart, Kmart, Shopko, Home Depot, Target....all of these stores will carry microwaves in the 1000-1100 watt range for under a hundred bucks so they are affordable if you are cooking a cup or less of plastic at a time. You'll have a whole lot more heat control using a microwave for smaller quantities. The one thing small cups of plastic bring to the table that larger cups don't is fairly fast heat loss. You need to find a way to keep those small cups warm unless you intend to shoot all of it fairly fast. I have a sand-bed heater I made from an electric skillet pretty cheap for when I am working multiple colors, but smaller quantities.

Play around a little with different heating sources. If you decide on the hot plate you're going to need a couple very heavy bottomed cast iron pots to cook the plastic and you'll have to be stirring a lot to prevent burning.

[tourdriver]

What would you think of using the microwave to temperature then the hotplate, with aluminum plate, to maintain temps.

[B********s]

The problem with a hot plate, is when it needs heat it gives full power, it stays at full power until the tstat tells it to shut off, Same with a presto pot. The hot plate has far more element so even when it shuts off its still heating till the element cools, causes over temp. I haven't measured a hot plate, but on the mechanical temp controller on a presto, you will easily spike 40 degrees. I have setup prestos on electronic controllers and can maintain a 2 degree variance, as the load decreases the temp will rise. But 2 degrees with same load at idle.. I am currently working on a double 1quart stainless steel pot setup. I quart, each pot, One controller for identical temps, It will have built in injector holders, and be capable of using a twin, There will be no stirrers yet, this is gonna be designed to be cost effective for guys who shoot a lot of laminates, and or like having two hot colors for tails etc.

[tourdriver]

Are we talking presto as in slow cooker?

[B********s]

Yes. But word of caution, thy smoke like heck. You want a very well ventilated area.

[lowe175]

I wonder why no one has came out with a heating pot just for plastics ?

[B********s]

There is, but there expensive... And the lee pots are worthless.

[snake River]

one thing about presto pots you have to get use to them and get the temperature just right as little tricky at first make sure if you get one to get the steering arm with it I have two of them and the only time I ever use it is when we are making a big batch otherwise I do not use them at all. there are commercial type which are to thicknesses they use a liquid between the walls they are very expensive if you guys would like more details I can give you the address where to get the commercials at one time I had the opportunity of buying a company and we were looking into all sorts of things one of the things I was looking for was commercial cooking pots for plastics the molds that they had were 100 cavity so you can do some serious shooting but anyway I passed the sadly.