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Bex Grow Blog 2017

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Bex

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Well, finally have received my new crock pot. It’s a beauty, and really a shame to be using this in my flue curing chamber:

C0888CCC-D3FD-4850-8C89-D73C2B8C4B12.jpg

It’s manual (better ones have computerized settings) with high, medium and low. Once again, I am studying how these things work - apparently they will all reach 212F - the difference between the settings is the amount of time it takes for them to get to that temp. I don’t know if having my original pot set to high had any impact on it’s finally not working properly, and perhaps, once you get to the yellowing temp, it may be better to move slowly to the higher temps as you move into wilting and drying....
In any event, my purpose now is to kiln with this. As my original pot will only reach 119F at most, it’s a bit too low for kilning, from what I read. My ‘dilemma’ now is how to wire this up. The cord from the pot must go out through the lid of the chest freezer, so it must be fairly long (about 4 feet) With the original pot, we removed the original electrical cord from the pot, and wired in a long extension cord, directly into the pot itself. I wonder about where the cord actually enters the pot - we taped it up, but over time, that tape is not particularly protective, and with all the moisture in the cabinet, I wonder if the electrics in the pot itself got compromised. My new pot is so nice, I really don’t want to ‘butcher’ it - although, of course, I’ll never use this for cooking! But I would think that having an electrical splice, by just cutting off the plug to the new pot and splicing it to the existing extension lead, inside the chamber, with all that moisture, may not be a great idea. I have to give this some thought......:)
 

deluxestogie

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Cut the cord. At a store with electrical supplies, purchase some heat shrink tubing. These come in various diameters, in pieces that are about 2" long, or in longer sections that will need to be cut to length. Get some that are just barely large enough to slip over the insulation of each conductor within the cord (there are either two or three conductors within the cord jacket). You'll also need a larger shrink tube for the outer sheath. After cutting the cord, strip away the outer sheath of the cord by an inch or two, and strip the insulation off of each conductor by about 1/2 inch.

Before making the splice to a long cord, slip a larger shrink tube over the outer sheath, and a small shrink tube over the insulation of each conductor of the Crockpot cord. Scoot these out of the way, then make the splice of the conductor wires to the new extension cord. Soldering the splices is ideal. Slip the conductors' shrink tubes over the splices, and heat them with a hair dryer or very carefully with a flame--they will shrink down to seal the splice. Do the same with the shrink tube outside the outer sheath. Now you have a fairly well sealed splice.

This video shows the initial part of this task, though he uses electrical tape on the outer sheath, whereas I would suggest an outer shrink tube:


By using the larger heat shrink tube over the outer sheath, you achieve a better moisture seal.

Bob
 

Bex

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Thanks, Bob! I watched your video, and then saw this as a ‘recommendation’ - he uses silicone, after he solders, to make it waterproof:
https://youtu.be/Zu3TYBs65FM
I was primarily concerned with the moisture. I’ve spliced wires before, but have never soldered (although I do have a soldering gun, etc). So, this will be an adventure. Thanks for your response!

PS. As an aside - why did my post just show the link, but yours shows the youtube vid???
 

deluxestogie

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why did my post just show the link, but yours shows the youtube vid???
Use the "film" button on the post editor to insert the video link.

FTTVideoUploadButton.JPG


If your edit window doesn't show that button, then open your profile. In your profile, under General Settings, scroll to Miscellaneous Options at the bottom, and be sure your Message Editor Interface is set to Standard Editor.

Bob
 

ArizonaDave

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If anyone solders anything, don't forget to clean the (cooled) solder with IPA and Q tips. Solder "flux" is basically like pine sap, and will eat through the wires in 2 to 5 years. It's important to get it all off, haha, no matter which method you use above :)
 
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