[Senkosam]

Does anyone else heat their plastic to 400? I thought 325 was hot!

[flabasspond]

Senkosam....you have a PM

[152nd Street Baits]

I hardly use it at all but my presto Pot won't pour unless it's on the highest setting. That's without using salt. I don't think 400 really is 400.

[Ed Brabant]

Just put in a thermometer 350 was the highest I got.

[RipLip]

I usuallly pour 64oz at a time in the presto pot and I only have it on the highest setting for the initial warm up. Once I get to around 300degrees with a thermometer I turn it down to 325. Once the plastic is at 325 I start to pour. Obviously some colors are different with different glitters and amounts of salt but generally that a good start point on the presto. I have a stirring motor on mine and it works great from start to finish. The only problem I have found is that it takes a long time for a lot of plastic to heat up. When you get your first pour about halfway it is good to hav e another setup because then you start the heat up process on that one. When your done the first pour just move right over and start pouring another color that is ready. My only suggestion is if it is a small room you should install some venting system. It is well worth it and kind of cheap if you do it yourself.

[Ed Brabant]

What are you using for a motor and paddle as well as the cover?

[RipLip]

Well I'm at work and all my part numbers are filed at home. If I remember over the weekend I'll bring them in on Monday. I can start by telling you it is a small Dayton motor with a fan on the top for cooling the motor. It has a shaft that goes down with a type of gear reduction in it. I use threaded rod as a shaft and the paddle is like the angle iron channel stock that they use to mount garage door openers with. It has all the holes in it so the resistance stays down and allows the plastic to be seperated as it mixes. You have to grind down the edges so it is curved like the bottom of the presto pot. The motor has a small fan on the top which cools its windings. There is a guy here on TU that I got the first one from and he makes them great. I don't make them any different except a couple small changes. If you throw out the question I'm sure he can get you a set up. As for a cover I have a couples different ideas you could go with. the motor is basically mounted to the table you have the pot on and raised with threaded rod and the motor is affixed by al. metal brackets and centered into the pot. You could cut a piece of sheet metal and affix with hinges on the back part of the bracket and the front so you can lift and close real easy. I have a vent tube right in the back about level with the pot so there isn't any vapors going into my face but you need to cover the plastic because the small fan on the motor blows the smoke all over the place even with a vent in the area. I don't really have a good way to explain it but a piece of cardboard on the top works fine too. I guess I rambled on and hopefully it helps somehow. I will try and get the motor number for you from Grainger.

[Delw]

Heres the part number page 3 post #21
Making a presto pot stirrer?

and down 2 posts is how to make the paddles

[mradamh]

Originally Posted by Senkosam

Does anyone else heat their plastic to 400? I thought 325 was hot!

I get mine at 340 max temp...400 seems high to me. I can't imagine the salt or larger flakes suspending to well in the plastic at that temp. Let alone the flakes curling or bleeding. Interesting topic...

[RipLip]

I new there was a thread out there. Thanks for the help Delw.