Minions Web - Woodburner Temperature Controller

A needed device for your halloween arsenal
click on images to see full size

All information presented
on this website is
presented 'as is',
with no warranty,
suitability,
or fitness
of purpose implied.
I do not accept any
responsibility for any injury
resulting from use
or misuse
of this information.

Your use of this information
constitutes acceptance
of these terms.

When working in foam with soldering irons or wood burning tools, you have very little control outside of your reflexes for getting the results you seek. Here is a way to get control of how slowly or fast your tool will melt the foam you are texturing, epitathing, of applying effects to. Its nice & simple, and most anyone with a modicum of experience with tools can assemble this. So lets move on to making our new temperature controller with spare outlet for an exhaust fan.

Here are all the parts you need, start with a 2 gang box, a single 1/2" romex compression connector, a 2 gang cover with openings for a duplex outlet and a switch, a duplex outlet, a dimmer switch like you use for a ceiling fixture, some wire nuts, a power cord (you can buy zip cord and add an outlet, or an extension cord and strip the socket end off, I happen to have a box of cord sets that I just pull one out of when I need it) and some spare 12 gauge wire (about 8").

Insert the romex connector into one of the center knockouts on the 2 gang box and snug the nut up nicely, then pull the power cord thru the connector and snug down the retainer plate, but not all the way yet, so you can adjust for length if need be during construction.

Now take the duplex outlet and attach it to the faceplate, you will need to remove the mickey mouse ears on the duplex outlet face ends to allow the outlet to fit in the cover. Also, you need to remove the terminal connectors on the side of the outlets to isolate them. This will make it so you can dim one outlet, while having full current to the other. If you look where the wires can be screw onto the terminals on each side, you will see a tab sticking out between the screw on the upper and lower outlet, the tab sticks out at 90º to the terminal face. Snap it off each side with a needle nose pliers or a diagonal cutter. Attach the dimmer to the faceplate next.

Yeah, I jumped the gun in the second photo and had to go back a step.

Now its time to wire all this together. From the power cord, connect the green wire and the green wire from the dimmer (if equipped with one, not all are) to the ground terminal at the end of the duplex outlet, which is usually color coded green. Now connect the white wire to the silver terminal on the side of the outlet closest to where the wire enters the 2 gang box. take a piece of wire and make a jumper (strip both ends as illustrated on the back side of the outlet, and insert the ends into the round holes on the back of the outlets, on the same side as the white wire has been connected. This is the "common" connection. Next you need a wire nut, and a jumper. Take the jumper, the black lead from the power cord and the black lead from the dimmer and connect the 3 with the wire nut. Take the second black wire or the only wire left coming from the dimmer, and insert it into one of the 2 holes on the rear of the outlets opposite of the white wires, the dimmer wire will be close to the gold colored terminals on the side of the outlet. This is the "hot" connection. Flip over the faceplate and with a sharpie, some nail polish or a little paint outline the outlet that you just hooked the wire up to. If you look at the second row, right hand photo below you will see the outline on my version.

This is the dimmed outlet, that you plug your wood burner, et. al. into. You still have one wire left from the wire nut. Insert this one into the back of the outlet in the only wire hole left, on the gold side. This socket is the one you plug a fan into when you use your irons, burners, etc. to keep the fumes from trying to kill you or give you brain damage. Now, remember how you snugged the power cord but didn't tighten it all the way? Well, place the cover plate on the 2 gang box, secure it with the screws provided, and then snug the power cord in the romex connectors tensioner reliever. All that's left is placing the dimmer knob on the shaft for the dimmer switch.

You can use this to your hearts content now, and your brain cells will thank you. Plug a fan into the unmarked outlet, your soldering gun, stick, iron, wood burner, or lead soldering candle into the other. Plug the power cord for the controller in, press the dimmer so its on, and adjust the heat with the dimmer to give you the results you want.

The Gate - Tombstones

You are visitor # to this web page since November 11th, 2002
You are visitor # to this WEBSITE Since October 7th, 2001
Copyright © 1999-2004 Ten Men Productions. All rights reserved. Revised: May 02, 2005