jdowning
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Posts: 3485
Registered: 8-2-2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Coffee Maker Glue Pot
I don't know if this has been tried before but I carried out some tests today on an old drip feed coffee maker with a view to adapting it as a
temperature controlled glue pot.
We live in a 'hard' water area so have managed to 'wear out' at least three coffee makers over the years. These have all been assigned to my pile of
'potentially useful junk' awaiting (possible) future use in another life as - although the drip feed systems no longer work (blocked with calcium
deposits), the 'keep warm' hot plates do.
Drip feed coffee makers contain a thermostatically controlled electrical heating element (hot plate) that maintains the brewed coffee at a comfortable
temperature for drinking. But what is this temperature?
A 'Pyrex' bowl was filled with hot tap water and placed on the hot plate in order to measure the equilibrium temperature of the water. It was found
that with this arrangement the water temperature was maintained at around a constant 147 F (64 C). Ambient temperature at the test bench was 43 F (6
C) so in a warm room the equilibrium temperature might be somewhat higher than this.
The optimum temperature for hot hide glue is about 140 F (60C) so this would seem to be a good set up for an economical glue pot - small quantities of
glue, as needed for each job, being heated in a plastic cup clipped to the side of the 'Pyrex, bowl (temperature losses between the hot water and the
cup bringing the glue to its ideal maximum temperature)
I have yet to run a test with hot hide glue but it looks as though the set up should work well enough.
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MatthewW
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Hi John- let us know how you get on with the hide glue tests, and be careful when (and where) you make your expresso cheers,MW
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jdowning
Oud Junkie
Posts: 3485
Registered: 8-2-2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Member Is Offline
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I have edited the first post to remove all reference to dismantling or modifying a drip feed coffee maker due to safety concerns. On inspection, the
heating element and its wiring inside the coffee maker is only partially insulated and is not grounded so that there is a real danger of fire or
electric shock if the unit is opened and then incorrectly reassembled or if the casing is modified to allow water ingress. So - do not try to repair
or modify these appliances in any way. If they do not work or any part of the casing or hot plate surface is damaged - throw them out.
Tests were carried out on two coffee makers with working hot plates - in order to determine if there was sufficient heat capacity to maintain hot hide
glue at a working temperature of around 140 F (60C) maximum.
The first test in a warm kitchen - ambient temperature 70F
(21 C) - maintained the preheated water temperature in the open 'Pyrex' (oven proof) bowl at 137 F (58 C) and the glue temperature at 127 (53 C). When
the bowl was covered with a plastic lid the water temperature was then maintained at
147 F (64 C) and the glue at 141 F (61 C).
The tests were repeated in a colder room at 50 F (10 C) when the water in the covered bowl was maintained at 144 F (62 C) and the glue at 129 F (54
C).
So, the set up can work provided that temperature conditions are ideal, heat losses are minimised, the water bowl is of sufficient diameter to cover
most of the hot plate surface area and the water added to the bowl is hot.
It might be convenient, therefore, for small repetitive jobs like gluing edge tiles on a sound board.
For information only - try it at your own risk!
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