Things You'll Need
Ammunition box
4 bolts and nuts
Non-fabric or wood pot rest
Electric lamp socket with wire and plug
2 feet of asbestos-covered rod
10 feet of No. 26 gauge heating wire
Electric drill with carbide tipped bit
Pliers
Hot plates can be used for cooking, keeping food or drinks warm or heating chemicals in a lab. Hot plates can prove to be a very useful piece of equipment to keep around for various needs.
Step 1
Drill a hole in each of the 4 corners of the of the ammunition box, about 2 inches from the top.
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Step 2
Place a bolt into each of the holes and tighten with the nut.
Step 3
Drill a hole in the bottom of one side of the ammunition box large enough for a plug to fit through.
Step 4
Wrap the asbestos-covered rod tightly with the heating wire, leaving no more than 1 mm between each wrap. Be sure not to touch the heating wire to itself as you wrap. Reserve about 5 inches of heating wire at the end of the rod.
Step 5
Place the electric lamp socket and wire inside the ammunition box and pull the plug through the hole drilled in the bottom of the box.
Step 6
Coil the remaining 5 inches of wire inside the lamp socket and press securely in the base and sides of the lamp socket where a light bulb would typically go.
Step 7
Use the pliers to coil the asbestos rod wrapped with heating wire in a circle or oval to fit inside the ammunition box, just over the bots on each corner.
Step 8
Rest the coil on the bolts to create a floating heated stove coil inside the ammunition box.
Step 9
Place the ammunition box on the pot rest, plug in the lamp wire to an outlet and your hot plate is ready to heat.
Tip
If your ammunition box is a long rectangle, you can create two hot plates in one box by making two coils and two rests for the coil.
Other metal or non-flammable boxes can be used in place of an ammunition box as long as it is sturdy enough to hold the coil and has one open side.
Warning
Be sure that the lamp socket is unplugged while you are touching the inside.
Do not ever allow the heating wire to touch itself while plugged in.
Be cautious of the outside of the hot plate box when it is heating. The bolts touching the hot plate will conduct heat through the box and make it hot to the touch.
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