Hot Air Frame Warmer Questions

[Snitgirl]

I've used a saltpan since forever.....

I want to get a hot air frame warmer that does the job and is portable.

1. Any particular brands I should consider?

2. Where is the best place to purchase this type of equipment?

3. Since I am not an electrician and I know these hot air frame thingies
come in different voltages, what would be an acceptable voltage to
plug into an average home outlet?
thanks for your time and information.... I appreciate it.:cheers:

[Leo Hadley Jr]

Hi Snitgirl,

Frame warmers come in all sizes and configurations but they are pretty much all the same. Its basically a hairdryer. Any one of them can work in your home or office.
Nowadays, you can get a brand new warmer for under $200.00, preowned probably about half that.

[Snitgirl]

thanks for the info.. where is the best place to purchase on here in Canada?

[Leo Hadley Jr]

I think just about everyone will ship to Canada if there are no distributers up there. I might have some cheap used ones lying around somewhere, and also brand new. Call me tomorrow and I will get you a great price and a shipping quote.

[Chris Ryser]

I've used a saltpan since forever.....

I want to get a hot air frame warmer that does the job and is portable.

Having learned the optical in Europe, I started out using a gas bunsen burner which was the fastest way of heating a frame. This was the standard way of heating a frame and needed a bit of exercising to learn without burning the frame.

Then came the hot air heaters which actually were converted hair dryers. They also need some getting used to. If you do not move the frame continously you will also burn the frame in one spot. Today's materials will not burst into flames but they bubble up on the surface and can not be repaired. They are good heat temples and bridges.

I still prefer the salt pan filled without salt but with glass beads.

[For-Life]

White Ophthalmic, McCray, and Hilco all have them. I am not sure of the price. I think most are pretty generally, and you do not have to buy the most expensive model

[Diane]

I still prefer the salt pan filled without salt but with glass beads.

With baby powder in it... to keep the beads from sticking.

Diane

[Chris Ryser]

With baby powder in it... to keep the beads from sticking.
Diane

Diane, Never stop learning. Another first.......................good idea, never heard of it.

Do you wash the beads occasionally, to remove grease, dirt and nose cheese ?

[Diane]

Diane, Never stop learning. Another first.......................good idea, never heard of it.

Do you wash the beads occasionally, to remove grease, dirt and nose cheese ?

:idea:Takes a little while, but yes. I believe in recycling rather than just dumping and using new beads. Use a fine strainer. Don't overload, spray on cleaner and rinse or if you submerge the strainer in a sink, a tub or bucket in hot water, and use your hands to "scrub" and then lift out to rinse. Then you have to let them completely dry, before using again.

Diane

[Leo Hadley Jr]

Diane,

I learned that baby powder trick years ago. It keeps the office smelling fresh too!!!:bbg:

[Snitgirl]

Use baby powder not only with glass beads but with salt too!

[Refractingoptician.com]

;;

[Jedi]

We modified our salt pan by placing a mesh sub floor below the beads to allow the face cheeeese to be filtered out . Then installed a vibrator to the bottom of the pan (very much like a ultrasonic unit) so that the beads are being shaken when a frame is inserted . This reduces the liklihood of burning the frame and enhances the facecheese escape mode . AS we are true conservationists we also recycled the magnetron out of our old micro-wave and installed it to create our TURBO SALT PAN !

With these modifications , your salt pan will be energy efficient, you can heat a frame in less than 2 seconds on full power blast, and the beads remain cleaner .

We do plan one more modification to it when our engineeering department has time . We want to install a lid and make the beads section removeable so that we can also use the microwave part of it to power the tinter.

So far , after two years of use , we have only noticed one slight problem. Due to the vibration of the beads , some will fall through the face cheese seperator mesh. Apparently , over time , the vibrations reduce the diameter of the beads .

With the magnetron off, we have also successfully used THE TURBO SALT PAN in vibratory mode to polish frames . When polishing , we remove the baby powder (replace the face cheese seperator filter with the baby powder separator attachment) and replace the baby powder with powdered polishing compound or toothpaste whichever is handiest .

Holy MacGyver!

[Chris Ryser]

Holy MacGyver!

.......replace the face cheese seperator filter with the baby powder separator attachment) ....................

I vote this to be the foremost invention of 2007 in optical lab equipment.

:hammer: :D

[Angel of Grace]

I like both the beads and the hot air blower. I find the hot air blower doesn't marr the surface of zyl frames as much as the beads do. However, the one pic of the blower in one of these replies may sound really loud. I have a similar one and i have to close the door to my room cause it is LOUD. I almost need some earplugs! LOL Also air heat is much more friendly with temples that have etchings or stones in them. :o

[Refractingoptician.com]

''

[Refractingoptician.com]

;;

[DragonLensmanWV]

Having learned the optical in Europe, I started out using a gas bunsen burner which was the fastest way of heating a frame. This was the standard way of heating a frame and needed a bit of exercising to learn without burning the frame.

Then came the hot air heaters which actually were converted hair dryers. They also need some getting used to. If you do not move the frame continously you will also burn the frame in one spot. Today's materials will not burst into flames but they bubble up on the surface and can not be repaired. They are good heat temples and bridges.

I still prefer the salt pan filled without salt but with glass beads.

Wouldn't an open flame be very dangerous long ago with cellulose frames?

I use a salt pan filled with popcorn salt - it's finer.

[chip anderson]

Old frames were cellulose nitrate (a fine gun powder and movie film) now cellulose acetate which doesn't burn as well and probably can't be persuaded to explode.

Chip


If I have offended any ladies with this post I am most sincerly appologetic. If I offended any women, who cares.

[Chris Ryser]

Wouldn't an open flame be very dangerous long ago with cellulose frames?

You had to hold the frame high enough, the hottest point is on top of the blue flame in the center, and you had to vontinously move and rotate the frame so it would not catch fire.

Oncer in a while a frsame would strt to burn...........you had to blow out the flame right away. These frames burned only on the surface, so you could sand the spot and polish it on the buffer and nobody would ever see what happened. :bbg:

[Kodge]

I recently posted a similar message on another (older) thread and was informed that it was a bad idea - but I will propose this question one last time, and it's fine if I get banned cause this question was the only reason I signed onto Optiboard in the first place...:

I am a consumer (not an optician) - and I am sorry to post on an eyecare professional only site. I don't know where else to ask this question...

I'm thinking about buying a hot air frame warmer because I want to shape the temples on my own zyl frames. I've been to the optician numerous times and feel like a pest at this point.

Should I steer clear of this mad experiment - or with some practice on some cheapo's can I feel confident that I won't destroy my frames. It looked easy enought when I watched my optician use one.

Any pointers or advice or even hate-responses would be appreciated - (anything but ignored) Thanks

[Chris Ryser]

Any pointers or advice or even hate-responses would be appreciated - (anything but ignored) Thanks

Save yourself the money...........use your wifes hair drayer, it will do the trick. Warm your temples to your hearts desire and bend them which ever way you want.

However by not being able to see behind your ears you will do a worse job than any un-expirienced optician could have done.

[chip anderson]

Have you concidered seeing an optician that really knows what he is doing and leaving Wally World behind?

[hcjilson]

Rather than waste your time and effort responding to consumer's ill advised and ignorant questions, members are asked to report the post in question so that things don't get out of hand.
Thanks from hj