Induction heater

[Professur]

I've been interested in induction heating ever since I heard of it. A friend online built one using old CRT flyback and hardware ... but my sense of self preservation was always just a little to strong to let me try it myself. But this morning the TV was blaring an infomercial as the kids were getting ready for school .. for this
https://www.piccook.com/?mid=2929045

2 induction hotplates for $100 ... and some kitchen hardware for the missus thrown in. Now my palms are itching again. Shouldn't be too hard to hack them into something that'll heat a rod to bending temps.

 

[Danglerb]

I would not start this kind of project with a kitchen tool. The miniductor guys I think have some discussion of DIY options, plus there is a current thread on the bolt buster.

 

[diesel research]

http://www.fluxeon.com/Roy1200.html

 

[ddo]

Go for it. Induction heating is a fun project. Granted i have industrial power supplies and hardware to work with, but you can likely satisfy the interest some with that. Big time power supplies get expensive quick. Hard part might be getting it to couple properly with bolts. In more expensive power supplies you change transformer taps and bring capacitors on to couple properly with load and that unit wont have the capabilities. Match between the pancake coil and bolt wont be as good as distance will be greater with bolt and the pot or pan has greater surface area. Would be a hard unit to retrofit to be used with water cooled coils as there would be a good bit of soldering involved. To match coil to workpiece you might have to solder in capacitors, but it would get tricky quick and a lil dangerous without understanding of the circuits. But it would be interesting.

If you wanted to heat the bolt up with it as is, id just lay a nonconductive insulator layer down on top of the surface and fire it up. Keep insulator thin as couoling is very dependant on distance between workpiece and coil. And dont touch it with power on.