I made a heated sole prototype last night.

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I've used 26ga Beadalon as a heat element before but not for a sole. Riding in 25 degree weather for an hour got me a light dose of frost nip, I've recovered from it two weeks later.
Having warmer feet has always been a desire of mine, just never spent the time to do it. I know there's a few of you who might benefit from something like this.

Let's look at what went into it, if you thought you'd like to try it.

sole.jpg
My wife had some quilted material that had a thin layer of batting with the red fabric on the other side as well. Having worked with Beadalon before I knew that the 3 strands of 6ft in parallel would be close to the 12watts I was looking for. I stripped 1/4 inch from each end of the 3 strands and it measured 14ohms. With an ohms calculator 13.5 v and 14 ohms revealed .95A. Though I tested this with it on the floor, I would not put it in my boot without a regulator to keep from getting burned. That's right. This is wire for making necklaces. There is no electrical data for this wire, available for around 10.00 for 100ft, coated in pvc. It just so happens to have around 7 ohms per foot.
So, if you don't put so much juice through it, and get hot enough to cook the coating off of it, you'll be fine. Test it before you go on a ride, to know how warm it will get. Before I came into a Gerbing heated jacket, pants liner and troller I made a direct connect warming jacket that drew about 24w. I could simply plug it in while riding if it got cold enough, or unplug it when it warmed up.
Now that I have the ability to regulate the amps, when I have the heated pans line and have connected my heated soles to it, they won't be able to get too hot, or too cool. The purpose of targeting as close to an amp per sole is that's what commercial soles are rated, so I know the troller will be able to handle it.
If you look close enough, I sewed a peripheral edge with the same zig zag pattern as the one I sewed the 3 wires in place with. I thought it would help the whole things stay together with continued use. I cut the same pattern as the heat element out of fleece to go on as a topper.
I'll be making another one. The idea at first was to place the wire without it being under the pressure points of the heel and ball of the foot. With three strands together the pvc could wear off while being stepped on and short. So, the next time I intend to wire it will a single wire, so if the insulation were to wear off, it wouldn't be able to short to another one.
So, without a careful layout the next time, I can have the same heat with three strands in a parallel circuit, just not run in parallel together. Since using these 3 strands I have run out of wire. When ordering more, I did find the 26ga (.46mm) I was used to working with, however I chose a larger gauge that was available, close to 24ga (23.5, if I had a choice). The benefit to this with less ohms per foot is a longer single wire run can be made that will produce the same heat. The goal would be to make a suitable heat source without as much wire. More to come..
 
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Cool... errr.. warm? :woo
I'm on the right track, just a bit of design finagling. I'll probably be okay with the wires under a pressure point with fleece on top of it. Time will tell..
 

T_C

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I'm on the right track, just a bit of design finagling. I'll probably be okay with the wires under a pressure point with fleece on top of it. Time will tell..
I have some teflon coated silver wire that I could try, but I bought the heated ones already from Warm-N-Safe. They just keep the toes warm and for the time being, it works.

When you are on the bike there isn't too much downward pressure, but I'd still spread the wire out. Or maybe take a suggestion from the ones I use. Just put the wire on top, make a sock and warm the top half of the foot.
 
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I have some teflon coated silver wire that I could try, but I bought the heated ones already from Warm-N-Safe. They just keep the toes warm and for the time being, it works.

When you are on the bike there isn't too much downward pressure, but I'd still spread the wire out. Or maybe take a suggestion from the ones I use. Just put the wire on top, make a sock and warm the top half of the foot.
True that, on the wire spacing or the sock with wire on top of it.
 

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Have you made a heated garment or have one with this material? I have seen this material on the web in a couple of places.
Yes I've made a pair of heated gloves and socks. The gloves were better. We did a workshop a couple years back and one of the members made a jacket.
 
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Yes I've made a pair of heated gloves and socks. The gloves were better. We did a workshop a couple years back and one of the members made a jacket.
Sorry, my friend, but your name now brings to mind that funny thread about the Toronto Motorcycle show. Maybe an electric kilt to keep the family jewels warm?
 

kiltman

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Sorry, my friend, but your name now brings to mind that funny thread about the Toronto Motorcycle show. Maybe an electric kilt to keep the family jewels warm?
Hot air rises...the kilt just traps that air on the way up....the family has been stay in' warm just fine....thanks for your concern. ;)
 
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Sorry, my friend, but your name now brings to mind that funny thread about the Toronto Motorcycle show. Maybe an electric kilt to keep the family jewels warm?
That's what a Sporran is for...... ;) Dang furriners don't understand these things......:D

Half my family tree is Scottish. The other half are Foresters. We try not to hold it against them though.........:rofl1:
Note: Most people in the UK will get this, it's not meant as an insult.
We actually have a family tartan and crest. "Nunquam Non Paratus"
I believe they were originally a border clan.
Somewhere, there's a picture of me as a wee laddie, wearing my kilt...
But, a heated Sporran? There may be a market for that......
 
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That's what a Sporran is for...... ;) Dang furriners don't understand these things....
I learned what that was from Are You Being Served, when Mr Lucas had to take an inside leg of a man wearing a kilt.
 
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I learned what that was from Are You Being Served, when Mr Lucas had to take an inside leg of a man wearing a kilt.
LOL, I watched a few episodes of that the other day, on my hacked firestick....
Even caught a movie "Dad's Army" Used to be an old TV show.
 
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Yes I've made a pair of heated gloves and socks. The gloves were better. We did a workshop a couple years back and one of the members made a jacket.
Hi Robert and TC, Using Kiltmans considerable skills I sewed 2 loops of 1" carbon tape into a fleece vest at that meeting. I think I put in 2 X 5 feet in parallel. The inside was subsequently covered in 'Iron on backing (interfacing)'. No controller, just plug it in and get warm. There are a couple of things I learned about working with the carbon tape. Happy to share my experience with anyone who is interested. Another interesting concept is using 'Carbon Tow'. This is a multi strand carbon filament that they use to weave the 1" carbon tape. Resistance measures up at about 18 ohms per foot. I haven't calculated the 'circuits' required for socks or gloves but may look into it in later in the winter. This roll set me back $9.

Dennis

carbon tow.jpg
 
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Hot air rises...the kilt just traps that air on the way up....the family has been stay in' warm just fine....thanks for your concern. ;)
Are you concerned that a heated kilt might roast the chestnuts?

That's what a Sporran is for...... ;) Dang furriners don't understand these things......:D/QUOTE]

Silly me, here I thought the Sporran WAS to hold the family jewels - and all other forms of cash, the stray dagger, and perhaps some contraceptive devices....

This roll set me back $9.

Dennis

carbon tow.jpg
Do you think you bought enough? And 5' x 18 ohms/ft = 90 ohms. Two 90 ohm strips in parallel is equivalent to 45 ohms resistance. The current will be - Ohms law e = i r; i = e/r current = 12/45 = .267 amps. Not a lot. And Power = i*e so .267 * 12 = 3.2 watts
 
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I'm up to another prototype, not far from the original idea. A little difference in material to sew to this time, fleece, instead of the quilting scrap. I also didn't have the privilege of working with 26GA Beadalon this time. The last time I used this wire I think it was 28GA. Being thinner had a higher resistance. Now at around 6 Ohms per foot, you can calculate how much heat you want by the length of it, so this happened.

To begin, I chose a 32 inch length, sewed it in place with a zig zag pattern then hooked it to my heated pants liner and turned on the juice.
I also found a supplier of high quality barrel connectors, that I lucked already fitting my current heated gear. (Please not the clever play on words.)
Why I mentioned good quality barrel connectors is because there is a female version that has a split pin design and I have snapped that pin right off. The ones I found were of a solid pin design with much more engineering stability.
IMG_20171028_144939.jpg
4 to 5 minutes later I checked the temperature at full blast (though I do not ever intend on having it that high as I have heated glove liners, jacket and pants liner in the game).
At a draw of .3 to .4 amps I have decided this for the next step. It will cover two things. More surface area of my foot will be heated, using two 30 inch strands in parallel. And the draw will move up to .8 to .9 amps with the same heat.
Reason it will be the same heat is because the circuit is in parallel, not the wires. It should look something like this.

Now, off to the store to get a couple of cheap padded foot inserts to attach the homemade heat element I made, to the fleece.
 
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