Wet Gloves And Boots

Wet gloves and boots ENERGY Wood Burners (65) 15-6-34 We got tired of trying to dry out the insides of soaking wet gloves and boots so we built an add-on glove and boot dryer for our wood-fired furnace. I bought a small blower (Sur-plus Center, P.O. Box 82209, Lincoln, Neb. 68501-2209 - part #1612) and mounted it on the side of my wood-fired furnace close enough to pick up heated air from the metal sides. A piece of 2-in. dia. flexible sump pump hose runs from the fan to a length of PVC pipe that's fitted with three "Ts". A length of sump pump hose runs off each T and one piece of hose runs off the end of the pipe so you can dry up to four items at once. A wall bracket holds the dryer up off the floor. Because 110 volts turns this fan too fast, I wired the "hot" wire leading to the fan through a light bulb. This allows you to adjust air flow to whatever you're drying. For example, I use a 40-watt bulb for low rpm's and a 100-watt bulb for higher rpm's. For safety I wrapped the section of hose connected to the blower with heat resistant tape. I also installed a 1-amp fuse between the light fixture and the blower. This set-up works much faster than other dryers I've seen on the market and has served us well since I built it several years ago. It can also be used at room temperature without being close to a heat source. Total cost for materials was $25. (Nathan Lapp, Rt. 2, Box 174, Cassadaga, N.Y. 14718 ph 716 595-3210)

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