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UPDATE 10/31/2009: I finished remaking my pants and I think I've come up with a better stitching pattern. I'll leave the pictures of the old style just in case someone wants to do it that way. I'm also updating the parts section.
This is for those motorcycle riders, who like me, don't know when to quit and can't afford store bought heated clothing. I'll show you how I made my pants, but the same can be done for a jacket or whatever else you can think of. I made these last year during the middle of a road trip to battle the bitter cold, and it worked wonderfully. This is how I did it, I'll put some links to other ways on the last step. Also, I took the pictures while taking my completed pants apart (I think I can make them better), so there are not many action shots. Sorry and enjoy the instructable.
* The chief concern with anyone I tell this to is always "Can you catch on fire?". Well to answer your question, no. If you follow the steps as outlined, there is no chance of you catching on fire. There are companies that sell clothes made the exact same way, just with nicer looking materials and a higher price tag. The flash point of most fabrics is much higher than this suit is capable of producing.
This is for those motorcycle riders, who like me, don't know when to quit and can't afford store bought heated clothing. I'll show you how I made my pants, but the same can be done for a jacket or whatever else you can think of. I made these last year during the middle of a road trip to battle the bitter cold, and it worked wonderfully. This is how I did it, I'll put some links to other ways on the last step. Also, I took the pictures while taking my completed pants apart (I think I can make them better), so there are not many action shots. Sorry and enjoy the instructable.
* The chief concern with anyone I tell this to is always "Can you catch on fire?". Well to answer your question, no. If you follow the steps as outlined, there is no chance of you catching on fire. There are companies that sell clothes made the exact same way, just with nicer looking materials and a higher price tag. The flash point of most fabrics is much higher than this suit is capable of producing.
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Signing UpStep 1Materials
Everything but the Teflon wire, clothing material, and needle can be purchased from radioshack. All together the materials cost me about 50 dollars, and you'll have enough wire left over to make a jacket and more.
- 30ft of 30 AWG Teflon wire
- Some normal copper wiring (16 AWG)
- Connectors (See note 1)
- Ring connectors for connecting to the battery (See note 2)
- Fuse (Over 4 amps with just pants, over 10 if you make a jacket)
- Fuse holder (See note 2)
- An SPST switch (optional but recommended) (see note 3)
- Thermal underwear (or whatever you want to use)
- Cloth to make a lining
- A thick sewing needle
Note 1: You'll want to chose a connector that can be can be quickly disconnected. This is for the cases where you forget to disconnect from the bike and you try to walk away. Rather than tearing anything apart, the connectors will just come apart. There is an instructable on how to make one that's pretty cool. Here's the link: http://www.instructables.com/id/ThinkSafe%3a-A-Magnetic-Power-Connector-for-Thinkpad/. But if you don't want to make one, you should get a coax type plug or maybe a quarter inch plug, like the ones used on guitars. The coax plugs are what is used on professional clothing. I have a bunch of bullet connectors laying around, so that is what I'm going to use.
Note 2: You can buy a pre-made battery harness with fuse holder for pretty cheap. It's actually cheaper to buy the pre-assembled one than it is to make one unless you have the parts laying around. This second time around I'm using a pre-made one. http://cozywinters.com/shop/wg-dcjk15amp.html
Note 3: You can also buy a pre-made switch which looks pretty nice and is waterproof. This is what I'm using this second time around: http://cozywinters.com/shop/wg-oocoax.html
- 30ft of 30 AWG Teflon wire
- Some normal copper wiring (16 AWG)
- Connectors (See note 1)
- Ring connectors for connecting to the battery (See note 2)
- Fuse (Over 4 amps with just pants, over 10 if you make a jacket)
- Fuse holder (See note 2)
- An SPST switch (optional but recommended) (see note 3)
- Thermal underwear (or whatever you want to use)
- Cloth to make a lining
- A thick sewing needle
Note 1: You'll want to chose a connector that can be can be quickly disconnected. This is for the cases where you forget to disconnect from the bike and you try to walk away. Rather than tearing anything apart, the connectors will just come apart. There is an instructable on how to make one that's pretty cool. Here's the link: http://www.instructables.com/id/ThinkSafe%3a-A-Magnetic-Power-Connector-for-Thinkpad/. But if you don't want to make one, you should get a coax type plug or maybe a quarter inch plug, like the ones used on guitars. The coax plugs are what is used on professional clothing. I have a bunch of bullet connectors laying around, so that is what I'm going to use.
Note 2: You can buy a pre-made battery harness with fuse holder for pretty cheap. It's actually cheaper to buy the pre-assembled one than it is to make one unless you have the parts laying around. This second time around I'm using a pre-made one. http://cozywinters.com/shop/wg-dcjk15amp.html
Note 3: You can also buy a pre-made switch which looks pretty nice and is waterproof. This is what I'm using this second time around: http://cozywinters.com/shop/wg-oocoax.html
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Cowboy3059
I just joined the site and will post the circiut and instructions soon.
First, i should thank you for this wonderful article. I am planning to start on this in a week's time. I have a scooter. Honda Metropolitan which has a 12v battery and 6Ah capacity. Will this be sufficient for a heated jacket and a heated pant?
Your guidance would be highly appreciated.
Regarding the 9v battery, if you are talking about the ones used in a smoke detector, then no it won't work. Those batteries are used for low current drain applications. If you got a 9v battery pack or some other large capacity battery, then yes it would work.
Heating circuits are hell on batteries. Tons of current drain. You will need a decent sized battery.
I have some nice ideas for simplifying the heat wiring and enhance movement freedom.
If anybody is interested leave me a post and I will try to put in an instruction.
(it will be my first)
I am planning to start working on this idea and would like to have your inputs on simplifying the heat wiring and enhance movement freedom.
Your help is highly appreciated.
This does relate to another project that I have in mind. . . I've been thinking about building a few of these to keep my fermenting homebrew warm.
How would you go about doing something like this with a 120v power source?
cozywinters.com/
What do you think of applying this to the insides of chaps? For a first-time build, it might be easier and has the advantage of being easy to put on/take off. And the disadvantage of not covering the bottom half of your legs. But there's a pretty straight-forward solution for that too.
The leather does a pretty good job of wind-breaking, so having this on the inside should do a fine job of keeping you warm.
-Theo
Yes, most chaps I've seen have liners.
How to attach the wires? Good question. It might be possible to weave them in and out of the liner like you do, above, but ... I think that can get bulky. I haven't tried this, but I wonder if it's possible to use iron-on patches. If so and I could reverse the liners, I could iron them on to the leather side of the liner. That would make this whole project very easy.
-Theo
So it is just plain old wires form your favorite electrical store? no special nichrome (resistance) wires or such?
Also, for the teflon wire, braded or solid core is the best?
Cheers,
DP
Cheers!
but, i have to tell you that this is the most incorrect way to display an electric chain(read here the correct way), never-mind, you used the tags to explain what's on the image.
about the isolation on connections you can you termo-compressible tubing( it compress itself wen you heat it with a pistol)
Hmm....I think I have an old air force flight suit that would be perfect....I may never come inside again!
Motorcycles have notoriously weak charging systems, though. I wonder how far I can take this idea before killing the batteries on my rat bikes.
REACTION.......