DIY heated clothing

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. 

Step 1: Materials

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

Comments

[Tortin]

During winters i just love to ride. and Its an awesome experience i ever had. Thanks DIY for such a useful tip now i can ride with more safety and reliability. 

[DehLeprechaun]

would this also work for jeans?

[vze1mk7d]

This could work with any clothing you desire. I just found it easier to work with thermals.

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.

[Lee_Smith]

do you know how this would fare with cotton like the stuff used in stuffing?

[DehLeprechaun]

thanks

[Pete42]

Hi I would like to know if this could be set up for a Dog Electric Blanket, as we have an elderly pet dog, that needs to go out during the day, and I would like to put a safe non mains powered electric blanket in his kennel for him, some thing that will not light him up if it ges wet, and not likely to get to hot.
your ideas would be appreciated, thanks Pete.

[cathy36952]

heated jacket, I see one company who can supply the heated jacket, heated gloves, heated socks,heated apparel. especially ,the motorcycle heated jacket, it is very nice . it is with a LED controller button to controller the motorcycle heated jacket's temperature, and it is easy to operate it. following th is the picture. they are website is :http://www.pcamway-heat.com , email: [e-mail]

[slomak]

Hope this question is not too elementary (electronics is not my forte), but I was wondering how to draw heat through resistance wire and not fry the battery. I've taken 2 AA batteries with leads, connected resistance wire (10" length) to both leads to complete a circuit. Got plenty of response and then essentially a dead battery. / If I used more wire (10') would that keep the battery from frying, while still producing heat? Otherwise, how do you draw significant current through the wire without killing the battery?? Thanks for any advice.

[vze1mk7d]

AA batteries are not really meant for high amperage circuits. And their capacity is usually on the smaller side and it won't take much to drain them. I'm not sure what your circuit is but try using more wire and a battery meant for high drain applications.

[oud25]

man i had this idea like 3 months ago and never figured out how to make it work cause i was scared i was gonna electrocute myself

[vision001]

I am building one of these from your instructions into a light zip up sweatshirt which can go under my other jackets. Your design and instructions are great. I found that there was a need for a temp control so I got a PWM from Ebay ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/180749001892?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648#ht_5308wt_876 ) and it seems to work wonderfully. I have to get a few more switches and plugs inline and get it permanently mounted and then just wait and wait and wait for a cool Florida night to go riding. Thanks so much for the post.

[cowboy3059]

another idea for making heated clothing for bikes is go to a truck stop or ebay and buy a 12 volt heated blanket usally get them at tstop for about 35 dollars strip the wiring out buy a roll of metal duck tape from home depot about 7 dollars run the wires inside on the leather in a back and forth pattern taping it down with the metal tape run the long wire with a pre made thermostat out at bottom so doesnt intererfere with your driving and connect to power source your ready to rock and roll they also come with a prewired lighter plug fused took me about 2 hours start to finish product.... very easy way to do it

Cowboy3059

[lrdforster]

I like you idea its very good. i also have an idea to improve it, By using a PWM control you can regulate the tempreture of the wire by pulsing the current. I have biult a PWM circiut for £2-50 stirlin, it fits in a small container and has a potentiometer to regulate the length of the pulse, hence giving full range from full current to no current. A bit like a lamp dimmer switch.

I just joined the site and will post the circiut and instructions soon.

[snowluck2345]

Roughly how much power is needed to power a setup like this? Could a higher resistance wire be used? Such as nichrome wire? Could a few 18650 batteries power this for a reasonable amount of time?

[vasucal]

Hi Author,
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.

[wmax351]

Unlikely that a scooter would have enough extra power from the alternator. They are low on power to begin with.

[vze1mk7d]

It depends on the charging system of your scooter. I'm not familiar with the Honda Metropolitan, but if the charging system can supply more power than the bike's circuits require, than yes it should work.

[Mukumbu]

Based on your instructable and a post on advrider.com, I made glove liners last year and pants this year. I'm also going to make a jacket in the coming days. Thanks a lot! Here are pics of my liners and pants. I used a fan controller for the controller with the plan of mounting it on the bike. It was a little bigger than I wanted so this year I'm going to use a pwm motor controller like the ones from quality kits.

[slim_jim]

9 volts? It's not the volts, it's the amps. That's like asking if a 1 inch wide garden hose will reach the back yard. Wrong measurement. But to answer your question, no way in hell would a standard 9 volt battery work. (The regular kind, like in a smoke detector. Sometimes called a transistorized battery. It wouldn't power these pants for more than a second.) Now, if you have a big gel cell 9volt battery, sure. No problem.

Heating circuits are hell on batteries. Tons of current drain. You will need a decent sized battery.

[Helder4u]

Nice work:
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)

[vasucal]

Hi Helder4u,
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.

[DehLeprechaun]

i want to use this just for walking around out side could i hook up a 9v battery and get similar results?

[Soulproperty]

Great tutorial. I have a Gerbing jacket that never really fit me right. I think I'll make my own next time.

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? 

[Lokisgodhi]

Cozywinters has some interesting heated products. It's worth taking a look at for some ideas. The have 12v systems as well as rechargeable battery systems.

cozywinters.com/ 

[Warlrosity]

What about Mr KipKays portable heaty doo dah?

[vze1mk7d]

I am not sure what you are referring to.

[Warlrosity]

Oh whoopsiedoodle.. its a lil' portable heater

[deadeye]

(removed by author or community request)

[vze1mk7d]

Yes.  I wrote this instructable with a 12v power source in mind.

[Crucio]

Fantastic!

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.

[vze1mk7d]

Personally, I like for the heated clothing to be as close as possible to my skin, because then it's working more efficiently at keeping me warm .  But If I were going to put it on chaps, I would wire it so it put out a little more heat to make up for it being further away from my body.  Also, like you said, it would be very easy as a first time project, and if you don't like the way it works, you have the experience from doing it once already.   So I say give it a shot, and let us know how it turns out.  Just a quick question though.  Do the chaps have a liner?  How will you attach the wires to them?
-Theo

[Crucio]

You've got a point about keeping it as close as possible.  Heated chaps are a good compromise for me between efficiency and convenience.  It shouldn't be too bad unless your chaps are really loose.  This also lets me remove some clothing when I get to my sometimes hot office.

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.

[vze1mk7d]

You bring up a good point about being able to remove them when at work.  I usually end up leaving my own but luckily where I work, it is not heated so it works out in the end.  And yes to the heated patches.  One of the original articles I found talking about making your own heated clothing said to use heated patches.  If you check step 7 of my instructable and click on the last link, that should bring you to that article.  Good luck and post results.
-Theo

[Juanmoretime]

4AA batteries would be dead before it ever warmed up!

[Kaizen Starwind]

Most heated motorcycle clothing connects to the bike battery. Maybe this idea can be taken further to do the same.

[vze1mk7d]

Umm...it does connect to the battery.  Look at item 4 of the materials list, or my crappy diagram on step 6.

[Kaizen Starwind]

Ah I thought that would be the case here. I was just commenting on Juanmoretime's statement about the AA's :P

[bpfh]

 Hi,
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

[vze1mk7d]

Well none of my electrical stores carried this wire, but other than being teflon coated, yes it is just plain old copper wire.  I would use stranded since it flexes better.

[bpfh]

 Thanks for the precision. I'm going to buy some parts tomorrow and start planning somthing. If it all comes together, I'll post the updates and diagrams.

Cheers!