DIY Carbon Heated Beanie

I quickly feel cold, especially my head but don't like thick and bulky winter caps. So I wanted to find a simple and inexpensive design for heated beanie...

It proved to be very easy! I just put a piece of carbon fiber tape and a mobile flat battery in my beanie. Anyone will be able to do the same for an hour!

Step 1: Shopping List

1. Double layers beanie.
2. 2 feet of 44mm carbon fiber tape and now on Amazon.

3. Silver glue.

4. Blinking LED (if you like it).

5. Mobile phone battery (anyone you have but not so big for comfortable wearing).

6. Thermostat switch for the temperature you would like (only if you will power it at 12 volt)

7. Click switch.

8. An old USB cable.

Step 2: Begining...

1. Cut inseam with a scissors.

1. Cut a piece of the carbon tape. The length of the tape should be such that it may be convenient to pull a hat on your head, as it was before.

2. Connect wires with a silver glue.

Step 3: Connection...

1. Glue the click switch to the battery with a hot glue stick.

2. Solder the thermostat switch to a wire contact on the carbon tape and to click switch.

I used the thermostat to protect beanie from overheating when connected to my bike battery. You can connect carbon directly to click switch if you don't like to use a thermostat.

3. Solder battery to the switch with a piece of wire.

4. Solder led in parallel to carbon (if you need a sing your beanie is heated).

5. Solder USB (check the polarity!).

6. Test how it works.

Step 4: Assembly...

1. Unsolder one side of the carbon.

2. Put the carbon tape between beanie layers and drive it all around the circle.

3. Solder it back again.

4. Sew the seam. Leave the USB opened.

5. Charge your carbon heated beanie with a USB charger.

6. Push the button and enjoy the warm!

Step 5: Using!

I made it working in an hour but you could make it faster without thermostat and led. Maybe you want it bike powered so you don't need to solder a battery as well. Just place the carbon tape inside and connect it with a dimmer to any power source you have.

Just push the button and you will be warm in a second even in a deep cold winter. I love carbon and its heat!

Step 6: To Be Continued...

See next month: Some Like It Hot... How to make carbon heated steering weel.

Step 7: And Yes, You Can Wash It!

Comments

[yg042398]

Hello, I love the idea I am trying to make it but were do you get the carbon fiber tape I looked and looked but I have not found it anywhere can you give me the link please?

[yg042398]

I would love to make this its wonderful

[TinaD32]

hello. I absolutely love your project and I am in the process of ordering my supplies. I was wondering if you could clarify something for me. In the step of connecting the wire to the carbon tape you are using silver glue? You make a line with the silver glue across the whole tape and not just at the connection point of the wire. So my questions are, 1. is the wire stripped for the entire length of the silver? 2. does the silver dry and then is the wire soldered to the silver or does the silver act the same as solder?

thank you to anyone who can help me understand this part of the process.

[Shenzhen]

There shouldn't be a connection point but a connection line:) So the wire goes across the whole tape and the silver glue covers the whole connection line.

1. is the wire stripped for the entire length of the silver? - Yes.

2. does the silver dry and then is the wire soldered? - No.

3. does the silver dry and act the same as solder? - Yes.

[DonC9]

I would like to know what kind of thermal imaging cameras your using

[Shenzhen]

It is Cantronic infrared thermal camera.

[turgan]

Hi, I have only 20mm , 30mm and 50mm carbon fiber tapes near me in a store in Turkey.

For use with 12v which one would you suggest? http://www.kompozit.net/?kategori-5-Karbon-Elyaf-...

[turgan]

Also is it easy to cut 50mm in half and create 25mm tapes and work with those?

[Shenzhen]

Unfortunately carbon fiber tape for heaters cannot be cut in half.

[geekrex]

Really a nice project i would surely work with the carbon fiber tape if available here

[Shenzhen]

You can order it here

www.carbonheater.us

[Patzilla99]

Could I use graphite glue instead of silver glue? What is the difference?

[Shenzhen]

Yes, we need a real silver glue.

Heated clothing heeds a big current, so
contacts must have very low resistance. Silver is the best and has 0,1 Ohm/cm or less. You can make a small connection place but it still will be cold.

Carbon
glue has very big
resistance about 100 Ohm/cm or more. You have to make a big connection place but it nevertheless can heat up to fire.

[cowboyathome]

When did people stop calling them stocking caps and start calling the beanies?

[pjjns]

Love your idea, but be a really bad place if mobile bat explodes. Will give gloves a try though.

Thanks,

[Akin Yildiz]

i just ordered the tape. 1m/44mm. and put together an informative slideshow. my goal is to make and donate heated clothing to the homeless in my neighborhood. current cost for a beanie, including the battery can be as low as $11 for 2600mAh rechargable battery and should reach minimum 30Celcuis. but you can make beanie + gloves together for $15. not bad at all, should be very easy to find donations for. i will be in touch.

.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jxgB0F_QrU...

.

love & peace

[alpaycan]

Akin, congrats for the thought of donation. I should try the same for immigrants passing by to reach Europe. Pls update me on the process how to make it more rugged. Tesekkurler

[Akin Yildiz]

it's working, i made a hat. you can see a picture 3 comments up ;)
i will post an instructable once i find some time

[Shenzhen]

Maybe you should make it without battery. Just with power cord for external source (AC adaptor).

I recommend you to make a few tests at first.

[Akin Yildiz]

it has to be mobile. especially for biking. with a bike generator to usb outlet and/or velcro solar cells behind backpack. i noticed your mobile packs. i believe this is a field that must be focused. you can do heated handle bars and seat on bicycle. tapped into onboard main battery. modular with everything basically. usb is much more universal. seems like i should be getting sufficient heat with just 3.3V if not definitely at 5V. how long does it usually take to deliver to US.?