hi rafael:
have you tried thomasnet.com

Try McMaster Carr Raf….they should have it.

ETS Equipment Co. located in Darien, IL is a supplier of Strips. They provide Bimetallic Thermostat Strips and Industrial, Heating and Radiant Strips and the brands; Hotwatt, HTS Amptek, Shinko and ETS Equipment.

http://www.etsequipment.com/

Might be worth checkin’ out!?

I work for a thermostat manufacturer. I’ll check into it tomorrow. Someone is bound to know where we buy.

Marcus, I could use that info for one of my
inventions too. If you could send that to me
too I would appreciate the info. Thanks!

Wow! You guys are good! I have a couple ideas I can’t pinpoint some materials for either – can’t say what they are specifically either because I don’t know! I need to prototype and test out materials to figure it out I guess—just can’t seem to hit on what I’m after so far. I guess it’s hard searching for something you don’t the name of. lol.

Oh, and it’s me, Chrissy, with a new twist on my name-don’t worry, I won’t pull a Prince and become a symbol! lol.

Thanks everyone! You guys/girls are awesome! That Thomas lead was great. I don’t know why I didn’t see the custom manufacturers of such materials the first time I looked there. I still have not found a company that sells the material off the shelf – like on a spool. But these were some pretty good leads on companies that can custom make the material. At least if my prototypes work, then I can use these to generate scaled up cost estimates.

Try:

www.grainger.com

They sell many industrial parts. If you don’t know the name of the part just call or visit a Grainger warehouse. Salespeople are very knowleageable. If they don’t have it, they may point you to somebody that does.

Joaco, Thanks for the tip. I actually work within shouting distance from the local Grainger warehouse outlet. They couldn’t help me. The best they could offer was a thermostat that I could rip appart. Acually, if I can’t find someone selling spools of the stuff, I’ll just buy a couple of thermostats and get the material out of them that way. That should be enough to demonstrate the concept. Thanks again!

Hi Rafael,
Sorry, I didn’t respond earlier. I just was catching up on the posts. I check the local supplier for the bimetal element material you are looking for but they don’t carry in a spool form. I checked McMaster Car too ,they also manufacture things that have that snap element in them, they would not sell you a spool out right. That material is going to be hard to come by in a spool form, unless you buy a really big spool of it to maufacture alot of whatever you are making. Your best bet is what you are going to do and that is take apart thermostats.

thanks Sally!

OK Rafael,

I’m back. My company buys from a TI offshoot called Engineered Materials Solutions. Their address is:

39 Perry Ave. P.O. Box 2410
Attelborro MA

Phone: 508-342-2100
Website: www.cladit.com

Our parts are made to spec. and I doubt they have “stock” parts, but I suspect if you asked politely they would send you some free samples.

Thanks Mark! I’ll give them a call. I owe you one. Perhaps even two.

Oh, by the way, do you know if there are two specific metals that give the best differential expansion?

Thanks again!

try these people http://www.technicalmaterials.com/products/cladding.html, not sure if it may be what youre looking for but could be a start.
Shawn P. Galloway
http://www.gallowaytechconsulting.com

I could use some help too. Does anyone know anything about the flexible metal material that is used to make the frame of pop-up tents, hampers, etc. I’m looking for a material like that, but would prefer something that is more plaible. Does anyone know of anything? Thanks!

Margaret,

Are you looking for a material to use in a manufactured product, or just to make a prototype?
I think the material used in tents is not really metal, it’s carbon fiber or graphite. That’s a guess. If it’s for a prototype you could maybe use a whip antenna for automotive CB. If you tell us a little more about the properties you need we could make better suggestions.

I think Margaret is looking for something a little less professtional than what you would find in a good quality tent. Like this:

I believe that’s a simple steel band. The trick is that it must form a closed loop and it must be sewn into the pop-up item such that it applies tension to the enclosing material. If you need it for a pop-up tent-like application, then it shoult be pretty rigid. Otherwise the item will gain deformities over time. Graingers, Thomasnet, etc should have metal bands in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Thanks guys. What I need is some type of material that will form a large ring shape, but not a closed ring (and it will not be sewn in to anything). I would need it to be flexible enough that when you pull the two ends open it would spring back to the closed position when you let go or easily be manipulated back to the closed position. If it’s possible, I would like the material to be pliable so that it could be manipulated to let’s say, a star shape, but still keep it’s flexibility to spring to a closed position when the two ends are pulled apart. I hope that makes sense. I always have so much trouble describing the properties of materials I’m looking for.

Oh and I guess I’m looking for what I would use in the manufactured product. I was thinking of those pop-up tents because the metal is a thin flexible strip. I would need it to be that size or even smaller, like maybe the size of a CAT 5 cable.

Thanks for your help and suggestions. I’ll look in to them.

Not sure if they’re still manufactured this way, but, in the past Sunsheilds were made using spring steel loops. You could consider doing a search for Spring Steel loops or strips or something along the line of coilable/flexible supporting steel frame materials.

Spring steel is a low alloy, medium carbon steel with a very high yield strength. This allows objects made of or with spring steel to return to their original shape despite significant bending or twisting.

Rafael, I came up with Clad-it also, same info as Mark Stark
http://www.cladit.com/7-thermostat-metals.html

But found an added Bonus!!! There is a contest, looking for ideas guys…

http://www.cladit.com/contest/index.html

Thanks so much! I’ll check it out.

Hi Ami! Thank for the effort. And Wow! that contest looks great! Too bad I’m not a student. Do you think they’ll accept ideas from a “student of life?” No big deal. If this idea works, I don’t think I’ll need a contest to get it moving. Wish me luck! And thanks again!

Did you look at bicycle clips,Margaret?[For keeping trousers bottoms geting oily on the bicycle chain]
Also,over here,windscreen wiper blades have a spring-steel strip,which I have used heat to bend into a springing returnable shape.

Hey,Margaret,
What about recoil springs for starters for two stroke engines-strimmers,lawn-mowers,chain-saws?
They can heat-treated[with a blow torch or a gas cooker]and shaped-to get an idea]

Thanks Adam. I’m not familiar with bicycle clips, but I’ll do a search. I’ll check the other things out too. I’m assuming I’d find them at an auto parts store?

I attempted to make a VERY simple small scale protoype this weekend using pipe cleaners (they are in abundance around here with kids in the house:)). They were much too flimsy.

If you have a garden equipment repair shop,they may have some spare used recoil springs,Margaret.They aren’t dear new.
The steel strips,longer than,though of the same sort of thickness,as pipe-cleaners,are actually in the wiper-blade refills as reinforcement,to maintain bendability-new word-maybe in older vehicles.Somebody in the auto-store should know.
You could go to a car-breakers yard and get some blades-the actual rubber wiper blade holders which clip onto the moving arm-they dont have to be new.
See my avatar for what it looks like-less than 1/2cm wide X10inches long X1mm thick

Riding bicycles in Ireland was still a serious form of transport for older people when I was a kid,particularly for men,and bicycle clips were an important and dignified accessory.I just tuck my trouser bottom into my sock-not dignified.

Margaret, a good old paper clip or coat hanger may do the trick for a simple demo.

Margaret, how about those steel bands (usually covered in decorated cloth) that girls use to hold their hair? Rafael’s idea with and old wire hanger should work as well.

Thanks guys! More great ideas.

Adam, I just looked up the bicycle clips. I had never seen those before. That’s a lot like what I’m looking for – the shape and all.

Mark, I can picture myself ripping apart all of my daughters’ headbands tonight :)

Raf, Thanks for the paperclip and hanger suggestions. I think a coat hanger should work. I’ll probably use that so I can get a visual for EN for the LPS.

Hey all. A buddy and I who are always brainstorming ideas at work have an idea for an invention that involves that “shrink wrap” style plastic. You know the kind that you put over a box and use a blow dryer/hot air gun to shrink it to fit it.

Anyone know what that stuff is called? I’m looking for something that is more durable than the kind that you can just tear through. Something thicker than the kind that is used to show that a juice or drink bottle isn’t open.

Jason

Jason, have you seen those window insulation kits? They use that kind of plastic, you put it over the window and use a blow dryer. It’s to stop air leaks, to keep in heat/out cold in the winter. Might be thick enough for you.

Jason, they sell those packages in Walmart and
in the home improvement stores.

Jason,

There is a section in McMaster-Carr on heat-shrink sleeving & tubing. There are several different products listed most have a shrink ratio of 2 to 1. and come in different wall thickness. www.mcmaster.com

thanks all. Tom, for some reason that mcmaster site locks up for me…I think its an adobe thing.

I’m thinking I need something on a roll that is a “tube” or “sleeve” (think like one of those hoses that fold flat). I need the material to slide over a long “item” and then apply heat to shrink it to fit snuggly. I have come across some examples, but they are either too short, clear, or too wide. I’m thinking I need something about 2-3" wide, preferably colored or white, but not clear.

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Heat-shrink sleeving & tubing…
http://www.directindustry.com/industrial-manufacturer/heatshrink-tubing-76622.html
Maybe worth a look!?

Found this. Roll plastic sleeve for bottle labels, perhaps call for some samples?

I’m looking for some sort of material that you can microwave that radiates heat, and I’ve been trying to find types of stone that might work that I can possibly get in a certain shape/dimensions….I know that some have elements of metal and moisture and that could make it explode, right? or at least that is what happened when we built a bonfire on concrete back in high school! lol. I haven’t been brave enough to just try it willy nilly and sacrifice my own microwave. lol. I heard people using cherry pits in neck pillows, so I tried some of those, but not strong enough for my application. I guess it doesn’t have to be stone, just as long as it is effective for my application.

Chris, check out plate warmers. They have a
material that you can microwave that will keep
dishes very warm thus keeping their food hotter
than usual. Maybe this will work for you.
Hopes this help.

Thanks Toni I will!

Go natural! Try various nut shells. I know many type of nuts trap water in the fibrous matrix of their shells. Some are used as warmers that can be continually reheated in the microwave.

“I’m looking for some sort of material that you can microwave that radiates heat”

Actually, dry (uncooked) rice works really well also and retains heat for a pretty good amount of time…Just place some in something made of cloth (a sock works) and microwave it for 1 minute, then at 30 second intervals until it reaches your desired temperature.

Then what do they call it Eddie?…Dry Heat?

maybe this can help ??

if it can catch fire, that should be hot enough hey? :-)

http://www.funkyfriendsfactory.com/homemade-heat-pack.aspx

Caution – be careful not to burn yourself!*
Microwave ovens vary tremendously in their power settings and the heat pack may be much hotter than you think. Be careful when removing it from the microwave and applying it to the body. Make sure it’s not too hot and won’t burn, especially when using for a child. (Wheat Bags are only recommended as suitable for ages 3 years and older.) It is not recommend to take a Heat Bag to bed as a heating device. Overheated Wheat Bags have the possibility of catching fire when placed under bedding where heat cannot escape.

The material that works best is one that has high moisture content. A microwave oven works by oscillating water molecules at the 2400 MHz frequency ….or what is known as the “resident frequency”. At that frequency the water molecules move and start beating against each other causing friction….and thus heat.

So a material that works best in a microwave is one that has high water content or a large number of water molecules to beat each other up.

Thanks everyone. Lots of other natural things to try. The cherry pits didn’t work, but maybe some of those others would? Wouldn’t be expensive to try either. Not sure they would radiate enough but gotta try it.

How do I find high-water-content things? I scanned all sorts of scientific links and sites when searching that way, for nonmetalic stone, pizza oven stones, etc. but nothing really indicated it would work in a microwave. lol.

I think there are rules against things that catch fire. lol.

I know this sounds funny, but what would be a material that would hold heat inside (like a thermos does) and yet be cool to the touch on the outside?

ok, I have a question…

those handles on knives etc… they are soft and non slip.
Everywhere I’m looking, that’s what the companies call it.
Does anyone know the manufacturing name for this type of rubbery material?

There are at least 100 rubbers that could be used for that type of handle….

well, that narrows it down then :-) lol

how about one that would be really flexable?
same 100?