I read somewhere a while back that it is possible to make your own smoke element to put in smoke units. Is there any truth to this?
Kevin
Those of us with American Flyer can buy kits that contain the nicrome wire and fiberglass wicking material for replacment of burnout or clogged smoke units. There is nothing magcal about it and your can purchase your own materials separately if you desire.
To the best of my understanding, the replacement smoke elements being sold today are wound to the proper resistance, and work well. They run around $8.00.
If you want to rewind a smoke element for a smoke unit that has it’s cover fitting inside the pot, you’ll want #34 nichrome wire, which is between 16 and 17 ohms per foot, depending on the exact composition of the wire.
The earliest heater-type smoke units used different wire. It’s a lighter gauge (more resistance), but I have never measured it.
Those of us with postwar Lionel smokers can buy the ni-chrome wire and fiberglass wick/bedding material for replacement/repair of burned out smoke units.
There is nothing magical about it and your can purchase your own materials separately if you desire.
The resistor elements are available from many sources for the liquid type units.
Since the smoke element in liquid smoke units is just a wirewound resistor, it seems pointless to go to the trouble of trying to make one.
Thanks all, I did pickup a couple and they were indeed cheap I just have to install them now. I am putting them in a modern day Berkshire who Smoker is weak and needs to be replaced.
Kevin