Solution to the Moss scuttle dilemma

[ouch]

Anyone who knows me personally will tell you that it's a dark day when I have to be the voice of reason.

The way I see it, unless the scuttle is made from the same material as space shuttle re-entry tiles, it will still cool down rapidly, although not nearly as quickly as a mug or bowl. Using cutting edge, non-linear thinking (okay- I'm just using our oft repeated mantra "buy both"), I have concluded that for maximum efficiency, the Moss scuttle should be placed on top of a Scotto-style mug warmer. Voila- a true bain marie.

Talk about a win/win situation- more toys to buy, no melted bristles, continuous warm lather.

 

[Scotto]

That's actually a decent idea.

I think the fact that the reservoir is entirely closed off except for a small spout opening slows down the heat transfer quite a bit, so the reports (I don't have one) are that it keeps the lather warm for a few passes.

Since doing the bowl-on-mug-warmer thang, I haven't looked back. Plenty of warm lather for as long as you shave.

 

[Justso]

Scotto,

Can you post a pic of your bowl on mug warmer setup so we can see how to set up one for ourselves..Recently, I've been "floating" my bowl in the hot water in the sink, but it's a pain. I'd like a bowl that has a bit better head conducting properties than this bowl that I bought at Target.

 

[Scotto]

Actually, Jerry had posted about it here.

The important thing is to use a bowl which actually has a bit of clearance above the heating element. I originally used a mug, which got way too hot and affected my brushes. With the bowl (it is a different one than Jerry shows), it works great.

 

[vputz]

Aw, do it one better and create a sealed lower reservoir full of liquid antifreeze with high thermal transfer and specific heat--sort of like those "liquid reservoir" ice cream scoops. Making it out of aluminum would conduct heat from the liquid even better, though you'd definitely need a source of heat like the mug warmer then...

I'd better stop thinking along those lines, or I'm sure I can think of SOME way to make it out of PVC... maybe a PVC water jacket with some sort of nonreactive heat-conductive container... and a pump to circulate the hot water through the water jacket... you could put a heating element in there somewhere too...

Okay, this is bad. I'd better stick with the ceramic-bowl-in-the-sink method or I'll be awfully tempted to build something I'm sure I'd regret...

 

[luvgravy]

I've got one at home and it does a fantastic job. The lather stays what I'd term "hot" for a good 2 passes, "really warm" for the 3rd, and "warm" for the 4th.

And that's just with my tap water.

 

[Kalypso]

I bought a thick, deep, ceramic soup bowl at Target. I preheat it with hot tap water (a coffee mug too). I use a Toastmaster water boiler to boil up about a quart of water, dump out the preheated containers & add boiling water to them. Put my brush in the mug & (after about 15 seconds) I plug the sink dump the mug & bowl water into it (along with the rest of the boiling water in my Toastmaster). I then whip up my soap/cream of choice in my hot little bowl & set it in the hot sink water. Slather & lather my face, press my brush back into the foaming bowl & get 4 or 5 gloriously hot laterings...& I use the sink water to rinse my razor between passes.