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MYOG folding pot handles
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Make Your Own Gear › MYOG folding pot handles
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Feb 16, 2011 at 12:53 pm #1269260
For the last couple of months I have been experimenting at home with a couple IMUSA mugs that I picked up at Walmart. I quickly realized that the rivited aluminum handles that come on the mug are bulky, make the mug harder to pack, and are WAY too hot to grab after using the mug on a stove. In the past I have always used a bandana or glove as a pot grabber or used a wick wrapped beer can, but I do like the idea of being able to hold a mug of hot coffee by some sort of handle. So I have devised a super easy, fast, and cheap way to put handles on the imusa mug or any other mug/bowl that would benefit from folding handles.
The ingredients you need are: a mug sans handle, a medium binder clip, two large butterfly paperclips, JB Weld. Tools required include: pliers for bending, tin snips, wire cutters, a file/sandpaper.
First, cut the rolled edges off the binder clip with the tin snips so that the remaining rolled edge is about 1/4" wide. Then remove the wires from the binder clips. Using the pliers, shape the butterfly paper clips into two identical handle shapes that have the ends facing away from each other and at a width that fits in the binder clip rolled edges. Cut any extra wire off the paperclips (match your finger size, don't make the handles too big, etc.) Use a file or sandpaper to take the black paint off the flat side of the binder clip that you will JB weld to the mug (the black paint interferes with the JB weld bonding). Epoxy the two pieces of binder clip to the mug about 1/2" apart and parallel. Let the epoxy dry for at least 24 hours. Insert bent handles and go camping.I find that JB Weld on higher temperature applications must be cured for at least 24 hours, but longer is better before heating. My first, impatient attempt to make these handles came off with the first heating on my stove. I am not sure if it was because I only waited 12 hours or because I didn't sand off the black paint on the binder clip. The second attempt dried for 3 days before use and has been used multiple times. Also I have hung the mug by the handles with a soup can in the mug overnight with no breakage of the JB weld. I hope my directions were clear!
Feb 16, 2011 at 1:55 pm #1697493Nice and simple. How much do those weigh ??
Feb 16, 2011 at 3:49 pm #1697528The binder clip and two paper clips weigh 0.2 oz. The mug now weighs 2.4 oz, which I believe is almost exactly what the mug weighed with the original fixed aluminum handle that was too hot to handle (har har).
Feb 16, 2011 at 5:21 pm #1697558Great info. Knowing that JB Weld can do this is particularly helpful.
Dec 29, 2011 at 12:54 pm #1817160Your removal job looks great. How did you remove the original handle? I don't want a leaky mug after removal.
Sorry for necroposting.
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