IMUSA mug, hot handle, heat shield tape

Excellent! I was wondering how to solve this problem! Now to the auto store!

Did you actually see 'more horsepower' as promised?

I think the mod will make the mug more difficult to clean tho.

I can recommend the Zelph lids for the Imusas. Because of a small downward lip they almost cling to the mug so aren't inclined to blow off. And oh so lite.

So I'm curious, do you have an idea how soon after pouring the boiling water you might be able to grab hold of a handle-less pot (if you aren't G. Gordon Liddy that is) done this way instead of just touching your knuckle to it? Guess it might end up actually being heavy if you use a lot of it – like for a "cozy" effect.

So from the picture you are implying it is up to actually being on the stove itself provided the pot is filler. Is that correct?

Thanks, never heard of this stuff before.

Is there some thickness to this? If there's some air space inside it will do something.

If it's just reflective material, and you're putting it on the already reflective pot, it won't do anything.

It says it's for hoses and wires. They are not reflective, so putting it on them will do something. And an engine is much hotter so there will be more radiative heat transfer.

At least that's my theory, but if the experimental data is inconsistent then there's a problem with the theory : )

Hence my question about how hot it is to the touch! Does it insulate enough thermally to use it as a "grip" (I'm guessing not). I'm guessing it just takes the edge off enough to accidentally touch it without yowling in pain and spilling the rest in you lap. If it ddi a good enough job at thermally insulating things they it would still be a cozy, but I'm guessing it may be too thin. On the other hand 3 mm neoprene does work, but I think harder to work with. Wonder it there is some neoprene with one-sided tape. LOL That would be th bomb for us DIY handicapped people.

"Does it insulate enough thermally to use it as a grip?"

+1. I'm interested in this question as well.

Anything that you adhere to the handle and then heat it up with your stove is going to be too hot to remove with bare hands. As we all know, heat rising up the side of your pot will heat the handles.

"heat rising up the side of your pot will heat the handles"

hmmm… if you could put a heat deflector just below the handle to deflect the heat sideways?

@dan Y. No, in this scenario there is no heat rising up the side of the cup, just boiling water poured in – or else stove turned off by coffee still hot.

Even in the external heat scenario, which is not really the case I think we were referring to, it is the specific heat, not just the heat itself, which determines the heat transfer/comfort to your fingers. So for example, Styrofoam (assuming it would not melt already under those conditions) would feel less hot than metal at the same temperature (over the short term).

Another example is why you don't lick a metal bar when it is freezing outside. So it IS a legitimate question. Now who shall we get to test it out. "Hey mikey, go pick up that mug."

> Wonder it there is some neoprene with one-sided tape.

What about the tape used to wrap bicycle handlebars.

Bar tape is usually made of foam so it would probably melt. some used to be made of cork but i'm not sure if anyone uses real cork anymore.

both will melt/burn if it is left on while it is over the stove

Interested in the OP's Tape. Wonder if it would be about the same as the fiberglass wick wrap that some use on Pots and Stoves. I'd like to know specifics of source/cost, etc.

wow, i like it, looks like something from Buck Rogers tv show back in the day. i dont have this particular pot, but am i the only one that uses a bandana/rag to lift a hot pot. am i old skool? maybe i need to keep up with the technology

1/32 or 1/16th inch air space would do something. Also there's adhesive that would help.

My theory is somewhat intact : )

It's an elegant fix.

The way I've been contemplating: you'd drill the rivets, pull the handle, insert a nonconducting spacer between handle and mug, and re-rivet.

But I have a reputation for finding the most difficult way to fix something, and my fix doesn't solve the problem where the handle is actually exposed to flame. Roger's does.

I saw someone else here on BPL who wrapped the handle in some sort of carbon fiber mesh.

All a bit academic for me. My mouth burns very easily. So when I can touch the mug, I know it's likely cool enough I can drink it. I'd probably get MORE mouth burns with an insulated wrap on the handle.

my version :

others use a Buff or similar but I always have a few of those kitchen cloths with me.
Many uses, picking up a hot pot is just one.
No problems with cleaning/melting/coming undone. About 15c

BTW, if I had that tape around already I would probably do the same however I would not spend $20 or even $5 just to do that.

Roger,

Sounds like it does basically work. Yeah it is a bit expensive. I expected this was not going to be a fix for the heat on your lips, but there are already know couple of solutions for that. If your fingers don't feel it the the heat flow is probably slow enough to act insulation for heat loss. So check on that. For myself, I was more thinking of a super-light coffee mug that has insulation on the bottom where it touched the ground and enough on the sides so you can pick it up. No handle. Possibly with the bottom of a Foster's beer can. Possibly with the minibull designs style fiberglass "yarn" wrapping around the sides and the tape just on the bottom.

Just some ideas I doubt will lead anywhere. I think the handle shape on the imusa is the problem in your case. In my case I wasn't interested in protecting while gripping a handle, I was wondered how it would work in a strictly handle-less mug. Any insulation beyond that necessary to allow me to pick it up is an additional bonus, depending on how heavy it is. Franco has a point about the durability – not too much point if it comes off too easily. If you start wrapping duct tape or more of the same around the first layer then it might get too heavy

Anyway, my interest is in how to make a coffee mug that can comfortably use with hot liquid, and as some modest insulation to keep ting warm longer, and is aesthetically pleasing, and seeing how light I could go.

If I do it I will post with some pictures. BTW cost much less on amazon, but still not cheap.

@Roger – any chance you could weigh the thermo-tec stuff and tell us the weight per square inch.

Thanks for all the great info thus far.

Like Mark, I'm also interested in the weight of this stuff if you have the precision to measure it.

Also, how does this stuff do when exposed to a flame? Does it burn immediately?

I’ve ordered some of this 20 mil self-fusing silicone tape to try out. I think it might be another option. Don’t know how much wight it would add. What does the brain trust think of this idea?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HETINI/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Keepin’ it light at: QiWiz.net

That's neat stuff. I'm hoping for an elegant solution that functions as a permanent pot cozy and handle while adding minimal weight and bulk. It's hard to say how well this stuff will stick and how it's insulation value compare to this other tape, but there's quite a bit of promise here.

I'm not sure it's what you are looking for but fire jugglers, dancers and eaters seem to use kevlar cord and tape. I've used J&B Weld to epoxy it to an alcohol stove and it worked well.
Ron

If heat was coming up from down below, where the flame is, then a deflector at bottom of handle might help. The flame is much hotter than the contents of the cup.

wrapping with aluminum foil – if there was no air gap it wouldn't do much, but it's wrinkled so there is some air gap

Also, there is some thermal mass in the foil so it would take a while to heat up which might help

I'de think it would be easy to wrap the foil, if it does more than one turn it will stay in place without adhesive.

experiment trumps theory : )

Yes, self fusing silicone tape adheres well to it'self. It's for sealing pipes etc. Wrap the handle of a Imusa Mug with it, as thick as you want. It's going to heat up while waiting for your water to boil. It doesn't work as an insulator. It will be too hot to handle when time comes to remove pot from stove.

The only way to heat your water and not get the handle too got is to use a caldera Cone with sheild under handle to deflect heat.

"The only way to heat your water and not get the handle too got is to use a caldera Cone with sheild under handle to deflect heat."

I dunno Dan, I glued some carbon felt to the handle of my Imusa and it was fine to pick up fresh off of a boil from both my alcohol and cannister stoves. There's multiple solutions really to enable grabbing the handles immediately after a boil.

My Evernew 900 ml Ti pot came with silicone tubing around the handles. That works.