All this talk about winter gloves has turned me on.

I posted this on the old forum pre-hack. Sadly its all now gone....

So, if you're skinned and want to build yourself an electric vest for a few bob, here's a recipe:

1- Source some teflon coated silver wire AWG 28 (0.7mm I believe) or thereabouts. I got mine from http://www.fscables.com/.

2 - Find an old vest with or without sleeves. If you want to run wires into the sleeves you'll need more wire, which will mean more resistance = less heat. Remember that!

3 - Cut a length of wire of at least 2mtrs and test it with a spare bike battery. One end on the positive terminal, the other on the negative. Check how warm it gets but BE CAREFUL. If its too short it'll get REALLY hot! Lengthen the wire until you can find the right temperature for yourself. I cannot remember how long mine was because I did it such a long time ago, so you'll have to test it yourself. I also measured mine with an amp meter and it was drawing around 70 watts in the end. Not too bad.

4 - Lay out the wire on the vest and hold it in place with some bits of duct tape. Not joking! Make sure the wire is routed everywhere you want warmth and also ensure that both ends meet again in the same place so you can solder some terminals or a connector onto them. I suggest that you sew in the connectors so that they don't get ripped off easily. See pictures below.

5 - Once the wire is all laid out and you have the connections sorted, put plenty of duct tape over it. Then use an old t-shirt, all cut open to cover the wires. You don't want the wires directly on your skin or next to it! Use an iron to heat up the duct tape between the t-shirt and the best. This'll stick the 2 fabric together, fusing the wires in the middle. Don't worry, the teflon coating from the silver wire will prevent it the insulation from being molten.

6 - Make sure you've got a good connector on the jacket. Factor in that you might have to wash it, so a removable one is best. Also make sure the connector can take 70 watts +.

7 - Wire the vest into your bike with a separate relay and fuse. Use cables that can take that sort of amperage.

That's it! I built 3 of these and they work a treat without consuming too much power. Cost is minimal for the PTFE coated silver wires, a fuse holder, a 12V relay and some wire.

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Illegitimi non carborundum

So if you use a heated vest, can you tell if it helps keep your hands and feet warmer to warm your core? I've heard that theory, but never used one to know.

How does the slick side of your duct tape adhere to your T-shirt?

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2006 XB12Ss..... 1998 S1W..... 1996 S2T
We do not need the help of our friends so much as confidence that they will help us when we need it. –Epicurus

Well, about the heated core theory... I'm not entirely sure. I used to do a lot of motorway riding with the vest in Winter to see an ex in London. I cannot clearly say whether it made a difference cause there were too many other factors and I never really paid any attention to it, but I was never cold to put it this way!

In terms of the duct tape, use the iron to melt the tape partially, which will then fuse the t-shirt, the wire and the underlying vest together into one layer more or less. So you can then be sure that the wire will not move and you can even wash it safely. Bit crude but it works. And for less than £15, there's got to be some compromises!!

Hell, if you fancy shelling out, you can even get a heated vest control unit to control the heat settings, but they are a bit pricey, so it defies the purpose a bit.

And one last thing: Point 3 and the length of the wire. I realized that its probably better to cut a longer piece of wire (4mtrs +) and test that first with the battery. It safer cause it will not get as hot as the a shorter piece. Hold it in your hand all curled up while connected to the battery. If its not toasty enough shorten it bit by bit and retest. And make sure you introduce a fuse somewhere in the equation.

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Illegitimi non carborundum