I used the cliché black iron pipe to make a parrot perch over my computer (with a tray to catch poop). The perch itself is a 1" wooden dowel, but it's held 9" from the wall by black pipe and anchor screwed into the plaster like [this](URL) [Edit: whoops, posted before I had a picture, give me a minute].I'd like to drill out part of the dowel and slide a heating element in there (I could just replace a portion of it with pipe, but that would be cold whenever the heater is off, and wouldn't heat evenly). From reading this tutorial, I get the idea that the heat produced is directly proportional to the voltage. So if I get a 250W, 18" heating element and lower the voltage to 5v or 12v, it shouldn't heat up too much, right?The idea is to have all the wiring run through the black pipe, so the bird can't get at it, and have it turned on and off with a wall switch.Other questions I have:Could I use a dimmer switch to vary the heat produced?if so, should I put the voltage regulator before or after the switch?How can I drill a large enough hole 18" through a wooden dowel? I'm thinking the best option would be to route a trench through the dowel, slot in the element and glue a square dowel in over top of it, sanding it smooth.Is there a much easier solution to keep my bird warm? It shivers at anything under 68, and I'd like to have the temp set lower when I'm away (though it sleeps upstairs in my room at like 62 degrees). A heating pad on the wall looks ugly and would confine it to a small area, and I haven't found a weak enough radiant spot heater.Thanks in advance! via /r/DIY http://ift.tt/2iTuwZS
