Wetsuits and cartridge heaters

Following the advice of Anonymous, I have bought a cartridge heater, found on ebay for under AU$8. It's 220VAC, 400W, which is more than I need, but not way too much, It will probably take at least a fortnight to arrive, and so I'm going to make the glue gun heater anyway, especially considering that I will need two heaters eventually anyway, as I brew in both a small 5L jar and a big 30L vat, sometimes simultaneously. Also, I have a small brew going at the moment, into which I would like to place a heater as soon as possible.

Insulation: I want thermal insulation for my vats, as I think I mentioned. I called up ACT foam and rubber and Clarke Rubber to ask after various foams for this purpose. I was quoted $39.90 p/sm for some stuff called 'form fit', which sounded quite good, or $120 for 2 square metres of neoprene. Being a cheapskate, I decided to find another source of neoprene for my insulating jackets. Wetsuits.

So, today on my way home from uni I stopped in at some op shops and picked up two absolutely hideous wetsuits, one for $15 and one for $20. The leg from one wetsuit provided me with an almost ready-made jacket for my 5L jar, and the trunk of the other, plus a strip from the trunk of the first, make up a jacket for the 30L vat.

I'll post some pictures soon.