Back in the 80's, Guitar Player Magazine featured an interview with Eddie Van Halen about how he potted his pickups... He used a coffee can and a hot plate as I remember (the horrors). Bad combo, of course - and Eddie remarked he had a few small fires. He also melted a genuine PAF once because he got distracted.
Of course - any kid with a little savvy and a science class knows a double boiler is better because the wax never gets hotter than boiling water. The dinky crockpot I purchased at a garage sale for a buck solves both the fire problem and the high heat problem. On low it barely gets above 140, which is hot enough for the purpose. Always wanted to add a vacuum pump to speed up the process, but it all got done anyway....
