Need Help Getting Fired Up Part II

well, the resistor may be the wrong rating for your "rig". The parts store should have a catalog the shows the resistances of various resistors. Get one like 8ohms or so, maybe a little more, and stick it in there. They are designed to generate heat when they are working, so this is normal. Glowing red hot is not..lol. The coil will be overheated if nothing is used for too long. I do your trick a lot when I want to eliminate complications.