How to Best Use a Dimmer?

[Eric B]

My lamp takes a long time to heat up, then overheats very soon afterward. I bought a dimmer and am trying to find the best way to use it. Right now, I'm leaving it a full power until it heats up, then lowering the voltage. I'm not getting much movement. Should I keep the power level the same from start to finish? Should I wait unitl it is almost overheated until I lower the power? What is working best for you?

[Eric B]

It seems like the consensus so far says that the dimmer is useful mostly as a safeguard against overheating. I guess I had been hoping to alter the character of the lamp; waiting until I it was doing something I particularly liked, then lowering the power to hold it in that state. That might be asking too much (has anyone had any luck with this approach?).

I was also planning on setting the dimmer very low to keep the lamp in a 'state of readiness' and limit warm-up time; not as a permanent thing, just on days when I know I’ll want to run the lamp later. Has anyone else been doing this?