a barrel adapted for use in a plastics machine , has an inner layer of insulating ceramic disposed over and around the barrel along its length to form an insulated barrel , a wire layer including a plurality of heating coils of alloy resistance wire wound around the insulated barrel under tension in a spiral fashion , the wire layer also providing additional termination coils near opposite ends of the barrel for making electrical contact with a source of electrical power to heat the barrel , and a top layer of an electrically insulating ceramic disposed over the heating coils a method of making a barrel with a heater , comprises spraying a layer of a metal bonding alloy over a portion of the barrel to be heated .