The first resistor is what smoked, the second was fine. Strange, but true...unless the first resistor started to crispify at the first test, and I didn't notice.
At this point, Findm-Keepm's advice had got me this far, as far as the values of the resistors, and precise directions on how to hook things up and arrive at the proper specs. Bill Cahill's advice of a 25 watt resistor to do this job right will only cost me about $5, for a good Dale chassis mount resistor with a heat sink.
That said, everyone here seems to agree that a 25 watt resistor here will certainly not hurt anything, at worst it's crazy overkill....at best, it's the proper part....so that's the way I'm going to go. I'll check back into this thread in a few days when the Mouser order arrives.
I certainly do appreciate the input and education I've been given thus far
