What's new
What's new

Heat Treating Oven for the home shop

medicmike

Plastic
Joined
May 15, 2002
Location
Southern Oregon
I am looking at options for heat treating small parts for the home shop. Most HT ovens you see are big, heavy and expensive. Been trying to catch a smaller one on ebay but no luck so far. Would a small ceramics/glass kiln work for H/T? These are pretty common around my area and can be picked up for a couple hundred. I am on a limited budget (like almost everyone else).
 
Sure a ceramic over will work great. You will need a better means of temp control. I got a cheap Fuji 1/32 DIN temp control and a 10 ft type "K" thermocouple for $130 or so. Mfg # PXR3AY1-4V0A1. There's better but few with the features per buck.

Try this search and find someone in your area.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=1%2F32+ din+temperature+controller+fuji&btnG=Google+Search

This bitty controller has a lot of features (ramp to temp etc) but won't carry the current for even a small ceramic kiln. You'll need to break heating current with a 30 Amp specific purpose relay and use the controller to run the relay coil.

It's a PITA to program this controller and it won't hold process settings in non-volatile memory. Those features come on larger (and more expensive) controllers.

[This message has been edited by Forrest Addy (edited 06-03-2003).]
 
I bought a small oven from Penn Tool Co. for around $800.00, it works great. Sits on the bench. I think there is a size smaller than the one I bought that is less money. Mine is the Vulcan A-550. Search the web for Knife making supplies, and you will find other small ovens.
 
Look for a lab sized (silicon) chip fab furnace, if one is big enough for your needs. People don't generally recognize these on eBay unless you are bidding against a science teacher.

They often are round, some are horizontal, and some vertical. Lindberg is one name. I got one with 2200F capacity, slightly over 5" diameter, by about 10-1/2" deep (vertical). It is perfect for the (wood) plane irons, and small HSS and A2 tooling I make. If I needed to do something like a knife, it would not be hard to extend the length(depth), by moulding a castable refractory lid with an extended chamber, and just always keep the tang end in the add-on section. Mine is programmable for cycles up to 8 days long, including multiple ramp up up or down of any variable time and temperature, holds- ditto, and shut down. It cost $150 a couple years ago on Ebay after watching for maybe 4 to 6 months at the time.

smt
 
I work with ceramics as well as heat treating. Yes a simple controller works fine .. I use an OMRON E5CS or CN .. I find them on ebay for about 45.00 ..
Ramp to temp and PID temp control ..
More than enough to heat treat with ..
Email me offline if you want to know more..
I have an older OMEGA temp controller all built in a box .. it doesn't ramp ..
but will hold temp .. if you are interested.

Randy
 
I HT most every week.

One problem with ceramic kilns is the opening usually is on top making it pretty tough to get everything out quickly (& longer than planned soak times are not good) without getting toasted yourself, all the firebrick inside is at kiln heated temps.

The HT ovens have an end door making it much easier to use your shovel or fork if you are pulling the holding rack out also.

If your volume is small, you can probably live with a top opening kiln. Some of my stock goes to 2100f. Check the max temps before buying any kiln.

I've seen some pretty fine lab furnaces at Gov't auctions.
 
Good point there Colorado ..
Mine is a top opening kiln ..
But is for small pieces and is a
small kiln which goes to 2300 degrees F
I use gloves and hangars to make it easy to grab the parts... I only work with tool steel
which makes it easier ..
Mostly die and punch work ..
 
I've got an Olympic front-loading kiln with a Bartlett controller on it. It's the maximum that you can put on a 110V/20A line. The combination works very well for the little heat treating I have to do.
 
I have an American Kiln that i picked up on the road side going to Garbage colector.
It is a top loader and I figured I would change to a side loader, did not seem to dificult to change. It is a 3 phase unit, probably why it was going to the dump.Easy to change to 1 phase if i want. 2200 F max.
mac__
 
I have a Blue Island furnace ...good to 2000 F 5x5x14 long ~
Have a heavy stainless steel 1/2 x 1/2 mesh tray for pulling stuff in/out.

Also tapped into rear of furnace with 1/8 SS tube and ran it to a needle valve then to a 1/2 ounce regulator(+/-), then to a nitrogen tank.
For inert treatment, I flood the chamber,then adjust the needle valve so that a light match just goes out when placed at the door opening ( door closed of course)
 








 
Back
Top