Best idea for making CHEAP DIY Cerkote oven?

MonCeret Gunsmit · Jan 20, 2019

I have 88% of everything I need to start doing Cerakote. I just need an oven and some really minor bits (barrel plugs, etc.)

I want to build a cheap oven that easy to put barrels in. I was thinking about finding one of these really cheap long gun security cabinets. Which is basically a heavy sheet metal box.

We got loads of thrift stores around me and they are always full of toaster ovens... I thought I could dissect 2-4 taster oven and put the heating elements inside the gun cabinet, and use their thermostat. This keeps me on 110v so I don't have to wire in an entire new 220V circuit in my (home) garage.

I figured I could mount mylar covered foam board insulation (Lowes/Home Depot) on the sides and top of the cabinet providing the label says it can handle the 300 deg.

So that's my brain storm...

Thoughts? Any kinda standard DIY ways guys go about it?

CalG · Jan 20, 2019

You MUST USE, temperature compatible insulation, NO "Lowes foam board" !!

Everything on the hot side will get HOT.

Your "brain storm", sounds like a wicked bad house fire in the makings.

MonCeret Gunsmit · Jan 20, 2019

Lol! Honesty is the best policy.

Burning down the house would be more expensive than wiring in a 220v...

CalG · Jan 20, 2019

MonCeret Gunsmit said:
Lol! Honesty is the best policy.

Burning down the house would be more expensive than wiring in a 220v...

The only advantage offered by 220v over 110v is reduction in conductor size.

Watts are Watts

GGaskill · Jan 20, 2019

If you are serious about building an oven, google "ceramic wool furnace insulation" or "ceramic fiber blanket" and look at some of the items. You will find both direct info regarding the insulation and home made furnaces and such.

72bwhite · Jan 20, 2019

cheap used stove with oven just measure the oven in the kitchen and you can easily get
a 24 inch barrel in there.
and yes your plan would at the very least melt and cause a big stink

got to use high temp insulation like ceramic fiber blanket

MetalCarnage · Jan 21, 2019

I have one of these for smaller stuff. You can fit a 16" barrel in there but you don't have much room to work with...

Eastwood Bench Top Powder Coating Oven

Ran across this site for making your own oven - How to Build a Powder Coating Oven |Powder Coating: The Complete Guide

Hope that helps,

-Ron

Doug W · Jan 22, 2019

MonCeret Gunsmit said:
Lol! Honesty is the best policy.

Burning down the house would be more expensive than wiring in a 220v...

Put it out in the yard!

When I was a kid I built a wooden smoker to smoke some meat. Out in the yard, I would tend the fire every couple of hours even at night. All went well until I when out at 2am to check on it on it..... but it was gone.
My 1st though (goofy) is that someone stole it, but no it had burnt to ash in the middle of the night. lol

Mram10 · Jan 22, 2019

Just posted a video of what I built. Hope it helps. Feel free to give me ideas also

pat_j0nes · Jan 22, 2019

Wouldn't it be easier to use air dry Cerakote? I've been told it's actually tougher than the standard stuff after it's completely cured.

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Mram10 · Jan 22, 2019

pat_j0nes said:
Wouldn't it be easier to use air dry Cerakote? I've been told it's actually tougher than the standard stuff after it's completely cured.

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Cerakote lists air dry as 4 on hardness scale. Oven cure is 5 or 5+. Not sure how to quantify those ratings though

pat_j0nes · Jan 23, 2019

Mram10 said:
Cerakote lists air dry as 4 on hardness scale. Oven cure is 5 or 5+. Not sure how to quantify those ratings though

Even if that is the case, it seems preferable to a house fire.

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Mram10 · Jan 23, 2019

pat_j0nes said:
Even if that is the case, it seems preferable to a house fire.

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It isn’t hard to build a cerakote oven capable of safely managing 300f for an hour. You can always cook the parts at 250 for 2 hours if you want.

B88I45 · Jan 23, 2019

Mineral wool/Rock Wool insulation is sold at Lowes and Home Depot. If you use a gun safe you need to remove the current insulation and reline with mineral wool then re-sheet metal the inside or I guess you could insulate the outside. If you have any thoughts on doing powder coating in the future then plan for 450ish.

Pathogen · Jan 23, 2019

Look at something like Inkbird temperature controller on Amazon. It has a programmable controller, thermocouple (or RTD), some have solid state relays to control lots of current.

We built a still to recover a specific chemical, used the China made $20 controller in a Styrofoam box. The glassware is in the box, controller regulates temperature to within 1 degree Centigrade. Whole works cost less than $100 for materials.

You can do the same just pick materials for your enclosure that are rated for the temperature of your use. Be sure to use wiring with insulation rated for the temperature, and things like seals and tubing ratings.

You can let the controller auto tune to your enclosure. Most all of them allow for manual programming hysteresis, overshoot, undershoot etc. I have only needed special instructions added when working with weird projects.

bloomautomatic · Jan 23, 2019

Look at your surplus equipment places and get a used lab oven. They can usually hit 450-500F and have larger chambers with precise temperature controls.

HGR has them for about $300-$500. Price drops the longer it sits on their floor.

Used Machinery & Industrial Equipment | HGR Industrial Surplus

D.D.Machine · Jan 23, 2019

just get a old stove off craigslist ... the type with the dials for setting the temp don`t care if its feed 110V or 220V .... it well just take longer to get up to temp is all ..

dcsipo · Jan 23, 2019

D.D.Machine said:
just get a old stove off craigslist ... the type with the dials for setting the temp don`t care if its feed 110V or 220V .... it well just take longer to get up to temp is all ..

It may not come to temp, A typical 30" owen is 2500 to 3000 W and runs off 240,. At 120 it will be only half of that. On a 15 amp circuit, it can get 1250 to 1750 W, but the heat loss might be too high. You would need enough fireproof insulation to compensate for the heat loss. If you would use any commercial insulation make sure it is fully fireproof, like rock wool.

dee
;-D

Mram10 · Jan 23, 2019

The oven I just built on the cheap is 36x48x16 and holds almost 240f in a 30f shop with a simple heat gun on high. It can be done VERY easily and on the cheap if you want. If you are doing 30” barrels, you’ll need every bit of 48” height if you cerakote with action attached and brake

MonCeret Gunsmit · Jan 25, 2019

GGaskill said:
If you are serious about building an oven, google "ceramic wool furnace insulation" or "ceramic fiber blanket" and look at some of the items. You will find both direct info regarding the insulation and home made furnaces and such.

Great info here everyone. I really appreciate you all!! Thanks.

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