Model Engine Maker
Help! => Tooling Review => Topic started by: tangler on April 10, 2014, 10:40:29 PM
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Now it may be because I spent all my working life as a (sort of) metallurgist but I have been feeling the need for a heat treatment kiln (furnace, muffle) call it what you will. I've followed a few on ebay but finally plumped for this mostly because it has a PID controller, which most of the 2nd hand ones don't:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310922375462 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310922375462)
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/rod_sally/f1_zps2a2afd23.jpg)
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/rod_sally/f2_zpsaf5319a8.jpg)
It goes up to 1000C (1832F). Temperature control is surprisingly good. I had it up to 900C and then came down in 50C steps to try and anneal an iron casting with some hard spots. Temp stabilised quickly at +/- 1 degree. Should be fine for heat treating BeCu and hardening and tempering tool steel. Turn it on its side and I reckon I could get a crucible of aluminium in there, big enough for casting pistons or aero engine bits.
I took some time to decide on this: the company are based in London, it's made in the UK (although I am sure many of the bits are imported) but it seems clear that English is not their native tongue. Nevertheless, I am pleased with the kiln and they have some other interesting stuff on their web site.
Cheers,
Rod
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Thats pretty nice. Should come in real handy.
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This is a beauty.
Can you program it in time curves with a special temperature ?
This would be very handy for heath treatment off aluminum.
Tjark.
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Using that will keep the workshop warm :LittleDevil:
Jo
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This is a beauty.
Can you program it in time curves with a special temperature ?
This would be very handy for heath treatment off aluminum.
Tjark.
Sadly, no. The ability to programme a ramp to control the cooling rate would be very useful. None of the cheap PID controllers I've seen on eBay seem to have this function.
Rod
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Very nice purchase Rod :ThumbsUp: and a very useful addition to the shop.
I have a nice little oven too but a truly antiquated and 'Heath Robinson' controller - so much so that I've never had the courage to use it ::)
Hardness tester next ? ;)
Regards - Ramon
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Weeeell, Dave Lammas did a hardness tester design in Model Engineer and the castings are available from Blackgates....... :facepalm2: