Small Heat Treat Oven

[Brian Rupnow]

This deserves a thread of it's own. I have decided that I need a small heat treat oven. I know nothing about them, but I'm learning fast. I checked out the internet, and ovens in the size range I need range from about $800 Canadian up to $3000 Canadian. I didn't want to spend that kind of money, so I posted a want add in local Buy and Sell newspapers. I got a phone call from Montreal Quebec from an Anglican minister who had some connection to potting. She had two ovens, and would sell me one for $200. plus shipping from Montreal. It shipped UPS and that cost $98. So---the oven came, I plugged it in to 110 volts and it warmed up immediately as you can see in the picture. It had no controls on it at all.  I had no idea what controls I needed, but a few helpful people on the forums stepped up and advised me on what I would need. I purchased a PID controller from Ebay, and it cost me about $230 Canadian including shipping. It consists of a plastic box about 5" x 8" x 3" deep, a pyrometer probe which extends thru the side of the oven, two 110 volt cords coming out of it, one with a male end and one with a female plug, an on/off switch, and a digital screen on it. At his time I don't know a heck of a lot more about it, but as I said, I'm learning fast.

[Brian Rupnow]

My two car garage holds a lot of the "overflow" from my small engine hobby, and MUST have a clear space for my good wife's car. I have one place near my air compressor and old stick welder that will do for a place to mount the oven. I have angle iron harvested from 3 old bedframes (That cost $15), and will use that to make a shelf that holds my oven. So here you see the corner where my air compressor and stick welder live, and the frame of angle which will support the oven and the controller. The 3D model of a person is 67" tall, same as myself except for the white beard and pot gut.

[Brian Rupnow]

So, if you've been keeping track, I'm now up to $543 Canadian. I don't think I am going to need anything else, but if I do I will let you know. An observation---This heat treat oven, as purchased with no controls, would be very simple and cheap for a home shop guy to build. There is really nothing to it, just some light gauge sheet metal, some fire brick, and a door. There are lots of "How to build your own heat treat oven" videos on Youtube.

[ShopShoe]

Brian,

I think you're well justified in spending the money. Sometimes the "Make a tool to make a tool to make a project to make a project" approach just gets tiring and takes too much away from what one REALLY wants to do.

I've been following along on this and I will be waiting for your experience in the world of heat treating.

BTW, I think your bed-frame angle stand will work as you want and I am inspired by your ability to find space for each new thing you add to your shop and garage.

ShopShoe

[Brian Rupnow]

I moved things around a little and located the controller below the oven. That should keep oven heat away from the controller better. If I had to, I can put some insulation in the gap between the oven and the controller.

[Brian Rupnow]

I've had as much fun as I can stand for one day. Probably about half done on the support frame for the oven. It's been a while since I done much welding, but I do love this mig.

[Art K]

Brian,
Looks to be a nice setup, I can almost picture it's placement. I also have been toying with the idea of a heat treating oven.
Art

[Brian Rupnow]

Art--I emailed you a set of engine plans. Did you get them? I may have used the wrong email address.---Brian

[Brian Rupnow]

The frame is completely fitted and tack welded, and the oven and control are in place for test fit. The old red stick welder fits right in where it always sat, but I have it removed right now because I had to get down where it was to put some woodscrews into the framing on that wall. I'm going to move that air hose reel about three inches to the right, and all the stuff that was hanging on that wall is going to hang on a different wall. I'm quite happy with this. I will now put the oven and controller back in the house, take down the frame, and finish welding all the joints.

[Art K]

Brian,
I have to admit my laptop has been in the shop.😟 I have been using my cell to keep up with the forum. The good wife hasn't noticed an email from you though. When did you send it and I'll double check.
Art

[Brian Rupnow]

The frame that supports the heat treat oven is finished. It is fully welded and even painted. The old Lincoln A.C. welder even got a new handle out of the deal.--It had a handle on it to move it around years ago, but for some reason I had cut  the handle off, and I can't remember why. The next stage of this game is going to involve figuring out the control for the oven. It is intimidating because it has to be programed, and I haven't got the faintest idea how to do that. I have two pages of instructions that came with the controller, and I think they are written in ancient Greek or one of the "dead languages".

[Art K]

Maybe Latin?
Art

[crueby]

Maybe Latin?
Art

Minnion? Shop-Elvish?  Even English translations of instruction sheets can be pretty funny, if usually useless.

[ddmckee54]

Maybe Latin?
Art

Minnion? Shop-Elvish?  Even English translations of instruction sheets can be pretty funny, if usually useless.

Depending on the origin of the controller. there's a good chance the language is Chinglish.  This is not a dead language, however its' grammar and word usage is evolving so quickly that no one has been able to write a definitive Chinglish to English dictionary.

You're on your own Bubba.

Don

[Brian Rupnow]

If you look at the lower left corner of the frame I built, down by the air compressor tank, there are two screws going into the "baseboard". My knees have got so bad that there was just no way to get down on my knees in that corner to put the screws in.  I have "gell" kneepads, but my knees are basically "bone on bone" now, and it just hurts to much too get down on them. Damn, getting old isn't much fun. Anyways, our 42 year old son came over for supper tonight and brought his battery powered screwdriver and put the two screws in for me. I still have to grind away a little bit of weld inside the oven holding bracket so the oven sets level, and then it will be on to the oven and controller.