Custom Knife HT ovens

Stacy how much longer until we see your design for the propane ht oven? Waiting very impatiently. :)
 
When I had Chris (knifemaker87) over last week, I showed him that the control box prototype is about ready to assemble, and that I was getting ready to start assembling the actual oven. It will look a lot like a jet engine. I have been waiting for the weather to cool down....insu-wool and sweat are a bad mix. The control unit can be switched between multiple forges and salt pots easily, as it uses Darren Ellis' propane quick connect fittings.
Once the final design work is drafted up into a neat set of plans, I will give it to Darren to post on his web site,..... and of course post it here,too.
Stacy
 
I'm not an electrician and I don't play one on TV. I be one of those engineer types lots of guys like to rag on, but I do have a bit (okay, a lot) of experience in designing industrial controls and power, as well as certifications, testing and approvals from UL/FM/CSA/etc., patenting, ... :barf:

I also have a bit of experience with ovens and heat transfer calculations.

I won't build my own oven...for the precise reason mentioned above...if I burn my house down with it I am likely going to have my insurance claim revoked. If I built one and sold it, even if the dumbass who bought it did something stupid and burned their house down, I'd be buying them a new house...and losing mine. Don't assume that just because 99% of the guys on this forum are honorable and stand up folks that you won't get a 1 percenter for your first customer. Murphy's law and all that...

If none of us have managed to talk you out of this, give me an email and I will review your design for serious flaws...things like fusing, power cord size, outlet plug, etc. You know, the nit chitting details...

BTW, the fact that you haven't mentioned insulation tells me you haven't really thought this through yet. Wattage and volume are only 2 factors, insulation (really heat containment) is another huge factor.

My recommendation, keep thinking about it for a while, mock one up, make a real one, and use it for 20 or so knives. Refine and repeat. When you have done a few or ten revisions to the design you might be ready to make one for someone else to try out. After you have a half dozen out and beta tested, and then revised your design another 2-10 times, you might be onto something. Bringing a new product to a market is a lot of work. Trust me, been there, done that, it is a helluva lot of work...if you do it right...and if you do it half assed you just waste a lot of time.

Good luck, but remember that maybe 1 in 1000 good ideas is really marketable in the modern world.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top