Heat Treat Oven 101-

panch0

panch0

Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
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Is a class that I need to take. I recently got this little guy, and just need to find out how a HT oven works and the parts and what they do. I have been googling and am about as confused as I was when I started.

1. Judging from the pics, what do I still need to get her up and running?
2. The plug on this says 125v so will this work on a 110 v outlet or does this need to be bumped up to 220.

I am sure I should be asking more questions, but am not knowledgeable enough to know them about HT kilns/ovens.:o By the looks of it will this unit get me up past 1500f? Thanks guys!

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The plug is ok Pancho , it is rated for 125 volts . Have you tried it , does it work ? Is it the evenheat one you just bought ?? Should go to 2000 degrees if it is . I think Tracy has manuals on the evenheat brands . Is that element broken ?? Did the seller disclose it as so if so ??
 
Yea its the one I just bought. The PID is defferent than the ones on the models Tracy sell though.
 
Frank, you may check with Evenheat and see if you can get a new coil. That one just doesn't look right. It seems like it should be wound tighter and of thicker guage? Anyway, that controller is aftermarket. It should work just fine controlling the oven with the TC. You'll need some high temp wire to connect the element with the SSR. You'll also need to connect the TC to the PID. If you find yourself not reaching temps, you may need a tighter wound/thicker coil. If Evenheat doesn't have one, you can get one from budget casting supply and pin it in place.

I think the main benefit of that oven is the solid shell and good insulation. The PID and coil and SSR can all be replaced if you needed to. My thinking is that the SSR and PID are probably just fine. You'll need to finish hooking it up to know if the coil will hack it at temps.

Later on tonight, I'll do some digging and see if I can't come up with the thread on how I wired my oven up to help you get the plug/coil/pid hooked together....

Looking at the wires, I would run all new wires as well to the SSR/PID/coil/etc. Is there some slack left in the wires from the TC? That wire should be K-type connecting wire all the way to the PID for accuracy. If not, I know where you can probably get some.

--nathan
 
Nathan, thanks for the info. TC is the Thermo coupler correct? I need to get familiar with the terms I guess so this can make more sense to me. Here is the diagram on the instruction sheet.

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First thing, you'll need to verify the SSR (solid state relay) output of your PID. They're usually DC...and you're SSR is AC input. You may need a new SSR.

Ok, here's what I'm thinking you need to do:

-You'll want to wire in a two pole switch rated for 220V and the appropriate amps (say 20) to the two hot legs coming in from your power cord.

-From the switch, you'll have both hot legs going to spots 1 and 2 on your PID

-Run fuses in-line for both of those power legs to the PID to protect it

-From the switch, run another wire connecting one hot leg to the switched side (output) of the SSR

-From the switch, run the other hot leg to one side of the coil (with high temp wire)

-Connect the second side of the coil to the second output of the SSR (with high temp wire)

-Connect 6 to the positive input on the SSR

-Connect 7 to the negative input on the SSR

(again, verify that the input of the SSR and the SSR output of your PID match up)

-Connect the positive side of the thermocouple to 9

-Connect the negative side of the thermocouple to 10

(not sure how to tell which is which if it's not labeled...)

-Run the ground to the frame of the oven, making sure the door is connected to the frame with a flex wire

That should for the most part get you up and running if things work out with the PID. Keep in mind, the coils are live if the switch is on. With my home built oven, I always just flipped the master switch off as I was opening the door to get a knife. That way you don't risk grazing the coil with the knife as you're pulling it out (especially in a small oven). Keep in mind if you touch a 220V source (or any source for that matter) with one hand with the second hand grounded to a table or something, the current will likely travel right through the center of your chest. I don't have to tell you what sits in the middle of the chest. :D

Hope this helps!

--nathan
 
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Nathan the existing cord says 125 v. I wonder if this was put on after the fact. Do I need to get a new power cord with a 220 rating?
 
Ahhh....how did I miss that?? :D I'm getting old.

In that case, I'm not sure exactly how you would wire up the coil, but I'd guess that the hot leg would go to the SSR and the neutral to the coil with the second side of the coil going to the SSR (so when the SSR opens, it completes the circuit). As for the power to the PID, run the hot and neutral to spots 1 and 2. Still do the same with the ground.

--nathan
 
Thanks for the great info Nath! What worries me is will this run on 110 and function properly with the SSR and the PID which seem to be 220v. On the pic in post #5 the black square by 1 and 2 says this:
Power
AC/DC
85-265v

Does that mean it will work from any where to 85v to 265v? Man I know about computer network routers, switches, and fiber optic cables, but electrical diagrams drive me bonkers cause I am not familiar with the terminologies.
 
My only concern is the PID's SSR output. Is it AC or DC. Both the PID's I have are DC SSR outputs. Is there any info on that on the other side of the controller?

--nathan
 
Best I could find on the instructions is under the specifications:
Pwr spply: 85~260VAC or 85~360VDC
Power Consumption: <2w
Sampling Ratiing: 4 sample/sec
Accuracy: 0.2% full scale
Display range -1999~9999
Display resolution: 1 c 1 f
SSR driving output: 8 VDC, 40mA


I believe this is the answer.
 
Nathan is giving you good advice, but I think you are jumping ahead too fast.

1. you know it is an Evenheat?
How do you know?
If there is a serial plate with the name on it
START WITH THAT MODEL NUMBER AND SERIAL NUMBER

then go to the even heat website and try to ID the model number or chamber size.
Manuals
http://www.evenheat-kiln.com/manuals/manuals.htm

All the pics you have here are very closeup and kind of blurry.
As far as I can tell it is a fairly small oven, -the door is opening on the "side", not the "end".

The parts re controller and SSR look ok so far, as after-market additions, but everything starts with the heating element and works backward from there.

I agree, it looks like the heating element is short and stretched thin.
Too short of an element means too much current and burned fuses, tripped breakers, or smoke.

I would order a new element from evenheat. using the model number you researched.

...or contact Evenheat with good photos of the whole unit.

All other components are sized from there.
15 amp 120 volt plug ? maybe ! not enough info.
SSR size.(looks plenty big at 60Amps with AC in and AC out)
Controller, looks nice if it works ok...

I agree with Nathan on fuses and switches,

I would also add a pushbutton "momentary on" switch onto the door which is inline with the control side (input) of the SSR so the act of opening the door turns off the elements.
The new models have this now. see the photos on the website to see how to set it up.

I would start all wiring from scratch as the connections there look bad.

There is special thermocouple wire and special heat resistant wire...figure out when and where to use it.


edited to add... I see that your PID is DC SSR output ? that can complicate things...perhaps why the last person sold this...
You can just buy a controller with AC output...it's more money, but simplifies this
 
Yeah, from what I can see on the pictures you posted, that SSR won't work with your controller. At least not that I can see.

You need THIS solid state relay.

--nathan
 
With that small of an oven, you could get the kanthal element prewound from Budget Casting Supply and run a 120V input if you can't find a replacement element from EvenHeat. It will draw13 Amps.

http://www.budgetcastingsupply.com/Heating_Elements_Controllers.php

The element must be stretched to 60-120 inches if you're just using one. Take a string and measure out the length of your grooves for your elements to see what their length is and if this will match.

--nathan
 
Now from the research I did on Texas knifemakers I don't have anything here that resembles the thermo coupler that is on TKS. is the wire in pic 1 with the blue splice thingies where the thermo coupler goes? Those are the red and yellow wires connected to the SSR out put side.
 
I think you should just sell it to me and let me stress over how to get it running lol I saw it for sell a day late as normal, wish I was closer I'd come over and help
 
Yep, those splices are where the TC is coming out (at least it looks like it). On the interior shot, you can see the TC sticking into the oven from the corner underneath the element. That's going to tell your PID what the temp is inside the oven. It should be connected to the PID, not the SSR.

--nathan
 
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