I am building a Heat treat oven

Bama

Bama

Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
450
And nee some help from people who have already done it I want to do it pretty nice This is the Controller I am thinking of buying http://www.auberins.com/index.php?ma...&products_id=5 I have my thermocouple already, Which ssr do I need , And how much Kanthal wire I am doing it 110v for now. Any help wouldbe nice thanks Anthony
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This SSR- http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=9
And this heat sink- http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=45
The heat sink is necessary, I have a fan mounted to cool mine in addition to the heat sink.

Mine is 110v also.
I got my element here: http://www.duralite.com/store/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=108 , I used the 1750 Watt. I also ordered my high-temp wire for the leads to the element from the same site, I used 12 ga.

I will answer any questions you have as best I can, but unfortunately my computer is down, I am limited to using my wife's for now, so I may not be online as much as usual. My oven takes about an hour to come up to 1600 degrees upon intial firing but once the insualtion is warmed up it ramps up quickly enough for me.
 
If I have 20 amp breaker would it be possible to use the 2000 watt element? How hot does your oven get? any problems with 110 oven?
 
Mine has only been running for a little over a week, 1600 is as far as I have pushed it so far but I know it will get hotter. The steel body is cold when it first comes up to this temp. but after an hour running at 1500-1600 it gets pretty warm, so the insulation is still soaking up heat at this point, which tells me that it is not maxed out.
You should only pull 80% of what your circuit is rated for.
I did not experience any unforeseen problems. The wiring was really pretty simple once I had all the parts in hand. The white (nuetral) lines I wired direct to all devices. All fuses, switches, and SSR switched loads are wired on the black (hot) lines. I used a switch and 1 amp fuse on the hot lead powering the PID, and a switch on the hot line going from the PID to the SSR, this way I can power up and program the PID without the element kicking on. Also a fuse to match the element rating, wired on the hot lead going to the load side of the SSR and subsequently to the element.
After a couple of firings I robbed the cooling fan out of our old microwave oven to cool the SSR and heat sink which were getting pretty warm. It runs very happily off the 110v leads powering the PID.
 
Justin I can't find the high temp wire you are talking about can you send me a link,
Thanks Anthony
 
I ordered my wire from duralite, very happy with the product and service. I would suggest 220volt element over 110 unless its a small oven. I have all the electrical stuff for my oven, but can't seem to track down any insulating fire bricks localy, so it looks like I am going to have to eat a large shipping bill. I wonder if I could use the wool type insulation for the ends and top??
 
I think it is best to line the entire chamber in bricks but I suppose the ceramic wool could be used if you ridgidize it with ridgidizer or Satanite. I lined my door with Satanite-stiffened ceramic wool.
My biggest single expense ended up being the sheet metal, it cost even more than the firebrick and ceramic wool even though I had to have them shipped. I under-estimated how much metal I would need and bought it at the wrong place. If I had shopped around first and bought it all in one quantity I could have saved quite a bit.
 
Another thing I am doing is building a separate controller box (.50cal ammo can). Everything will be plug and play, with the idea being controlling a few different types of things wile having one portable controller box.
 
john0270 said:
Another thing I am doing is building a separate controller box (.50cal ammo can). Everything will be plug and play, with the idea being controlling a few different types of things wile having one portable controller box.
Click to expand...
I had the same idea, but once the PID was wired into the oven I realized it was not as simple as I had thought. The idea is still sound but I am getting a seperate PID to be the "shop slut", and leaving the oven PID where it sits.
 
Glad i found this thread. This has been very helpful. Could someone post some pic's ? Maybe that would fill me in and give me a better idea of the hole thing.. Thanks
 
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