Molten salt heat treating

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Sirgreggins

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Mar 21, 2016
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I have been researching salt pots for a few weeks and yet I can't seem to find any threads or pages of a diy salt pot. I know many people use a burner but the idea of a PID controller and a kiln heating element seems like a better choice, simply for control. I was wondering if I could cut a hole in a skutt kiln and put a 316 SS tube with a welded bottom plate inside, if that would work. If anyone has info on something like this, or designs overall, please pass them along. Also, anything that involves maintenance would be helpful too. Thanks
 
Those who have them use fire and a PID controller


Molten salt, and fumes can become electrically conductive.

I've only seen one mention of using electrical heating and they went back to fire.
 
The salt kiln that Tim Zowada sells or sold (still up on his website) is a stackable electric unit made by Evenheat.
 
Most folks I have talked to abandoned electric heating for the conduction reasons. Gas heating works well. HTT&R and parts and kits. Other sites sell them as finished units.

That said, a salt pot is not a beginner thing. You can be seriously harmed or killed with one. Buildings can burn down. The other name for the contents of a salt pot is lava!

My standard answer to a salt pot question is - "If you have to ask about them, you should not get/build/use a salt pot!"
 
The reason why I had my heart set the salt pot was because it eliminates scaling and oxidation, and of course fast even heat transfer. I like the idea of getting the bevels ground and the knife to near finish before heat treating. Not to mention Bob Kramer does it and his knives are incredible! Would you guys recommend an electric kiln instead? I want to be able to grind my edge and still be able to heat treat without fear of overheating the cutting edge. Even heat and control are important to me. Thoughts/recommendations?
 
If you are dead set on salt, i would recommend making enough blades to justify the minimum batch cost ($75 a couple years ago) and send them to Metallurgical Solutions in Providence RI or someone like them in the short term.
Sirgreggins said:
The reason why I had my heart set the salt pot was because it eliminates scaling and oxidation, and of course fast even heat transfer. I like the idea of getting the bevels ground and the knife to near finish before heat treating. Not to mention Bob Kramer does it and his knives are incredible! Would you guys recommend an electric kiln instead? I want to be able to grind my edge and still be able to heat treat without fear of overheating the cutting edge. Even heat and control are important to me. Thoughts/recommendations?
Click to expand...
 
Most all knifemaker type kilns are good. Evenheat and Paragon are the most common. Get a 24" deep oven unless you plan on making only folders. If you make knives long enough, sooner or later you will find 18" too short.

Evenheat makes a "Bill Burke" modification oven that is an improvement developed by one of our forum members. It has extra insulation and is a very good improvement for knifemakers.

You will also need a roll of stainless HT foil ( get the higher grade), HT gloves, HT tongs, a pair of blade racks, and a spiral notebook. Write down every run you do with all the steps, numbers and other info. This will give you a good guide for fine tuning your HT programs. Many makers have twenty years of these notes.
 
Thanks for all the advice!! I've been looking at a 24" deep kiln lately. With all this advice I'm going to start sourcing the heating elements, PID, thermocouple, ssr, and of course either firebricks or kaowool and a steel tank. My uncle is a welder and comes across scrap steel all the time. He's going to help me with my hydraulic press as well.
 
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