Slide out shelf for electric oven?

M

Mike Fennessy

Joined
Dec 19, 2005
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I'm just starting to let the idea of making a electric heat treating oven roll around in my head. When I was calling around trying to find bricks locally, someone mentioned that they had kiln shelving also (12x24). Would that work for a slide out shelf?

It seems to me that it would be pretty desirable to have that capability. So far I'm planning on something around 4x4x18. I'm planning on doing SS for folders so there could be five or so blades, individually wrapped, spaced out and it seems like it'd be a pain to get to the ones in back.

I imagine it won't be terribly hard to cut the harder shelving to size. Is it an option to attach a handle to it so it could be pulled out part way? Or would an iron plate (instead of the kiln shelving) work? Would having something like the heavier clay shelf or iron plate mess up heat treating? I'd guess you'd have to add some additional time to let the heat soak into these extra elements.

My gut feeling is that it's not a good idea and the less maneuvering of parts in a 1600 degree oven the better but I've never used one and thought I'd throw out the idea.

I may just decide to go with a top load because of the depth.
 
I really don't know, but it seems like an interesting question so I'm subscribing :)

I will take a guess that the shelf would help keep your temps stable, once everything gets warmed up.
 
Mike Fennessy said:
My gut feeling is that it's not a good idea and the less maneuvering of parts in a 1600 degree oven the better but I've never used one and thought I'd throw out the idea.
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Go with your gut. IMHO this would raise way more problems than benefit.

You NEED tongs if you're going to be working around hi temps. A pair of general pick-up tongs will easily reach into a kiln at temp and will be far easier than fumbling around pulling out a loaded shelf at 1400-2000F. By the time you get the shelf pulled out, THEN grab ahold of the parts (now outside of the kiln) your parts will be far below your target temp.
 
Well, I was thinking of making the slides out of bed frame angle iron. The next step would be to figure out how they would act at those temperatures, but if the parts are going to fall below temp then that's that and I can get back to figuring out how to make a basic oven. Worth a thought though.

hmm... maybe a sliding top. :)
 
You want to be able to open, get in, get out, and close it quickly.

If I were making my own oven, and planned on heat treating batches of 5 or more at a time, 10" would be my minimum width, and 12" would be better.
6" high minimum, and 4-5" deeper than my longest projected blade length.

That's just me though.
 
Don't do it. The steel angle iron would not hold up to the temps either. Even for a top it will be a heat sink and radiate way more energy into your shop than one made of insulating firebrick. Maybe it could make a good slab/liner/"counter top" between your oven (or a forge) and the work bench the oven/forge is standing on.
 
Slotted fire brick or ceramic tile drilled and fitted with ceramic rods to hold the packets on edge within the oven makes for more uniform temp to the packets and more easily grabbed packets when using the tongs.

A form of Occam's razor (lex parsimonae) is a good rule office follow. Also stated eloquently, "keep it simply simple.". Occam helps keep Murphy at bay.

--Nathan
 
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