GunKote oven, home built

[nicitaja]

Hey, If you've done a search online for homemade gunkote ovens, Im sure you've seen the " 36" Toaster Oven" (http://www272.pair.com/stevewag/heater/heater1.html).

I started ordering the stuff for it and for the life of me, I CANT find a "screw in heating element" like the one used in the linked build. I am assuming that they are dangerous and not so available anymore.

I started looking at replacement kiln wire elmenets, and actually ordered a 50" 1150watt element, but getting a rheostat that can control the 10amp/1150watts is not such a cheap item, and not easily found.

Then I found what they call a "cartridge heater", which I read up on and learned that it can be used to heat "air". And finding a 300watt/120v is pretty simple. Only issue, is that they are only like 3.1" long? so I started to think about getting some higher wattage units and then wiring them in series to reduce the wattage, maybe 3 1000 wired in series?

Any thoughts or ideas, I started looking at Clothes dryer elements, but those are in the 4000w range.

Thanks in advance.

[uxo2]

I use kitchen stove when the wife is out.

[Yugo]

NICE!

[nicitaja]

yeah, well the "home stove" cant even do a turkey right, Im positive that the feed just isn't correct, plus, I WANT to hide out in the yard, not in the house... common man..... you all know what I am saying...



-John

[hermosabeach]

The problem with the kitchen stove is that a barreled action is longer than the stove in many cases

[johnyreb]

I use a gas smoker. 3ft tall and works great for cerakote and gunkote. I paid 80-90 bucks for it. Pulled the racks out and just install the top most rack to hang my work off it. It has a thermometer in the door, and I can adjust the heat by the burner controls and fine tune it with the dampers.

Holds a constant temp just fine. I run it in my garage with the door open.

[nicitaja]

no issue on open flame? I suppose just let the stuff dry a little longer...?

[uxo2]

If you do it right.

There is no flash hazard.
Spray with metal hot.

volatile carrier agent evaporates..

[Citizen X]

I use two nested metal trash cans found at home depot, aprox. 20 gal. and 30 gal. size to make a top load oven. I screwed stand off bolts to the bottom of the smaller can and lined the space between the cans with 2" thick pink unfaced fiberglass. My heat source is a simple and cheap 1000 watt hot plate, but less wattage would work fine. I separated the heating element from the base/control unit and spliced in several feet of heat resistant wiring.

The heat element sits on the bottom of the inner can and the control unit sits outside the oven. I use "fully insulated quick disconnects" from Radio Shack to connect the two together for a bake. I check temp. with a probe type digital kitchen thermometer with the probe stuck through a hole in the side of the cans. Very even temperatures top to bottom but because I haven't wired in a thermostat yet I have to diddle with the control knob a bit to get the right temperature, then check every 10 minutes and adjust as needed.

I did have to make one major mod. to this design though. The original interior depth was only about 22" so I had to make a new "door" by cutting a 14" diam. hole in the trash can lid and attaching a 14" HVAC starter flange and cap, which gives me about 32" vertical clearance inside the oven now. Making the door improvement was bit of a pain but if you have minimal sheet metal skill and a pop riveter it turns out pretty nice. I insulated the lid on the outside with 3/8" automotive acoustic foam left over from another project. I lined the outside of the foam using a thin sheet of aluminum (not really necessary but it looks better). All in all it works pretty well.

[nicitaja]

Thanks guys, I ordered all the various ****, spent more than I should have, and ultimately, took johnnyreb's post to thought, all those thanksgiving/Xmas turkeys in the smoker at 250-300 degrees, I can't get a turkey over 350 in one, so why the hell not use my 51" smoker, I have been a little pissed at it due to the ****ty temp controls, but that thing would be perfect to hang a un-stocked 23-24" receiver/barrel, and it gives me a reason to upgrade to a better smoker!!! Now just gotta get rid of that stupid feeling for wasting 100-150 bucks on crap I didn't need, but owell, thanks, I'll post to the tread my success/failures!!!! Thanks again


I

[johnyreb]

Thanks guys, I ordered all the various ****, spent more than I should have, and ultimately, took johnnyreb's post to thought, all those thanksgiving/Xmas turkeys in the smoker at 250-300 degrees, I can't get a turkey over 350 in one, so why the hell not use my 51" smoker, I have been a little pissed at it due to the ****ty temp controls, but that thing would be perfect to hang a un-stocked 23-24" receiver/barrel, and it gives me a reason to upgrade to a better smoker!!! Now just gotta get rid of that stupid feeling for wasting 100-150 bucks on crap I didn't need, but owell, thanks, I'll post to the tread my success/failures!!!! Thanks again


I

After I shoot the item I do let it set a bit before I hang it in the smoker.

To maintain the correct heat, the burner is turned all most off...

[SJgunguy24]

At Valkyrie I used a 6 rack Bradley electric smoker. It was 39" tall on the inside. Would hold 325f and had an 8 hour timer. Even when the element was getting old and ready for replacement, it would still hold 285 which is plenty hot for moly resin, and gunkote if baked for extended periods.
Personally i'm going to build my own over using some spirial pipe, 2" duct glass, perforated stainless sheet, and gut a toaster over for the controls and elements.

Another way to go is use an old gym locker or basically any long metal cabinet or box. Insulate the inside with sheetrock and install elements in that. You can pick up gas or electric heating elements from MSCdirect or McMaster Carr.

[GUNNTZ]

Sterno cans(4) and a home made sheet metal box worked ok for me. I cut a louver in the top to control the heat somewhat. Kinda ghetto, but it worked. Keep in mind I only had parts that were a max of 18" long, so I was able to keep it small scale.