Need advice on an oven for cooking coatings

[criticalbass]

I am looking around for a somewhat inexpensive oven long enough for a barreled action, maybe 36 inches or so. Can be something I can put an element and sensor/control in, or something already assembled.

This isn't a want-to-buy, just an inquiry into viable alternatives. Have consedered rigging up the barrel from an old charcoaler, a quarter barrel, and a few other possibilities.

What do you recommend? CB

 

[HMFIC]

Some guys have had luck in making a heat cabinet out of the cheapo gun cabinets.

bsmith918 has a thread here that shows and details his:

http://www.okshooters.com/showthread.php?129826-Paint-Curing-Oven....


Also people have suggested converting an old fridge too. It's already insulated.

 

[UnSafe]

What's the measurement diagonally in your oven? If you pulled the racks and rigged up support, would it fit?

A cheap & simple plan B would be to find someone that has a larger oven and use it. Otherwise, you could cannibalize a junk oven and enlarge it by forming a box out of any sheet metal side covering to extend the size; Wrap a 55 gal drum with fiberglass insulation and insert a junk oven element & thermostat. then rig the mess to the oven's wiring and set a timer. Many ways to skin that cat, but a buddy with a big oven would save an afternoon scabbing a pile of junk together.

I've seen 'net pics of homemade powdercoat ovens, most based upon salvaging parts from a junked oven. Might be worth searching if you plan on using it more than once.

 

[Hump66]

Harsh Firearms (chevellex69) just made one out of an old safe/cabinet. Might shoot him a PM for tips.

 

[bsmith918]

I have built one before. PM me if you want any information. I have upgraded some of the parts on mine since that thread above was started. Also, like was said above, a refrigerator is great since they are already insulated. You can also use ducting with a heat gun used to heat it.

 

[71buickfreak]

It all depends on the heat range. I built a powder coating oven with a 1x1 steel frame, 14-ga sheet metal and used a propane IR heater to cook it. Worked really well for several years until I finally bought a used Subway proofing oven that has a convection fan. I use that quite a bit. I will tell you this, you can find cheap commercial ovens like the subway unit on craigslist and at auctions on a regular basis. I paid $200 for mine about 8 years ago. You can also use the elements from a stove. Just need to build the box. If you are doing gun barrels, I would look into a section os double-wall stove pipe. Cap one end, mount a single stove-top burner in it and make a lid that drops in from the top. That would simple and cheap.