Gundog48 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I am looking at making a heat treating oven and am on the search for heating elements. I came across some reasonably priced ones on ebay that seem to be the right size. However, it says nothing about the minimum/maximum stretch length and the seller is clueless. Is there any general rule of thumb I could use here? Also, what recommendations would you have when it comes to wiring them? In series through a heater controller? Thanks!http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400305853088&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123#ht_1122wt_1163 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Find a heat treating oven that will suit your needs and use the specs from that. British blades forum had a great article on building one a while back. I do not have a link for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gundog48 Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hi Rich! I found that article and found it very informative and I'm using it as a base for this oven which I'm modifying to work vertically and to be longer.Just trying to source parts and was wondering how long these could be stretched and if they could be controlled in the same way as the ones in the article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Find a commercial heat treat oven that is very similiar in size to wot you will build,,order the heating element and controller from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I found this site to be very informative. There's even a chart that gives prescribed lengths for given elements Theirs of course but if yours is the same dimensions as one of theirs, it seem reasonable that the specs would be similar http://www.duralite.com/kiln-furnace-studio.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timgunn1962 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Gundog, the elements in your link look to me as if they may be difficult to use effectively. I have some of the 1200 W ones on order to play with, mostly because I want to build a couple of very small (folder-sized) HT ovens, but I expect to have to be a bit inventive.. The wire is rather thinner than I've used on the HT ovens I've built to date. It looks like the elements are simply cut from a continuous coil, so it doesn't look like there's any straight tail at each end to connect to. As you point out, the vendor seems to have no idea about them. To date, I've used 16 AWG Kanthal A1 elements for all my ovens. The 18" ovens have used a pair of 14A, 115V elements connected in series for use on 230V, using one element each side of the oven. Total power is about 3 kW. The 42" oven uses a 13A, 230V element on each side of the oven, and each element is powered from it's own 13A UK mains outlet. Total power is about 6 kW. I bought my elements from jrider12 on ebay. He was in Portland, Oregon IIRC, but seems to have dropped off the radar lately. Pmtoolco, also in Portland seems to sell similar elements on ebay. If you are following Andy Gacoigne's write-up from BritishBlades, it's worth noting that he also used two 110V elements connected in series. BCS now list 240V elements as well (they didn't when Andy built his). At least one builder has connected two of the 240V elements in series and found the oven won't reach temperature. There are cheap PID controllers on ebay that will switch Solid State Relays, which in turn switch the power to the elements. Again, these were not so readily available when Andy built his. I use a more expensive ramp/soak programmable controller myself, because I feel the extra cost is more than justified by the extra capability it provides. http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Process_Control_-a-_Measurement/Temperature_-z-_Process_Controllers/1-z-16_DIN_Size_%28SL4848_Series%29/SL4848-VR Whatever controller you buy, make sure it has an online manual. That way you can call for help on the internet and someone can probably help. Without a link to a manual, you're on your own. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I have a controller that I have not liked since I purchased it,,I think the one you just linked will solve that problem,,Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaRodriguez Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 · Hidden by Moderator51, February 9, 2013 - Confusing info. Hidden by Moderator51, February 9, 2013 - Confusing info. 110 volts goes to motor to spin the drum and 110 to the heating element, not 220 to the heating element. Element=110+ & Neutral- Link to comment
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