ATV and motorcycle frame oven

[kd5sfq]

From what I can tell, a 2' X 3' X 6' would handle most ATV frames so that is the size I'm planning on building.

The design is a hybrid of the ATV oven described at www.powdercoatoven.4t.com and the cement board idea.

The design goals are mainly low cost, ease of construction and to be energy effecient.

I have all the electrical components needed, lots of angle iron and square tubing.

My questions are:

Is a hinged door or a sliding/track door the best option?

Is a vertical or horizontal oven best for frames?

Anyone ever built a bake-off oven for cleaning frames?

[pickleboy]

in answer to your questions:
1 sliding doors vs swing door, i would think it to be harder to seal a sliding door.
2. vertical vs horizontal. i think this has a lot to do with personal prefference, as well as the parts to be cured and ease of loading. (my large oven is vertical and most parts are easily loaded.
3. burn off oven. keep in mind that most burn off ovens run from 700 to 1000 degrees. it is hard to build and oven this powerful and still be economical. these are just my thoughts though bro so hopefully more will respond and give different views.

[kd5sfq]

After thinking about it some more, I have decided to make a 3' X 3' X 6' oven.

The cement board is out because the cost is twice as high as steel.

The frame will be made from 16 gauge steel tubing. It's going to be a vertical oven because it saves space and loading parts will be easier or at least I hope they will be.

So far I have be given 4 electric ovens to salvage parts from as well as an old AC unit.

With any luck, I'll start construction this weekend.

[mcaswell]

The major cost of an oven is the running cost, not the construction cost.

Cement board is a poor conductor of heat. It will SLOWLY absorb heat from the inside of the oven, and when the heating element is turned off, it will slowly give that heat back into the oven, keeping it warm for a longer period.
Steel, on the other hand is a rapid conductor of heat, and will not give this effect. I don't have scientific data on this, but there is a lot of information on heat conservation of structures at www.monolithic.com, where concrete domes are protected with foam sprayed insulation on the OUTSIDE of the concrete.

I'm pretty sure cement board and mineral wool insulation will be a better way to go.

[kd5sfq]

My oven is taking shape... The box frame is welded together and the inside walls are in place. The back and bottom are insulated with the outer panels installed.

The oven turned out to have 36" tall X 32" wide and 72" deep capacity.

My control box is built and tested as well...

Hopefully by this weekend, I'll be able to complete it and give it a test drive.

I have 3 frames ready to prep and coat plus a half dozen more in the queue...

[bluegiller]

Originally Posted by caswell

www.monolithic.com, where concrete domes are protected with foam sprayed insulation on the OUTSIDE of the concrete.

WOW, how did you come across this site?

Man, I spent almost an hour looking at many of the domes there, very interesting and unique.

[jrow]

kd5sfq,

Just a suggestion. If you make your oven a horizontal unit and use two controllers. You can put a baffe / wall in the center and use it to cook smaller parts. It should cut your electricity costs down!

John

[kd5sfq]

That's a great idea! To bad we have already completed the oven. Maybe I can retrofit a baffle and add another controller.

It heats to 450 in less than 5 minutes. So far we have powder coated a set of rims, nerf bars, swingarm and tie rod ends... Now we are waiting on more powder!

It's so cool to actually have our own oven.

[Timmer]

How many watts to get it to ramp up that fast? It's not too fast and burning the pc off is it?