What will i need to build a oven 8x4x4

[Catmando]

Hi all im new here(lurker for awhile) and have only been powder coating for a short time and only small parts in a regular household oven and love it and would now like to build a much bigger oven for the big stuff and figured id go big enough the first time so i wont be saying if i only had another inch or foot what ever it will be,even though at some time im sure i would have something to coat that even this size oven wont do,but you got to stop somewhere.
Here is my plan I want to build a oven that is 8x4x4 (what would be the better way to have it open and stand,8 up or 8 on the floor)and im going to make a divider so if the parts are smaller i can use half the oven so I want a dual system of some sorte and im not sure how to do it,but im sure that some of you guys do and have it done already ,with that been said what do I need for materials,like framing(angle)sides (sheet metal)but how thick?,insulation (house)or what to use?,elements (how many for each side or what ever)and all other parts needed to start this project.I have done some searching and have some ideas but would like to be sure of everthing i need so I dont leave anything out so guys please be percise on everthing i will need especially when it come to the heating and wiring parts as its not hard to build a box but if its not heating up and holding it, its no good right.As soon as i get my parts list i will go and find all thats needed and get to it .I will post pics of my progress for all to see and so on.
Thanks inadvance for all your help ,this site is great and i have been a lurker for to long.
Roger

[kcenicola]

If I were making an 8X4X4 oven, I'd make it 8' on the floor by 4' wide by 4' high, like a giant meat freezer with a lid. I'd use three 3000 watt oven elements spread evenly on the bottom of the oven.

Then I would make a 4X4 removeable wall out of metal studs, sheet metal, and insulation and I'd make a couple vertical grooves out of angle iron positioned on the inside oven walls into which you could insert and remove this wall. When the wall is inserted, you've got 1/3 of the total oven with one heating element, with the wall removed you've got the full oven powered by all 3 elements. (Think of this removeable wall like the divider than goes into a fishtank filter to keep the coal and the rocks separated, or the partitions that go into those little plastic drawers that you put all your nuts and bolts in).

Then I'd make a control box that has a main power switch and and an oven selector switch. The selector switch would select between 1/3 oven or Full oven. In the 1/3 oven position, only the one element would be energized by a single relay. In the Full oven position all 3 elements would be energized by 3 relays. I'd use the TET-7100 temperature controller from ebay ($35), to set the temperature, display the oven temp, and switch the elements on and off. I'd put the thermocouple that comes with the controller into the 1/3 section of the oven so that it would read oven temp in either the 1/3 or full oven mode. I'd also put an air vent and fan on the 1/3 oven section.

I can design a control box to control your oven for you. (I'm an electrical engineer). You can email me at kcenicola@aol.com if you like.

Just my 2 cents.

Ken

[RWOOLEY]

HI:
I NO LONGER USE MY COMMERCIAL OVEN AND WILL SELL. I AM RETIRING AND CLOSING MY BUSINESS. I REWOUND ELECTRIC MOTORS AND USED THE OVEN TO BAKE INSULATING VARNISH IN REWOUND MOTORS. I HAVE ALSO USED TO BC ITEMS LIKE BIKE FRAMES. IT IS APROX. 4 FT. WIDE AND 7 FT. TALL AND DEEP. IT IS FIRED WITH NATURAL GAS AND HAS 1/2 INCH GAS LINE.
I NORMALLY USED AT 350', BUT HAVE USED TO 450' TOO. IT HAS GOOD THERMOSTAT AND 24 HR. TIMER. YOU CAN SET THE START AND END TIMES.
LOCATED IN LITTLE ROCK, ARK. rwooley@sbcglobal.net 501-372-3887
THANKS, ROBERT

[baz]

the only difference with ken is that i would go with a standing oven , first reason would be the heat going up as soon as you open the door and having to work your way over the oven when the door is open , second reason would be hanging the parts , try to visualise yourself hanging a car rear end differential in a standing oven then try the same part in a freezer type top door oven . .

one last thing . if you drop a part in a standing oven its quite easy to pick up,
but i would nt want to try and reach in the bottom of a 425 degree 4 feet deep
oven to try to pick up a part that fell . then having to wait and loose half an hour for the oven to cool down to be able to get the part

[Banditperformance]

YUp, BAZ is rigth, I have both, a 7'x5'x6' standing, adn a3'x4'x18"deep laid down oven. When you drop something, it's a pain

[vltony46]

After LOTS of RESEARCH this is what I decided to do…When I was I Hawaii visiting my daughter I seen this POWDERCOAT oven…it was made of old stove parts with a small electrical box for his controls and FOIL covering inside over with DURAROCK and a Angle iron frame work…and nothing on the outside. He used it quite a bit,
he said but that was all. So I decided to use his basic set up and
Change a few things…As far as foil inside the only thing I found is E-SHIELD WPAL
Which is a foil shielding but can’t find any info on to say, so I decided to go one step further GALVALUME…PROBLEM..I wanted a 4 x 4 x 8 oven….it seems NOBODY will sell you 4 x 8 Sheets….and after a lot of searching and calling all over it appears that all you can get is 43.5” x 123” it appears most there sales are METAL BUILDING MFG use that size the most and will not sell it to you so you have to call METAL shops and believe me not all carry it. It comes in 26 gauge mostly so that’s what I decided on for my inside…
I'm pretty sure galvanized or aluminized sheeting will burn it's coating off after time. You might want to try galvalume, its sheet metal impregnated when in liquid form so there is no real coating to burn off. I think i do remember seeing something about harmful fumes from galvanized burning off. And some thing like that about aluminum. I might be wrong about that, maybe someone else can confirm or deny. If I'm correct, then not only would it be harmful to you but it would also add some unwanted chemicals into your curing process. I'm sure that galvalume sheet would be your BEST choice. So I also decided to go a 3’L x 3’W x 5’H with a front door seems to be the MOST COMMON to use. Also in my research I found this site.
You must check this oven being built….VERY GOOD INFO THERE
http://www.f-5performance.com/powderoven.htm
I’m using most the info I just posted except I’m using 1/2” inch DURAROCK and 26 gauge GALVALUME and 20 gauge sheet metal on the outside, maybe even Heat Screen Aluminum Radiant Matting (goes between the Durarock and outside sheet metal) which might be overkill, and using a 2” x 2” angle iron (1/8 or 3/16” thick)
For my frame work. Maybe 1” x 2” tubing 1/8”wall for base supports or maybe wheels…..I hope this info will help someone else out. ENJOY

[chromo]

For metal sheets try a heating/cooling shop that makes their own ductwork.
Little shop near me had some great metal for a low enough cost, a few years ago I had a heat shield made for under my wood burner, cost me far less than buying one of those crappy shields at a store and mine is allot larger. Later I found the outdoor wood furnace builder here was buying the same metal from the same place.

I also went to a large shop near a big city before and bought plain cold roll sheet metal in a 4'X10' sheet for autobody work. That shop had about any gauge or type sheet metal and fairly cheap compared to other places around there.

[hbracing]

heating and air places are great for sheet metal. If you know someone who is in the buisness you can get into a whole sale house that will sell it either 3x8 or 4x8 and even if you can't get 4x8 just over lap the 3x8 and if you are carefull it can look good, just a lot more work. I prefer the overlap for the seal of the oven plus, again, if you are careful it can give a good finished look good luck.........