My Buildup List

[JNizzle]

I am ready to build a slightly larger oven. I have put together a list of supplies after much research. Does anyone have any suggestions or see any potential problems?

2 - 2500W elements
http://cgi.ebay.com/Range-Oven-Eleme...QQcmdZViewItem

1 - 40 amp Contactor
http://www.famousparts.com/c25bnf240aco.html

1 - PID Temp Controller w/ thermocoupler
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fahrenheit-PID-D...QQcmdZViewItem

A few questions I still have:

1. The oven will be about 12 cubic feet. Will I need a fan?
2. What size wire to the oven,contactor,elements, and controller?
3. I am using a pre-existing metal cabinet that I would be able to fit 1" thick insulation in. Does anyone know where I can find some?
4. What do you use for lighting?

This forum has been a wealth of knowledge for me and appreciate any advice that is offered. Thanks

[JTW37]

The list looks good to me. I used hi temp wire for the lements. can't tell you what size. I'll have to look it up. It was something Tggt- from a local electric supply company.
The Insulation, I got from McMaster-Carr, But 1 inch seems a bit skimpy.
I used appliance light fixtures and bulbs. Have seen some use the ceramic light fixtures that were/are used for ceiling lights.
Do a search here, for the insulation, as there have been several types used.

[CarWiz]

Looks good to me if you're using 240v feed. You'll be drawing around 20 amps or a little more so go with 12-10ga. for the element circuit. I've purchased two similar controllers from Coldfusion and he's quick to ship and both worked without flaws. I also noticed he lowered his shipping charges.

One inch of insulation is a little skimpy but few home range ovens have more and some will hit 500 or more degrees. I would be sure to maintain some clearance around the oven though. Also, air insulates about as well as any filler so a multi-wall oven can be just as efficient as one packed with fibers.

A fan is good because it can even out temperature variations within the oven. Hot spots will be near the heaters and at the top. Drawing the hotter air from the top and getting it back down to the bottom helps balance temperatures. Another option is to draw heated air from near the elements and vortexing it through the oven. Even the smallest ovens gain consistency with forced convection. It also helps the thermocouple, hence controller, to react to temperature changes faster.

[JNizzle]

Thanks for replies guys. My progress has been kinda of slow lately with work and the fact that my hard drive died on my home computer. I want to order everything I need in the next couple days. I am really not sure how that PID controller is supposed to be wired, but hopefully I will be able to figure it out.

I know the insulation is skimpy, but that is all the cabinet will fit. I might build a structure around it once I am all done. Thanks again for the help, please feel free to through in any extra information. -- Jeremy