jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 30, 2013 12:29:25 GMT -5
This is not homemade but will get some homemade mods. I got it the local industrial junkyard for way under cost at $50. It is used to dehydrate welding rods. It is not much more than a thermostatically controlled water heater using similar thermostat and heat coil. And similar to a kitchen oven. Rated at 550F i will have to tweak the thermostat to get 600-650 maybe. I will let the rocks tell me by their condition after cooking. (too hot/too cold) They want $290 for a new thermostat. A BS industrial markup for a kitchen oven thermostat the serviceman can get for $40. One of two 500 Watt heaters. The thermostat is missing the knob. It has a little neon to indicate if demand is on like a kitchen oven.
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robsrockshop
has rocks in the head
Member since August 2012
Posts: 715
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Post by robsrockshop on Aug 30, 2013 13:08:37 GMT -5
$290 lol..........you must've been dealing with grainger. So are you going to bake rocks now or what?
I bought 3 kilns a few years ago, threw the worse 2 out. Kept one. Originally bought to melt aluminum but it's still there. I suspect I might want the space someday and throw it out as well. Then again I have heard of ultra tasty and huge loaves of bread coming out of them that could make the shop smell pretty good this winter.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 30, 2013 13:19:19 GMT -5
Bread ? Too funny. Creative though. Food takes priority.
Yep. Have been baking them for a while. In my my wife's convective oven. It blows the sand all over the counter and down in the stove.
Put me outside. Been there Rob? Melting aluminum. That takes a lot of heat.I know you do ingots. I am mystified...
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Post by Pat on Aug 30, 2013 13:46:03 GMT -5
Good find! I love roaming through junk yards. Can't around here. Everything is plowed under. Even the junk yard/garbage dump in husband's small old hometown does not allow it any longer. Your wife will be glad to get her oven back! Maybe she will bake you some bread!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2013 14:16:56 GMT -5
yeah. Save yourself the dough and buy it for $38All you need is a PID controller. Screw those oven guys. You are so right abut predatory prices. I just replaced the capacitor on my AC unit. $9.40. The AC guy wanted $50 for the cap and $95 to install it. Took me 20 minutes including the drive to the supply house.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2013 14:20:28 GMT -5
I like this thread. The cheaters are back.
is it 120V?
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bhiatt
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2012
Posts: 1,532
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Post by bhiatt on Aug 30, 2013 15:24:00 GMT -5
FINALLY! you got the spectacles back in there.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 30, 2013 16:31:24 GMT -5
The cheaters were replaced by the rammer ratchet. I should go back realizing the strong sentiment. You know i love you guys for that. (don't tell Scott, Brad, it will go to his head).
You know Pat, i think my wife liked my dependency on here oven. Maybe it was my excitement. Always was in a great mood looking forward to what the colors of coral i was gonna get.
It is a rush and very addictive. Sometimes your wife likes to see you enjoy life(just kidding).
That one is a 120VAC Scott. Thanks for the suggestion of the piv controller. It may be the way. It depends on how much humidity i have in it's new rock cooking kitchen i cleared today.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2013 16:40:12 GMT -5
PID = dual mode 120-240.
In reality it is 120 cuz it only uses one hot lead for the controller. Because it is a PID I think that means the ramp up/down is controllable, AND it learns the heat curve of the unit thus being more efficient and accurate after just a few uses.
FREE SHIPPING!!! 99.2 rating on 11,000+ deals. 33 complaints in 12 months. three or four about this product. One unreasonable, three about non-delivery. Seller offers refund.
I do not know this seller.
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bhiatt
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2012
Posts: 1,532
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Post by bhiatt on Aug 30, 2013 16:47:26 GMT -5
...and I myself enjoy seeing all the colors of coral you get. Some even make me hungry.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 30, 2013 17:50:31 GMT -5
I am hoping to get the OEM going. It is so well protected and weatherproof. And it is mounted (lazy).
BUT, i know from heating in camp fire that i got extreme colors and the glassy stuff fractures at higher temps. Well, the grainy stuff takes way more heat and has the richest colors. And my friend Stan cooked some of my coral in his artifact oven and the same thing happened-fractured glassy stuff and wilder colors in the grainy material.
So, I intend on eliminating the temp limitations of the kitchen oven.
I am thinking the richer colors will increase Brad's hunger for coral color fetish.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 30, 2013 18:39:23 GMT -5
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 30, 2013 18:46:42 GMT -5
I can cook the catfish too. This was welded from discarded red iron and pipe. Five month off season is hardest work time building barns and doing maintenance.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2013 22:20:26 GMT -5
what do you use the 2 liter soda bottle trays for? You must have 60-80 of them in two stacks.
Do you know the diofference between envy and jealousy? I envy you.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Aug 30, 2013 22:37:55 GMT -5
Nice find. One good feature of rod ovens is that they hold heat well, I would think it will make for an easy and even temp. drawdown.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 31, 2013 6:01:15 GMT -5
I may add more insulation Larry. At least a water heater type blanket. Since it will be in a fixed spot. Once you get a cubic foot of sand and rock up to 600 degrees it takes a long time to cool. I would estimate 48 hours if you left the door on the oven closed. 50 degrees per hour=10 hours to heat up and the hold for 2-6 hours to saturate. I open the door after 10 hours. Dig em out of the still hot sand 5 hours after that. Bigger (4 inch and up) requires slower ramp up/down and longer hold time. Tumble chips are indestructible. And they get hotter so they show wilder color.
Is it the Mcdermmit wood that is so flat and breaks in flat sheets? It is in all ranges of brown color. Tigereye looking growth ring bands.
Much more lax than 50/hour. I do 100 every 2-3 hours depending on when i walk by the oven. The sand way buffers fracture threats.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 31, 2013 6:01:51 GMT -5
The local junkyard is the best in the world.
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robsrockshop
has rocks in the head
Member since August 2012
Posts: 715
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Post by robsrockshop on Aug 31, 2013 8:06:09 GMT -5
Nice hillbilly shop I love it.
As far as ingots........here is the aluminum melter I built years ago and i'll add it works well. Before anyone asks......no I never built the machine shop. Huge amount of work, no time for it. But you can still cast stuff:
I have a scrap pile of lawnmower engines on hand lol. First thing you have to do is build a very hot fire and put the engine block in the middle and maybe even wood over the top. Grab it out right before it collapses and turns molten then put it in a pile of sand and hit it with the sledge. It will break up into small pieces you can put into the crucible. Might I add this activity will require some safety wear lol.
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 31, 2013 9:20:32 GMT -5
Cook away Dude!!!!! LOL My wife has a Countertop Oven Roaster that I'm trying to get...Told her I would buy her a new one..(James do you think that would do for cooking rocks??)It rates at 550 degrees for the high..... Building pole barns and machine sheds (been there done that)-LOL In North Dakota we had to build them in the winter months after the farmers cashed in their crops...(Freakin' hard on a guy) LMAO Loved it though..Once the poles were in the ground and frame and rafters up-it was a piece of cake for building them...Thumbs up
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 31, 2013 9:43:38 GMT -5
Yes Micheal. But some rocks need 600. not many hotter than that. You can insulate it crudely and get it hotter. Like some furnace insulation cut and laid on top and around. I have been cooking coral the needs 600 in a 300C oven. Which is only 572F. Best thing to do is test it with some rocks-get down and dirty and do it! My buddies furnace is a lot hotter than mine at 300C. So the top temps are often inaccurate-make sense? He cooked my same stuff and cracked the glassy stuff and got awesome color for the grainy stuff. i need more heat so the new oven. Many agates need 350-400. I cooked western moss and plume and turned it all ugly brown=toooo hot. So 550 may cook any and all ya got out there.
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