Is is worth it???

[radnurse68]

A local water cut shop has a used oven for sale. It is several years old and has been setting outside in the elements for over a year. It looks pretty rough so I am looking for an opinion from you guys. It's 4x4x8 with roll in/out rack. the current owner has never used it but will guaranty it works for $1500 or no guaranty for $1000. As far as I can tell it only has one heating element and it is on the back wall midway up with a steel cover over it. A circulating fan. no digital controls. He says he has an extra heating element but he will have to find it. Does anyone think its worth it or should I keep looking or build my own. I have no idea what it would cost to build one of comparable size. I am going to attempt to attach some pics. thx

steve

[Capstone]

looks really rough, but there's no way I'd consider it until you plug it in and fire it up. If you're even a little handy, you could probably build new/DIY one for about the same price. I'm confused what paying $500 extra gets you for a guarantee? A full refund if it doesn't work? I would test it and then negotiate a price or walk away.

Have you already done a bunch of powder coating with a smaller oven and really need that size or are you just anticipating the need?

A used residential double wall oven I picked up from The Restore for less than $200 and it has performed flawlessly, but obviously it's limited to smaller items.

[acourtjester]

run don't walk I would say there is more work getting that one operational then building one yourself. There is a reason the owner did not use it to start with continue with your plans to build one. There are many plans on the web and help to get what you want with that one you will never know when parts will fail build one and have new parts to start.

[kkroger]

run don't walk I would say there is more work getting that one operational then building one yourself. There is a reason the owner did not use it to start with continue with your plans to build one. There are many plans on the web and help to get what you want with that one you will never know when parts will fail build one and have new parts to start.

I concur, I don't like most of that setup.
Building one is EASY... the wiring all of it.
I found 3410W Elements for $12 shipped
PID, Switch, Distribution Block, Contactor, wire...

[radnurse68]

Thanks for the input. KKROGER I guess u know the obvious question is where did u find the elements for that price?

[kkroger]

Well lets just see... This is a $354 dollar Oven Build... and it is more than I needed...
I picked THIS up for $75
it is a Stainless Steel Warming oven interior dims
24"x29"x60"

"Exact Replacements Erb44t10011 Bake Element" Search this on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004DA ... UTF8&psc=1

I got a PID with Timer from Auber Instruments, SWA-2441 for mechanical contactors...

Shutoff Switch
Thermocouple K type 6" with 6' Wire...
$115 ish total
I purchased a mechanical contactor from TC Coatings... $13 and change...
Some MG High Temp Wire from TC Coatings and a Junction Block from TC Coatings
and some Tadpole Seal...

about $117 ish total

A steel enclosure for the electrical stuff... $23

8' of 10-4 SO Cord $12
6-50 Plug (Cooper) $15
A Duplex Outlet box, and a Quad outlet box with cover plates 2' of 3/4" conduit and some fittings...
I just got the last of the stuff and wired it all up tonight.
I did a test run up to 200 degrees, worked pretty well with One Element...
Set it to heat to 375* hold for 20 minutes then shut down and set off a buzzer...

Add a Contactor and you can run up to 4 elements...
Build a box out of steel studs and sheet metal (add some insulation) to make your size
Here is a good tutorial on building an oven.

Spotted this a while back, it is a good tutorial on building the oven, not the controller. there is a lot of info on Caswell's site too.
http://www.powdercoatguide.com/2014/09/ ... CF3OvldWSo
http://www.powdercoatguide.com/2014/09/ ... rt-ii.html

[Capstone]

All I can say to the $75 Stainless Oven deal... YOU SUCK! LOL oh, and go buy a lottery ticket with that kind of luck.

I googled a similar sized oven and nothing came in under a few thousand dollars so it's unrealistic to build from that item as a starting point.

Now, back to reality. I seriously doubt anyone is gonna find that kind of deal on a purpose built commercial stainless steel box perfect for PC oven conversion. What most regular people have to do is build one and they will still spend at least hundreds for the materials before they get to the electronics. Built right, I can't see an effective oven being built for less than $1000. Or... you can consider a turn-key custom built oven from the dozen or so makers around the country that offer support and a warranty similar to this one I found randomly on Craiglist. http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/ ... 05634.html

[kkroger]

This one I happened onto by accident, A Co-Worker saw this one sitting in the field at his in-laws place in the country, he took a couple pics and showed them to me. I asked how much, he inquired and the owner said he didn't recollect how much he paid but he would take $75.
I could have sold the casters off it for a hundred! the Stainless in Scrap value would have been more than $75...


I considered haggling....




he buys a lot of stuff from a local auction house called Cargo Largo, they get a lot of transport damaged stuff.

I had planned to build a slightly larger oven.
Using Steel Studs, Galvanized Sheeting, and insulation batts. I think I calculated the entire build including electronics at a shade short of a grand. Buying everything retail. for 4x4x7 interior dimension with 4 elements a fan and all the other stuff mentioned.

I see builds all the time using "Free" stand up Freezers and gutting and re sheeting them inside.
Similar everything. $200 on the OUTSIDE to re-line it with galvanized.
Mine just happens to be Stainless Steel. Luck of the Draw.

That said I STILL would not pay a grand for that thing in the OP.

[_Ogre]

run don't walk

i agree with run don't walk.
it would take that much more to fix it, almost guaranteed nothing works

I considered haggling....

and i agree with capstone, nice conversion too
i'd have bought it just to have around for a project

radnurse; start small and see what it gets you

[kkroger]

run don't walk

i agree with run don't walk.
it would take that much more to fix it, almost guaranteed nothing works

I considered haggling....

and i agree with capstone, nice conversion too
i'd have bought it just to have around for a project

radnurse; start small and see what it gets you

Short story...
I started with a house oven.. outgrew it, REALLY want a MUCH larger oven to coat wheels have a company that imports some wheels and they come raw and get powder coated locally, I think it was 40 per week, for the contract...
Can't do that at one wheel per 20 minutes!

OK back a few years at another shop we did spray and bake finishes on firearms, suppressors etc.
One of the business partners brought in an "Oven" made from a section of Duct Work, with some sort of ribbon elements in it, and a DIMMER switch for the control... had a hole in it to drop a thermometer and a couple grids (cooling racks)
the Dimmer popped one day and I refused to "Repair" the POS and knew where there was an oven for free so we got a house oven to do that stuff in. Still have it and Still use it for small stuff. New oven will work a bit better for some of the stuff I do now with powder.

[kkroger]

During my first run up the outside of the box didn't get over 80*F

Should be a definite step up from the house oven I had been using for a long time.