Powder Coating Oven Build

[MEISTER]

Not sure if this is a 'Home Improvement', but I think it is. So I have been powder coating for a while now and my little home range was not cutting it. (My garage build here) So I decided I have to get something larger. I searched for ovens and there started at $3500. I started doing searches online and found many people building their own.

So I came up with the idea to just use metal 2x4s, insulate and line it with sheet metal. (Little did I know later many people did it the same way) Here are the photos of the build:

Started with a 6ft x 4' x 3' base and lots of custom cut 22 gauge cold roll steel


Used Harbor Freight casters. I thought these were cool becuase they were rollerblade style wheels, clear and different than all the other casters they had in stock. I need to be able to move my oven so I can move it when they knock down my garage. (Again read the shop build thread)


6' uprights


Top frame on.


Starting on the skins






Brace for the control box


Door frame corners with 90º bends to keep the seams cleaner


All the braces in


11,000 watts of burner power


Last of the sheet metal pick up. Custom made door, inside door panel and back panel. Had to use 20 gauge for the back, and doors due to the larger size. Wasn't that much more, but the 22 gauge did cut down on the weight. Eurovans also make great sheet metal haulers too.


All insulated with barriers on all the studs and high temp tape.




Outer skins going on, 22gauge


More skins + controller (to be replaced by a different one soon)


More skins going on


Coming together... starting to rust due to the Pac NW wet air... I'll deal with that later.


Wiring


Access hole for the burners (will also be using high temp wire)


Other side all wired up


Top getting wired


Box all wired (but like I said I will be replacing this one)


11,000 watts of heat got to around 100º in about 15 seconds.


Door getting assembled


Cutting the metal (wish I had a brake press)


Supports and window going in


Inside door panel


Door all done with a Kenmore oven door handle




Door hung with 6ft piano / continuous steel hinge.


Open sesame


Latches to keep all the warm inside


High temp seal going on


Everything works so far


Racks all bolted in


Ready for coating. Small old oven on the right.

[H0T_SAUCE]

HAWT!!!

[jodub337]

Love it!!! nice build

[VDubVirus]

Nice to see it all finished up! I know this will increase production at the shop.

[98DUB]

Need to bring my tank over

[barry2952]

Great job. That would look nice next to my home-made giant sand blast booth.

[Sizzla]

[unimogken]

Looks awesome!
Now build one big enough for my whole truck to drive into!

Have you thought about putting a grill over the elements so dropped parts won't dork them up?

[spockcat]

Have you thought about putting a grill over the elements so dropped parts won't dork them up?

I thought you were going to suggest putting a grill on the bottom to cook burgers on. I was thinking rotisserie chicken or pork hocks myself.

[Hostile]

When I read the thread title I thought you were going to powdercoat your kitchen oven. Then I thought you were building your own kitchen oven until I got the picture showing it was going to 6' tall. Then I got it.

Looks totally awesome.

[ATL_Av8r]

Is that blood?

Damn nice work.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Very cool!

[Markos]

Is that blood?

Damn nice work.

Funny, it does look like a torture chamber.

Very cool build! Upon seeing the first picture of a box frame, I immediately thought of using an old freezer. A quick google search provided numerous examples. Here is a snippet:

http://forum.eastwood.com/showthread...Got-a-question

Obviously not as big or nice as yours, but the outer shell fab work and door would be out-of-the-way.

[Gorgeous]

Coming together... starting to rust due to the Pac NW wet air... I'll deal with that later.

You need to build a larger one, then you can powdercoat this one, and bake it in the bigger one.



...but then you'd need to build an even bigger one to powdercoat that.... crap.

Awesome build, MEISTER. BTW, I'm still rocking the same GTI, exhaust still sounds great too, thanks to your help.

[VILESTENCH]

nice! I plan on doing this very soon.

[Cortexiphan]

Thats awesome!

[MEISTER]

Just got the new controller yesterday and all powered up.


All wired.


Heating up, outside temp staying fairly cool.


Up to Temp!!!

[MEISTER]

Looks awesome!
Now build one big enough for my whole truck to drive into!

Have you thought about putting a grill over the elements so dropped parts won't dork them up?

No. You have to hang everything. There is plenty of room above the burners to not have them touch. I also test fit everything prior to turning the oven on, just incase it does accentually touch the burners when it's heating up.

nice! I plan on doing this very soon.

If you need any tips or tricks go to the Oven Building Forum here: http://forum.caswellplating.com/oven-building-forum/

You need to build a larger one, then you can powdercoat this one, and bake it in the bigger one.... but then you'd need to build an even bigger one to powdercoat that.... crap.

Awesome build, MEISTER. BTW, I'm still rocking the same GTI, exhaust still sounds great too, thanks to your help.

Thanks, It would be a vicious cycle.

Glad to hear!

Funny, it does look like a torture chamber.

Very cool build! Upon seeing the first picture of a box frame, I immediately thought of using an old freezer. A quick google search provided numerous examples. Here is a snippet:

http://forum.eastwood.com/showthread...Got-a-question

Obviously not as big or nice as yours, but the outer shell fab work and door would be out-of-the-way.

I was going to do that, but I would rather build it to my specification and have it exactly the size I need it. I hate compromising with things like that. To tell you the truth, this only cost about half of what a professional oven would have cost. This is also why I just built my own.

I thought you were going to suggest putting a grill on the bottom to cook burgers on. I was thinking rotisserie chicken or pork hocks myself.

When I read the thread title I thought you were going to powdercoat your kitchen oven. Then I thought you were building your own kitchen oven until I got the picture showing it was going to 6' tall. Then I got it.

Looks totally awesome.

That's funny. I actually make my own pizzas from scratch. (photos here) My friends said I should bake a bunch of pizzas in there before I start using it as a powder coating oven.

The though did cross my mind. But I did have a lot of fiberglass insulation in there, so I don't think it would even be safe to do before I started using it for powder.

[barry2952]

This is also why I just built my own.

I understand completely.

You have inspired me to build one. I've got almost everything lying around my shop. I might just go with an aluminum exterior to save it rusting. Any downside to that, aside from cost?

[VILESTENCH]

i think you'd be fine as long are you're insulated well.
I'm probably gonna go with galvanized steel when I do mine.

[brad131a4]

At that wattage how long does it take to get to temp?

[Noodleboy]

great build and love the garage too. Looking into buying a house now and thats one of the necessities

[Mtl-Marc]

[mikegilbert]

Well done, Dave!

[MEISTER]

I understand completely.

You have inspired me to build one. I've got almost everything lying around my shop. I might just go with an aluminum exterior to save it rusting. Any downside to that, aside from cost?

i think you'd be fine as long are you're insulated well.
I'm probably gonna go with galvanized steel when I do mine.

I would go with galvanized if you can find it. My supplier only carried cold rolled. I plan on sanding it down with some cool designs and clear coating it with one day.

At that wattage how long does it take to get to temp?

15 minutes to get up to 400º. I need to rewire with a larger breaker now. Just ran into some issues with it on the current 40 amp breaker. I really should be running a 50 amp. So I think I will need to rewire it today.

[EpicVW]

So how much are you into it, total? Just curious.

Fantastic work!

[motronicmalfunction]

great work! you will have to let us know how much this will bump your power bill up.