$40 Faberware toaster oven at WM anyone modified one?

[Case Stuffer]

So I replaced my $18 toaster oven with this one to have large interior, higher wattage elements and convection . Using a PID so temperature control is fine Convection fan only runs when set to bake which is fine however fan also cuts off and on with bottom ( Bake) heating elements and also of course cycles (pulses) as PID cycles power.

I baked a few batches and all look fine and past hammer test. Can not deside if it is worth the effort to open it up and wire the fan to a seperate power line so it runs full time. With fan running full time I guess I could use the Toast Setting so that both top and bottom elements heat which means twice the power available.

[VHoward]

I opened mine up and bypassed the internal thermostat and then wired a separate power plug for the fan. Now the PID controls the heating elements and I have to plug the fan in to run it. Works very well.

[Beagle333]

Mine is a EuroPro, but I did bust the case and wire the fan and light separate. I don't think fans like pulse power. (or circulate their best either)
Since you are only using one element, I would think you would need best circulation available. If you open it up, you solve both problems.

I went around the thermostat too. The PID controls both elements directly.

[bangerjim]

If you do not normally melt boolits with your convection oven (which you probably will NOT) I feel it is a waste of time to put a controller and t/c on a simple toaster oven. Once you know where 400F is on your dial using a good oven tnermometer, it will always be there until the thing burns out. Bi-metal t-stats may not be accurate but they are repeatable. Mine is within 10°F of the dial setting....darned close enough for what we do!

PID control if you like, but I feel it is just a waste of your time and $$ on an oven.

Remember, you are only monitoring the temp at ONE SINGLE POINT in the oven....where the tip of the t/c is. Rewiring for the controller and fan is a chore I would never do.


banger

[Beagle333]

It benefits me, because I move my boolits from my spraying tray onto a tray that is already in the oven (tall rifle boolits), so I don't knock em all over and I can get more in there per load.
So, I don't pre-heat, to make it easier and safer on me while moving the boolits. The PID doesn't let the oven overshoot the temp then when I get it loaded up and turn it on from a cold start.

[Case Stuffer]

I built thre PID for my $18 oven which would vary from 325 to 450 F and that was after using a fairly accurate thermometer to determine it needed to be set at 325F to sometimes maintain around 400F. . Another issue with the $18 oven was that set to Toast both top and bottom element were controlled (?) but set to bake only bottom element was on and stayed on full time , not regulated and yes it once got hot enough to start melting the Boolits. If I used the top rack Boolits were to close to the top (broil) element.

Using the convection fan the temperatre is a lot more even , top ,bottom , front ,middle and back.

I agree that most likely any range between 350 and 450F is most like fine and that much of what we do comes under the lines of tinkering.

Some go to what I consider extra effort to heat treat ( water harden) , then others say that PC bake at 400F for 20 min. soften the heat treated Boolits while others say that with power coating being so hard there is no reason to use any alloy other than just run of the mill reclaimed bullets anyway.

[rsrocket1]

My $3.46 ($1.68/pound) Black & Decker toaster oven from the Goodwill Outlet store (last chance for stuff that doesn't get sold) holds within 25F and is far and away adequate for PC'ing bullets. I set the time to 15 minutes (20 if the oven's not hot already) and the bullets come out perfect. The important thing is to get the temperature high enough for a long enough time to melt the polymer so it will fuse and set, but not so hot that the bullets will slump. There are lower and upper limits to this, but it is a very wide margin.

[Beagle333]

I just use that run of the mill reclaimed stuff. That's one of my main reasons for PC'ing. Wheelweights got scarce and expensive around here.
Range scrap is plentiful and cheaper, even when shipped. I don't know how hard the coating is, but I can push them as fast as my loading manual will let me.

[bangerjim]

Beagle......somewhere on here I read that PC is around 45 Bhn. It would take something more sophisticate than our Cabine's or Lee's to test it. A PC shop should have a good idea.

It is definitely hard enough for my usage!

banger

[rsrocket1]

I see that the Sherwin Williams PC paint that I got states "H-2H hardness" which translates to 22-28 BHN. That's plenty tough for me. The coating seems to be roughly the same as the HF Red. I like the complete coverage of the polymer, but the pigment does not spread evenly. The price was right, it was overstock from a local powder coating shop at $2/pound.

[Case Stuffer]

A vote for a always one convection fan.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post2986798

Mine now has the convection fan on a seprate power cord and oven temp. is a lot more even

[VHoward]

If you do not normally melt boolits with your convection oven (which you probably will NOT) I feel it is a waste of time to put a controller and t/c on a simple toaster oven. Once you know where 400F is on your dial using a good oven tnermometer, it will always be there until the thing burns out. Bi-metal t-stats may not be accurate but they are repeatable. Mine is within 10°F of the dial setting....darned close enough for what we do!

PID control if you like, but I feel it is just a waste of your time and $$ on an oven.

Remember, you are only monitoring the temp at ONE SINGLE POINT in the oven....where the tip of the t/c is. Rewiring for the controller and fan is a chore I would never do.


banger

Yes, we like repeatable error's. That's why the politicians keep getting re-elected. The bi metal thermostats are only measuring temperature in one spot in the oven also. I already had the PID controller from another project so it only cost me $5 for the thermocouple. So now I have an oven that maintains 400 degrees + or - half a degree and recovers fast. Good thing this is still a relatively free country, otherwise I would not have had the choice to do my tinkering.

[Beagle333]

Here's my convection oven as it came from the store. See the red circle? In that circle is the thermostat. It isn't even inside the heated space with the boolits! How could one expect it to sense and regulate the temp on the other side of that wall and in front of that fan (where the boolits are sitting) with any precision at all? Now it might be "good enough" to get the job done, but if you are like many of us and already have a PID..... a cheap thermocouple will get you right on the money every time for just a couple of bucks.

[Case Stuffer]

That common thermostat location is why these ovens run hot in a cold shop or outside in a cooling breeze and run colder setting out in the sun on a 90F bright day with no breeze at all.

I had a complete PID which I just moved from my $18 oven,which I purchased just to try powder coating. My two PID units , one on oven and one on my casting pot cost me right at $50 ea. which IMO is nothing compare to firearms, gun powder,primers,reloading and casting equipment and other related expenses to this far from inexpensive love of ours.

Remember if you want to Dance then you have to pay the Fiddler.

I have also heard that if you want to play in Texas you ,gotta have a fiddler in the band.