Kilns

[Grandpas50AE]

Hey folks, just wondered what any of you are using for annealing, specifically anyone using a kiln. Who makes goos kilns, and particularly are there any makers available to the average person like myself? I plan on using it to do brass annealing and core-bonding, but want cleaner and more repeatable results than my torch methods, meaning I would like to look into a programmable kiln. Also, do any of the makers produce a Nitrogen cavity kiln?

Thanks in advance for the replies.

[Reload3006]

what your really looking for is a heat treating furnace. there are plenty of them around. Check Craigs list and Ebay etc for a good used one new ones especially those with controlled atmospheres are OMG expensive. but you dont need one as big as a barn either. Dental ovens are pretty good too.

[roysha]

For annealing 22RF cases I use my wife's ceramic paint fire kiln. It runs on a 20 amp 110 volt circuit and is very repeatable using the cones.

I have not done any core bonding but I don't see why it could not be done, although even the lowest temp cone would be too hot for that purpose.

It was like new when she bought the kiln from a lady that was quitting the porcelain doll hobby for $50.00 and has fired it a couple hundred time at least. Since the paint fire temps are not anywhere near as hot as porcelain firing, the 110 volt works great and the heating coils last a long time.

[ReloaderFred]

I'm using a ceramics kiln that was built in 1937 and runs on 110 volts. It will heat to 2,200 degrees F, but I only run it up to 1,150 degrees for my uses. I both anneal and bond the cores in mine.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[DukeInFlorida]

I've used an old (discarded) gas grill. Line the thing with cement bricks, and place brass in a mesh basket, and turn up the heat. When you can flatten a 22 lr pc of brass with your fingers, it's annealed.

It was cheap (bought the bricks at the BIG BOX STORE of your choice), and works great.

[WilNsc]

A kiln sounds like a good alternative to the oven, I may have to keep my eye out for a used one.

[Grandpas50AE]

what your really looking for is a heat treating furnace. there are plenty of them around. Check Craigs list and Ebay etc for a good used one new ones especially those with controlled atmospheres are OMG expensive. but you dont need one as big as a barn either. Dental ovens are pretty good too.

That is probably true about the heat treat furnace. Do you know any makers? Do you know any places where I could look for a new one? I know Corbin use to carry one but it was pretty pricey indeed, and I'd really like to look at the various configurations and options available on the market before I buy.


Thanks for the feedback everyone. I found one place online that carries glass and ceramic kilns, but didn't see any using a nitrogen cavity. They had kilns from three different makers, so there was a pretty good variety listed with a pretty good tutorial about how to decide which kind of kiln to get based on requirements - I learned a lot just reading that.

[Grandpas50AE]

I've used an old (discarded) gas grill. Line the thing with cement bricks, and place brass in a mesh basket, and turn up the heat. When you can flatten a 22 lr pc of brass with your fingers, it's annealed.

It was cheap (bought the bricks at the BIG BOX STORE of your choice), and works great.

I saw that in the annealing thread, and was impressed with the originality and creativeness. I actually considered that, but I don't have much room on mt back porch any more, so I figure I'll have to put a kiln or heat treat oven on a metal stand in my garage. If I can ever afford to put up my workshop I have planned, all my casting and annealing/bonding equipment will get moved to that and my wife can have the other 1/3 of the garage back.:-D