Out of necessity.....

[Beagle333]

Well, since my new indoor casting facility isn't operational just yet..... (wife won't get her junk out of the storage room:-|) .... and it is very windy and cold here today... I was pushed into making a mold oven. Actually it was very easy! I already had a hot plate that I use for mold warming on normal calm days, and I discovered that a coffee can fit right down over the coils perfectly. So I just cut a handle slot in one side, drilled a hole for a Thermocouple so my PID could apply the power to the hot plate to keep the inside at the desired temp, and put a small flat piece of metal over the coils to protect the mold blocks.
I didn't use a round piece of metal under the mold because I wanted more heat transfer from the coils up into the oven instead of reflected down onto the hotplate. And now.... I'm heading outside to test this rig!
(edit... as soon as I screw a cabinet knob on top of the can.... It does need a handle)

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/PID/Moldoven1_zpsa4ea8bcb.jpg

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/PID/Moldoven2_zps2170f9cf.jpg

[MrWolf]

That is a pretty good idea!

[gpidaho]

It gets cold there Bama?

[Beagle333]

This a.m. was 34° with a wind of 25mph from NW. So it was cold to me. I have been enjoying low 80's til yesterday. I'm not quite acclimated to the cold in only 24 hours.
It's nice though.... 'keeps the skeeters holed up somewhere. :grin:


It works like a champ too. I ran it up to 350° in no time.
(It was at 314 and climbing fast when I snapped this pic)

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/PID/Moldoven3_zps629f4490.jpg

(I only use this one outside... skip the fire hazard warnings. I haven't found a permanent enclosure that I like yet.)

[ph4570]

Nice.

[Bzcraig]

That's one fine PID case there!:bigsmyl2:

[slim1836]

Just address it to me, I'll pay postage.:bigsmyl2:

Slim

[Hardcast416taylor]

I knew those FRB from the PO were good for something other than filling my mailbox!Robert

[Beagle333]

My setup today, with new mold heater.
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/castingarea_zps7797127c.jpg
and I cast a pile of 311467 Loverin's.
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/311467_zps81867d37.jpg

[georgerkahn]

That is pretty awesome! I have a 2" thick piece of aluminum on my hot-plate, and the "desk" I put together for casting has sides to keep wind down. I'll try posting a photo of my casting set-up so you may see. I cast outdoors, generally, with my unit on wheels -- stored in garage -- when not in use. I like your "can" idea -- ingenious!
georgerkahn
120794

[dikman]

Nice setup you've got there, George. I particularly like the two PIDs mounted on the side - neat, out of the way but easy to see.

[georgerkahn]

My prior setup, also on wheels stored in garage had neither side-walls nor PIDs; taking an 8' wooden ladder off hooks above my set-up resulted in an "oops" with "other" end of ladder squarely breaking the thermostat off my Lyman pot as it fell. My fix was to buy the PID from a CB vendor (Anton) which returned my set-up to use. Re another "return" (income tax) I splurged on the RCBS pot; then another CB member (SWANEEDB) had his slightly used PID surplus to his needs, so I have that one controlling the hot-plate (a $10.00 garage sale find). The fans in rear came off a thrown out Honeywell 1960's computer, and the mould spru-cooling fan came from B.J.'s. The light-bulb in rear is wired in parallel with furnace PID, so it lights as electricity is run to pot -- e.g., when the light is OFF, my lead is at, or higher, than my set temp.
For once I put together something which works well for me; however, I so love Beagle333's can idea, as soon as I find a suitable/large enough can -- I'm hoping to complement my set-up with one similar to his. As I type this it is 33* outdoor -- 17 miles south of the Canada border, it makes for some pretty chilly casting, and I'm sure Beagle333's can oven will be an asset!
BEST!
georgerkahn

[Beagle333]

George..... a regular gallon coffee/ketchup/bean can will fit up to a 4 cav mold. And if you have a school cafeteria near you, or a friendly guy/gal at the back door of nearly any restaurant.... they both use and throw out lots of large various sized cans, every day! :cool:

[el34]

Great engineering Beagle!
It's fun to see all the cleverness that comes out of people here.

Just thinkin'- instead of looking all over for a gallon can maybe it's worth the money to just buy a can of something. A small handful of dollars, cheap tool even if you dump what was in it.

[retread]

Some years ago a friend had the same problem with his wife not making room for his hobby. He picked up an old travel trailer, gutted it out and put his casting and reloading stuff out there. Turned out real nice. He joked that if the wife threw him out, he could just hook up and go.

[John Allen]

George, that casting bench is nice buddy. I need to make one.

[bbqncigars]

Very nice setup George! My casting/powder-coating/coffee-roasting bench looks like Kmart after a carpet bombing.