Oven Question?

[Krag 1901]

I'm going to buy an oven. should I look for a convection oven or does it make any difference? I'll be looking in my used stores first for bargains so may not have a choice.

[deces]

I don't believe a convection oven is absolutely needed, I just got a toaster oven from the goodwill for about $9 and it works fine.

[mehavey]

1. You'll need a Digital (https://buythermopro.com/product/tp-16/) thermometer to calibrate the actual oven temp vs what the dial says
(my suggestion is not to bother with cheap dial thermometers)

2. Convection (circulating air) -- Yes

3. All digital/solid state (as opposed to conventional dials) if you can find one used.
(Once calibrated, they hold a given temp well. Conventionals don't.)
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?405574-Toaster-Ovens-the-new-Toilet-Paper-(and-a-question)&p=4946515&viewfull=1#post4946515

[BLAHUT]

I just bought a new oven, old one gave up the sperit, both convection and conventional, neither works well.

[deces]

Supposedly the Taylor Precision Products FBA 5921n Thermometer Oven Guide goes well with keeping eye on temps for powder coating.

[hc18flyer]

I am relatively new to pc. Lucked into a 'turbo' (convection) toaster oven at Goodwill. I have an oven thermometer to maintain 400 degrees. I have been very happy with my results. hc18flyer

[jonp]

If it's for powder coating I'd say no. I got the cheapest one on the shelf at WalMart. Set the temp with an oven thermometer, off over 25 degrees, and it works fine.

[pworley1]

I can only say what works well for me, but I have a very cheap very plain toaster oven that has a 30 minute timer. I prepare the bullets and put them in and turn the timer all the way to 30 and just leave them alone. They turn out fine every time. I did have to use a digital thermometer to find out what temperature setting to use.

[Half Dog]

I got one at Costco. I turn it on, with a thermometer inside, and adjust the temperature setting until it gets to what I want. I’m a buy once, cry once kinda guy.

[Hossfly]

I’ve used plain ole conventional that SWOMBO thru out, used it for several years. Then she chunked a convection so I’ve been using it for a while. Experimenting with PID controls from my pot PID. Works either way very well. Cant really tell any differences. Just need to follow instructions from powder producers as how much to cook.

I also drill a hole in boolit and insert thermocouple, tap down with hammer, I intend to bake and monitor the internal temperature, to be sure it gets to 400’ works extremely well and will be cured positively.

Not at all necessary but fun hobby.

[Krag 1901]

So Temp gauges? I get the digital/analog bias toward digital, I spent many years in electronic test equipment field. I just got on Amazon to check prices and found several types. The probe, (Meat Thermometer) types and the noncontact IR types, and the blue tooth remote reading types are all in the $12-50 ranges. I don't have a smart phone so the bluetooths are out for me.
I'm leaning to the IR types so I can use it to measure my casting pot and mold temps too. They seem easier and ore flexible.
https://www.amazon.com/Zr-Thermometer-Non-Contact-Temperature-Adjustable/dp/B081TCW2Q1/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.dfb69b7f-0c77-4124-a5d0-05887808d5d6%3Aamzn1.sym.dfb69b7f-0c77-4124-a5d0-05887808d5d6&crid=3T4GGTQPM7UZN&cv_ct_cx=oven%2Btemp%2Bgauge&keywords=oven%2Btemp%2Bgauge&pd_rd_i=B081TCW2Q1&pd_rd_r=d27b6e1c-0bb6-4d1d-863a-1497842dfcfd&pd_rd_w=req9C&pd_rd_wg=8D65c&pf_rd_p=dfb69b7f-0c77-4124-a5d0-05887808d5d6&pf_rd_r=26HZHQBDBHWTQTY48Q09&qid=1669496753&sprefix=oven%2Btemp%2Bgage%2Caps%2C161&sr=1-20-bb4842f6-7db0-410d-8e58-ed475f3f7b54-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyRUM2SDRDTUc2OTREJ mVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzAwMTE2MTlaUUlLRkwzSkQ1UyZlbmN yeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODcxMDE0M0dHOFdaUkZXTVZPMCZ3aWRnZ XROYW1lPXNwX3NlYXJjaF90aGVtYXRpYyZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2t SZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

Like this one $16?

[oley55]

I am relatively new to pc. Lucked into a 'turbo' (convection) toaster oven at Goodwill. I have an oven thermometer to maintain 400 degrees. I have been very happy with my results. hc18flyer

My cheapo Wally world toaster oven has a "turbo" on it too and I always wondered why they didn't label it as a Convection oven. At any rate I pulled it apart and wired the little fan into a separate extension cord so that my PID controller wasn't constantly turning the fan on and off with the heating element.

[charlie b]

The only real difference that I saw was the convection oven came up to temp faster. I got the convection oven cause it was larger and could hold two trays of bullets.

[bubbau]

I use a convection oven and have had no issues with it. Purchased new so price difference was negligible.

[tacofrank]

I picked up a very nice toaster oven/air fryer at the Good Will for $10. The toaster oven works like a charm. Anyone try "Air frying"?
TacoFrank

[poppy42]

If it's for powder coating I'd say no. I got the cheapest one on the shelf at WalMart. Set the temp with an oven thermometer, off over 25 degrees, and it works fine.
Exactly! I got a seven dollar toaster oven out of some thrift store, A thermometer out of Wally World and it works just fine!

[rsrocket1]

I had a couple of $5 Goodwill ovens and dumped them prior to moving. I figured I could get replacements just as cheap. No luck. So I bought a couple of $19 Mainstay ovens at Walmart. They aren't as good in that there is no heat shield covering the upper element so the bullets see the hot element. I use another tray flipped upside down to shield the bullets. I'm sure I could bend some foil or thin metal to make a shield but the trays work just fine.

No need for convection, fancy PID's or any of that. Just find the dial setting for your desired temperature. If you need 400F and see that you need to set the dial to 380, just set it there and forget it. Just make sure your dial is set there each time you set the bullets in the oven. One time I accidentally moved the dial and ended up with a tray of slumped bullets.

https://images2.imgbox.com/60/63/FCqM8XRU_o.jpg

https://images2.imgbox.com/a7/20/3Qcc9BX5_o.jpg

[brassrat]

Just picked up a nice $5 one maybe as a backup. Cleaned it although it seems pretty new. I just keep my other $5 oven on 400' and crank the timer for 10 or 15 minutes and all goes well. Getting a good first coat isnt happening after what I thought was a upgrade from HF red.

[bangerjim]

Convection ovens are great. They even the baking temp out. Remember we are baking tiny little pieces of metal with very little thermal mass, unlike a casserole or pizzas. The moving air tends to keep the temp even. I have been doing this since 2013 and have gone thru 5 "el cheapo" ovens from junk stores like many brag about on here. None gave good results, at least good enough for my standards. Then I invested around $100.00 in the LARGE top of the line Oster digital convection oven and all troubles went away. I can now concentrate on getting my ESPC boolits the way I want them without worrying about temps. And the LARGE oven holds over 500 boolits at the time using the extra shelves I made.

But do what works for your needs and pocketbook. It's a hobby...................and I spend LOTS of money on my many hobbies!

Good luck!

banger

[brassrat]

Some guys brag about spending lots of money and their large things. :grin:

[charlie b]

I like to brag about small groups :)

I do have one of the larger ovens and it is pretty nice. FWIW, lead has a very low conductivity so it takes a while for the whole bullet to reach temp. The good part is, for powder coating, only the surface temp of the bullet matters. A more consistent temp in the oven is more important, which is why I got the convection oven.

But, I am not a 'batch' person. All of my bullets are stood on their bases and separated on the baking sheet with good air space around each one. If you do baskets of bullets you need to monitor the temp of the center of the basket of bullets. A thermocouple is needed for this. A convection oven might help getting the batch up to temp faster.

Do you 'need' a convection oven? No. I baked thousands of bullets with my cheap toaster oven and they did just as good as the ones from my convection oven.

The REALLY important part is the temp in the oven. The thermostats on the ovens are notorious for being wrong. My expensive digital oven is off quite a bit. I bake at an indicated 370F. The measured temp inside the oven is 400F. My older, cheap, well used, not digital oven was exactly correct. Set the dial at 400F and the measured temp was 400F. And, as I stated above, baskets of bullets need temperature measurement at the center of the batch.

[fredj338]

I bought a conv pizza oven from wally on sale, $50. With 2 racks, i can do 600/9mm. It holds temp decent but the built in thermo is off by 50drg.

[Iowa Fox]

I just use a free curb find that my grandson and I found. Smokes powder. Bullets and fishing jigs are coming out perfect.

[popper]

I just use a hard top hot plate. Old deep metal cake pan for cover. Oven is gathering dust. Same hot plate used for pre-heating mold. And Yoshi or equal copper baking sheet.

[Krag 1901]

Thanks guys for the advice.

I'm not too rich so I'll be looking for cheap as possible. After the Holidays I'll hit the Goodwill and Thrift stores and find me a convection oven and buy a IR Thermometer off Amazon. Then get some Smoke's powder and see how it goes. I need to cast up some 314299's and some Lee 312-165-2R's but it's been cold and wet here lately so since I cast outdoors I may have to use my Lee 309-200's and 312-155-2R's of which I have several hundred each.

[GregLaROCHE]

Simple oven works fine. If you are buying from a thrift store the simpler the better. Less to go wrong with it.

[granville_it]

Powered Covered Bullets are NOT suitable for muzzle rifle, percussions. Exit were if the EMMETTs as employed.

Mark
,

[tacofrank]

Some guys brag about spending lots of money and their large things. :grin:
Lol!

[Ed K]

Exit were if the EMMETTs as employed.

Mark

Translate please?

[charlie b]

Powered Covered Bullets are NOT suitable for muzzle rifle, percussions. Exit were if the EMMETTs as employed.

Mark
,

Not quite sure what you mean, but, you can use PC bullets in a muzzle loader. Same idea as using paper patched.

Use soft lead for the bullets. Size to just at bore dia. Bullets will be seat with the weight of the rod. Use 'healthy' load of powder, card and/or lubed felt wads recommended. On firing the charge will upset the bullet into the grooves and it will travel nicely through the bore.

[Smoke4320]

I shoot exclusively PC's bullets in my CVA Optima 50 cal rifle. Very very accurately.
Kill at least 2 deer a year with.
been doing so fore about 8 years now