Need oven...

Eggo · December 8, 2009, 12:47 PM

Whats up people? I'm new here. Anyway, i need an oven to refinish firearms, mainly rifles. Just a hobby, and doing some friends rifles as well. So whats my best bet? I have no clue about ovens, and i'm tired of duracoat, so what works well without paying too much? Can't fit Most rifles in my house stove. Thanks.

2003flht · December 8, 2009, 01:03 PM

Just curious... what type of finish are you planning on using?

I can tell you what my bro did. He "retrofitted" standard household kitchen oven so that he can powdercoat motorcycle parts, frames, frontends and wheels. He cut the thing up and welded sheet metal to make it larger. Used some insulation that is used in hot-form dies. It takes a little "yankee-ingenuity", but cant be that hard. Plus, the stove was a road-side pick-up. F-R-E-E!

i'll see if he cant get me a picture of it.......

Eggo · December 8, 2009, 01:10 PM

I'm looking to do gunkote and cerakote. I would consider building one if i had the time, but as of right now i don't. Thanks for the reply, and i pic would be good, sounds interesting.

mapsjanhere · December 8, 2009, 01:10 PM

We had a similar issue at work, we found a used pizza oven that worked perfect for large metal parts.

2003flht · December 8, 2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

we found a used pizza oven that worked perfect

and your guns well smell good too! LOL!

Wow, pizza oven. Never thought of that!

Eggo · December 8, 2009, 01:18 PM

Haha, never thought of that but sounds like a decent idea if i could find one.

mapsjanhere · December 8, 2009, 01:31 PM

The smell is what got us ours cheap (I think it was $200 at a used restaurant supply). The thing is 3 x 4 ft inside, that's a 5 ft diagonal, you can bake a finish on a Mosin barrelled action if you want.

Eggo · December 8, 2009, 01:38 PM

Haha, i'm already looking for one.

LongRifles, Inc. · December 8, 2009, 05:09 PM

Make a box, fit with bulbs, wire a rheostat/thermometer.

Cheap and it works.

**Unclenick** · December 8, 2009, 06:29 PM

The official solution would be a deep knife oven. But, frankly, unless you are also going to heat treat steel, it's a waste of money. You can insulate a box and fill it with light bulbs in the inexpensive ceramic bases from Lowe's or Home Depot will work, as suggested. They won't last long at 300°, but you probably don't need really long life. You can make series pairs of four times as much total lamp wattage to make them last longer.

Slopemeno · December 8, 2009, 06:39 PM

Google "hot box" -i twould work, as the temps you need to cure all the gnome-kotes is fairly low.

A hot box is a box used by guys who do composistes to post-cure composite parts. They are a fairly simple item, ans pretty scaleable.

Eggo · December 8, 2009, 08:45 PM

So i can really get it up to 300 degrees with light bulbs?

youp · December 9, 2009, 08:49 AM

You won't fit a rifle in one, but the little girls of America have been using a single light bulb in the 'Easy Bake Oven' for years. Cooking cakes at 350 to boot.

Slopemeno · December 9, 2009, 09:41 AM

I've also seen people tear apart toaster ovens for the coil of nichrome wire inside, and use it to make a vacuum former to make canopys for large scale models (think 150" span model sailplanes) . It might make your power meter spin like a 78 rpm record, but it'll work.

frumious · December 10, 2009, 09:36 PM

If you google "hot box" you'd better have "SafeSearch" turned on (well, for image search)

Slopemeno · December 10, 2009, 11:52 PM

Sorry...snicker.

General Disarray · December 11, 2009, 03:02 AM

Eggo (or anyone actually), why are you "tired of Duarcoat"? I'm just about to do my first application when it arrives tomorrow. What's the problem with Duracoat?

Side question; can I put a coat on the outside of the barrel itself to freshen that up too?

George R · December 11, 2009, 07:51 PM

You might want to go to www.tenring.com, click on coatings, then find oven plans. I built mine from a school locker, lined the inside with duckboard (shiny facing in) and covered the outside with regular home insulation. I use 4 ceramic sockets mounted on a plywood base with 4 heat lamps from Home Depot. Graingers has an oven temperature control that you mount on the outside with the sensor inside. A small fan with the blade inside and the motor outside on the top makes it a convection oven, but you don't have to use one-just makes the heat more even.
I've used this rig for years, done hundreds of guns with no problems.
E mail me and I'll give you my views on DuraCoat vs Gun Kote.

Slopemeno · December 13, 2009, 02:41 AM

That's a great idea. A metal locker is just the right size.

A guy I fly R/C sailplanes with made his own hot box using a digital control from an HVAC setup to control the temperature of his post-cure. Kinda complicated but he trains HVAC repair guys so it was probably easy for him.

December 8, 2009, 12:47 PM	#1
Eggo Junior Member Join Date: December 6, 2009 Location: Bakersfield CA Posts: 11	Need oven... Whats up people? I'm new here. Anyway, i need an oven to refinish firearms, mainly rifles. Just a hobby, and doing some friends rifles as well. So whats my best bet? I have no clue about ovens, and i'm tired of duracoat, so what works well without paying too much? Can't fit Most rifles in my house stove. Thanks.

December 8, 2009, 01:03 PM	#2
2003flht Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Location: Connecticut Posts: 199	Just curious... what type of finish are you planning on using? I can tell you what my bro did. He "retrofitted" standard household kitchen oven so that he can powdercoat motorcycle parts, frames, frontends and wheels. He cut the thing up and welded sheet metal to make it larger. Used some insulation that is used in hot-form dies. It takes a little "yankee-ingenuity", but cant be that hard. Plus, the stove was a road-side pick-up. F-R-E-E! i'll see if he cant get me a picture of it....... __________________ "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming...Wow! What a ride!" Give a Liberal a fish, he'll ask for seconds. Teach a Liberal to fish, he'll sign up for unemployment...

December 8, 2009, 01:10 PM	#4
mapsjanhere Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 2,832	We had a similar issue at work, we found a used pizza oven that worked perfect for large metal parts. __________________ I used to love being able to hit hard at 1000 yards. As I get older I find hitting a mini ram at 200 yards with the 22 oddly more satisfying.

December 8, 2009, 01:31 PM	#7
mapsjanhere Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 2,832	The smell is what got us ours cheap (I think it was $200 at a used restaurant supply). The thing is 3 x 4 ft inside, that's a 5 ft diagonal, you can bake a finish on a Mosin barrelled action if you want. __________________ I used to love being able to hit hard at 1000 yards. As I get older I find hitting a mini ram at 200 yards with the 22 oddly more satisfying.

December 8, 2009, 05:09 PM	#9
LongRifles, Inc. Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Location: Black Hills of S. Dakota Posts: 195	Make a box, fit with bulbs, wire a rheostat/thermometer. Cheap and it works. __________________ LongRifles, Inc. "More than a business, This is a lifestyle." www.longriflesinc.com

December 8, 2009, 01:18 PM	#6
Eggo Junior Member Join Date: December 6, 2009 Location: Bakersfield CA Posts: 11	Haha, never thought of that but sounds like a decent idea if i could find one.

December 8, 2009, 01:38 PM	#8
Eggo Junior Member Join Date: December 6, 2009 Location: Bakersfield CA Posts: 11	Haha, i'm already looking for one.

December 8, 2009, 06:29 PM	#10
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	The official solution would be a deep knife oven. But, frankly, unless you are also going to heat treat steel, it's a waste of money. You can insulate a box and fill it with light bulbs in the inexpensive ceramic bases from Lowe's or Home Depot will work, as suggested. They won't last long at 300°, but you probably don't need really long life. You can make series pairs of four times as much total lamp wattage to make them last longer. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

December 8, 2009, 06:39 PM	#11
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	Google "hot box" -i twould work, as the temps you need to cure all the gnome-kotes is fairly low. A hot box is a box used by guys who do composistes to post-cure composite parts. They are a fairly simple item, ans pretty scaleable.

December 8, 2009, 08:45 PM	#12
Eggo Junior Member Join Date: December 6, 2009 Location: Bakersfield CA Posts: 11	So i can really get it up to 300 degrees with light bulbs?

December 9, 2009, 08:49 AM	#13
youp Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2005 Location: south of Canada, eh? Posts: 438	You won't fit a rifle in one, but the little girls of America have been using a single light bulb in the 'Easy Bake Oven' for years. Cooking cakes at 350 to boot. __________________ Use enough gun.

December 9, 2009, 09:41 AM	#14
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	I've also seen people tear apart toaster ovens for the coil of nichrome wire inside, and use it to make a vacuum former to make canopys for large scale models (think 150" span model sailplanes) . It might make your power meter spin like a 78 rpm record, but it'll work.

December 10, 2009, 09:36 PM	#15
frumious Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2009 Location: Carrollton TX Posts: 521	If you google "hot box" you'd better have "SafeSearch" turned on (well, for image search)

December 10, 2009, 11:52 PM	#16
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	Sorry...snicker.

December 11, 2009, 03:02 AM	#17
General Disarray Member Join Date: September 1, 2009 Posts: 36	Eggo (or anyone actually), why are you "tired of Duarcoat"? I'm just about to do my first application when it arrives tomorrow. What's the problem with Duracoat? Side question; can I put a coat on the outside of the barrel itself to freshen that up too? __________________ “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.” Benjamin Franklin 1759

December 11, 2009, 07:51 PM	#18
George R Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 151	Oven plans You might want to go to www.tenring.com, click on coatings, then find oven plans. I built mine from a school locker, lined the inside with duckboard (shiny facing in) and covered the outside with regular home insulation. I use 4 ceramic sockets mounted on a plywood base with 4 heat lamps from Home Depot. Graingers has an oven temperature control that you mount on the outside with the sensor inside. A small fan with the blade inside and the motor outside on the top makes it a convection oven, but you don't have to use one-just makes the heat more even. I've used this rig for years, done hundreds of guns with no problems. E mail me and I'll give you my views on DuraCoat vs Gun Kote. __________________ http://www.gunblue.homestead.com

December 13, 2009, 02:41 AM	#19
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	That's a great idea. A metal locker is just the right size. A guy I fly R/C sailplanes with made his own hot box using a digital control from an HVAC setup to control the temperature of his post-cure. Kinda complicated but he trains HVAC repair guys so it was probably easy for him.