[jbranson]

I need a small furnace....that goes to like 2000 degrees. By small I mean no larger than about 12x12" and as small as 6x6".
Don't have $1000+ for a new heat treating furnace....anybody know where they can be had cheap...ebay's no help at the moment. A tiny kiln would probably work...or a small forging oven etc. I'd even go for plans on how to build your own electric type. Seen lots of forge plans etc....but most are gas or wood or some crap like that.
JohnnyB

 

[ROSKO]

Heat treatment has driven Johnny mad...................................



BORN TO LURK, FORCED TO WORK.
www.NYCvinMoto.com
www.VinMoto.org

 

[350Four]

google used laboratory supply outlets for muffle funaces...might get a hit there.

 

[parks61]

i think that philturco got up to about 2000 degrees at daytona last year. had a constant loss piston which made it to the checker in 1st place before it went holy. now that's heat treatment. what kind of secret weapon you building into that cheater bike you're running this year? or are you just trying to make me nervous?. let's see...too hot for aluminium...it could be steel but that's heavy stuff...6"X6"...hum.
parks

 

[jbranson]

350Four...thanks, I'll give that a try.

Parks, just making tools that make creating my cheater bikes easier.
My bike still won't be keeping up with yours this year....but I know a bike that might be...if it makes it to the track this year. And I've had my hands deep in the innards of that project.

I need the furnace for heat treating (yes I've gone crazy for it) and for melting aluminum.
JohnnyB

 

[jbranson]

350Four...thanks again, I'm getting much closer to what I want, and what I want to pay looking at laboratory furnaces.
JohnnyB

 

[joe c]

jb, try johnson forges. a small thing like that is tough to get to that temp. i thought heat treatments were only to about 900 or so. melting alum is going to take 1200 or more. (you probably know that though) johnson forges made alot of those little forges for like highschool metal shops. the girl across the hall from me has one. its so small and has so much refractory material i dont think it would ever get that hot. my buddy who does some of my welding has a heat treating oven. (i dont know why though)but look for a johnson forge.

jc

 

[dnelson65]

JB - You might want to look at bead maker's kilns. Most of them are pretty small and I think they'll do the temperature.

David

 

[jbranson]

Joe,
Heat treating (hardening) takes up to 2000 degrees...more typically around 1500 degrees. You are thinking of tempering...which you do to toughen and soften the metal a bit after hardening...tempering is done anywhere from around 400-1300 degrees....depending on how soft you want to go.

All good ideas folks, thanks.
JohnnyB

 

[joe c]

actually, yeah, youre probably right. johnsongas.com

they make industrial forges for just about everything. i know you dont want to buy new, but it should give you an idea of model no's etc.


good luck

jc

 

[Camelhairy]

JB,
We just bought a small oven with a programable control but it was about $800.
Our last oven was ruined when the controller failed while normalizing some teflon blanks. It burned the teflon releasing fumes that can kill. Also rusted everything in the room.
Google sites that make knives. That's how we found ours.

FC

 

[jbranson]

Thanks Frank, I'll give that a try...came across lots of knife stuff when I was looking for heat treating info.

By the way...what does "normalizing" mean? And "equalizing" when you are talking about heat treating.

Was checking the hardness on the mandrel I made....standard drill bit won't touch it....nitrided bit will just barely make a tiny mark. It's got to about 65Rc I think.
JohnnyB



Edited by - jbranson on Feb 21 2007 10:54:02 AM

 

[Camelhairy]

quote:
Thanks Frank, I'll give that a try...came across lots of knife stuff when I was looking for heat treating info.

By the way...what does "normalizing" mean? And "equalizing" when you are talking about heat treating.

Was checking the hardness on the mandrel I made....standard drill bit won't touch it....nitrided bit will just barely make a tiny mark. It's got to about 65Rc I think.
JohnnyB



Edited by - jbranson on Feb 21 2007 10:54:02 AM

 

[rdrce698]

Farrier supply places also. You can probably order replacement heating elements for a small horse shoe forge and make a hot box.
Propane cyl from a barbque and your in. I have a small pass through that i can gve you more info on when I get home if it helps. Let me know. I have seen homemade ones out of old drum brakes from trucks!!

Pete

 

[Camelhairy]

This is the 3rd time I've tried to post something today. The stupid program doesn't like me.

JB,
To me normalizing is just getting rid of the stresses in the material. We "cook" aluminum, steel and teflon before and during machining. Parts move as you machine them because of stresses put in from the rolling/extruding operations. To hold tight tolerances we sometimes have to cook them between operations.
You can harden parts by building a little cave of fire bricks and using a big torch. Then temper them in Mary's stove.

FC

 

[texmawby]

"Farrier supply places also".

maybe you should consult rod from the skulls group....then again, maybe you shouldn't after all.

tex

 

[jbranson]

Yeah I think I'll pass on the Rod info

I'm finding a few nice "laboratory" furnaces on ebay. Going to bid on one in a few minutes that may go for about $150. Electric, just the right size...about 5x5x5" inside. I've been just using a oxy torch and some temp sticks so far. Seems to work ok, just a pain to sit there and heat the stuff. And would be useless for annealing. I've got a powder oven that I could use for annealing but it's awful big for small parts.

Frank...yeah that's what I thought it was...sounds like something I'll never really need to do
JohnnyB

 

[joe c]

wow! i knew something jb didnt! ross taught me about normalizing metals a couple of weeks ago. pretty cool!

fc, whats up with the lids? drop me a note if ya have a chance.

jc