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-   -   Built my Mail box kiln (http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=281148)

saqueeb 2015-08-26 7:00am

Built my Mail box kiln
 
4 Attachment(s)
I finished my Mail box Kiln. I bought a large Rural mail box from menards ~26$ it is BIG, (~24x14x11). I lined the bottom with Insulating Fire Bricks ~35$ and the top with 1.5" frax. I picked up the heating element at a surplus store. I built the controller with a simple PID controller and SSR. the kiln works great!

It will get up to 1050* in 30 minutes, and 1200* in 45 min. the outside is not that hot, 140-160** for the sides and top, and 180*-215* for the front and back. it is also quite cheap to run. i hooked it up to my Kill-A-Watt meter and the ramp up to 1050* is about $0.02, and each hour holding at 1050* is $0.04. so quite a cheap kiln to use. I am very satisfied.

the last step is to hit the frax with some rigidizer tonight.

bepnewt 2015-08-26 7:10am

Way cool. Thanks for sharing.

-BEP

SnowFox 2015-08-26 8:17am

Awesome! Needs a flag thingy you can pop up when it's ready or cooled down :)

beadnsprite 2015-08-26 10:31am

I bought one of those mailboxes and I've been wanting to make it. The heating element and controller have me stumped. Not sure where to get and what to get. Any help on that info.

bob 2015-08-26 11:46am

Nice job.

saqueeb 2015-08-26 11:58am

Quote:

Originally Posted by beadnsprite (Post 4784499)
I bought one of those mailboxes and I've been wanting to make it. The heating element and controller have me stumped. Not sure where to get and what to get. Any help on that info.


the element i found at a thrift store it is a 240v 5400w element but on 120v it runs at ~1400 watts so that is perfect for my needs. you want to find a 120v coil or even a stove burner as close to 1500 watts as possible.

the controller is just a PID Temp controller and a SSR (solid State relay) i got off of ebay they are very easy to use. and put together.

shawnette 2015-08-26 12:12pm

Nice work! I need a kiln with a taller door, so as soon as I find time, I'm building this one:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Electric-Kiln/

Need to figure out a guillotine door, though...

Katia 2015-08-26 12:24pm

:cool:Wow, it's gorgeous, really. And stylish, too. :)

Mesnik 2015-08-26 12:27pm

Really cool!!

Charli! 2015-08-26 2:45pm

That looks awesome!

Speedslug 2015-08-26 3:43pm

I picked up one of those wood stove magnetic thermometers to give me some indication about just how hot the out side of mine is. 150 is still hot enough to get my attention.


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