This weekend I decided it was time to build a new hot box. I went all out on this one so I decided I might as well do a short build along.
I started with 2 sheets of 3/8" 3 ply plywood and a 6 ft pine 1x12, some electrical boxes, hinges, wood glue, nails/screws, bubble insulation and a few other misc. scraps and other items we all have laying around.
Overall I was shooting for an exterior measurment of 84" x 12" x 32".
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ009.jpg)
Here we go:
Plywood is ripped and cut to deminsions for the bottom and sides:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ008.jpg)
:campfire:
Looking forward to this
Yes I agree Dmaxshawn, anything he does looks great.
Next, I assemble the bottom. I used some scrap 2x2 stock as an aid in the assembly and to add a bit more structural support.
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ010.jpg)
Next add on the end caps (1x12 pine). I initially just used glue and brad nails and followed up with drywal screws after the assembly was complete.
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ011.jpg)
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ012.jpg)
Brad, check your camera in the setting's on mine I can set it for the internet.
Add the sides:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ013.jpg)
Remember to account for the width of the top so it can be inset into the box:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ015.jpg)
Then cut your top piece to size:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ016.jpg)
Now you should have an enclosed box:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ018.jpg)
Lay the box on its side and use a straight edge to cut the lid off. I made my lid 8.5":
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ019.jpg)
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ021.jpg)
Now you have a lid:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ023-1.jpg)
Time for the electric. I am using 4 bulbs and I suggest doing your wiring outside of the box. I attached some 1x stock on the inside of the box for mounting surfaces for the electrical boxes as well:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ024-1.jpg)
After installing the fixtures at the bottom, I put two supports to which my forms will sit on. I prefer this method as I am well aware of the space between my form and the bulbs (rather than a top mounted system). Also heat rises right!
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ028-1.jpg)
Now for some foil faced bubble insulation. I start with the bottom and the lid and work my way to the middle.
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ031-1.jpg)
Having a staple gun is great for this task:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ033-1.jpg)
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ032-1.jpg)
An alignment feature up front is a nice edition:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ030.jpg)
I used a couple scrap stips to beef up the hinged portions:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ026-1.jpg)
A coat of stain. The local heavily discounted mismatched color at Lowes of course:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ034-1.jpg)
Some carry handles (for the guys who ends up taking this thing home from my estate sale 55 years down the road)
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ042.jpg)
Hinges:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ035-1.jpg)
Some window insulation gapping for the lid threshold:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ036-1.jpg)
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ037-1.jpg)
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ039.jpg)
Finishing up the foil insulation:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ041.jpg)
For the lid handle...might as well use that broken bow for something:
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ043-1.jpg)
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ044.jpg)
Disregard that whited out area...I will finish up the electrical details up front this weekend when the electronic temp control gets in. I am planning for an on/off switch prior to the ETC.
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/butchjansen/BJJ045-1.jpg)
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper: Outstanding job Brad Ive needed to build me a new one and I think I'll take the time to do it right this time. Thanks
Shawn
Thank you Shawn. This is probably bigger, more costly and bulkier than needed...but if you are experimenting with different bows that call for longer and taller forms this is the ticket. My old box just wasn't cutting it all the time.
Also, since I have a small shop, the top will suffice nicely for a glue up station or an extra seat for that matter
The ETC is a very nice addition to an oven, make sure you put a snap disk between the bulbs and switch as a safety. My controller stuck once and ran the temp up to 220 degrees, I didn't think light bulbs would get that hot.
Very awesome!! Thank you for the time and pics Brad.
Thanks for the build Brad. After talking with Greg, I purchased the ETC and snap disc also. Let us know how she works after you cook one.
I had not thought of a snap disc...where could I get one and what temp did you guys get?
Very Nice. Great job.
nice job! when I got started in 2009 I built mine to the Bingham specs and I added castor wheels too. One thing I see with your design is that the lights will not burn your pressure hose or top of form.. do you preheat your laminations? if you do will you add a piece of metal shelfing or some 2x2 cross braces to hold the lams above the lights? I have been laying mine on the bottom of the box and I dont think I am getting good air circulation arround the lams during preheat.. with that good insulation I bet you can hit 180 degrees with 75 watt bulbs. I have plain foil insulation and hit 165 with 100 watt lights, I am in Florida and my shop is usually atleast 75 degrees with the dehumidifier on..I always enjoy your posts, thanks for sharing!
that is a nice hot box. I like the lights on the bottom idea, if I had seen this before O built mine I probably would have done it your way. Very nice.
I built my hot box from Bingham's plans, I bought my snap disc from them. It turns off the lights at 180 and turns them back on at 150.
I use a 15 amp pin timer to turn lights off, I also use the thermostat (snap disc) that Binghams sells. I put a turkey thermometer thru the side of the box to check temps. I have seen the digital controlers, they look like the way to go..
Brad, the disc that I purchased opens at 190 degrees and closes at 150 degrees. You can get them on the auction site fairly reasonable.
you can also get snap disks at an appliance repair shop,they are used in dryers. I have a 190 degree disk. Make sure it OPENS at the high temp setting.
Thanks for the info. I received the ETC today and have it all installed. I will pick up the snap disc as well and install that next. I am thinking 100 watt bulbs may just to the trick.
Nice job!!
Very nice build along. Thanks!
Very cool, Brad. Good job and great build along. Thanks.
i have yet to need an oven , but when the time comes , this is the kind of thing i hope i throw together ...
of course my handle wont be so awesome...
and the wife is really going to question whats going into a sealed box with lights...mmmmmhmmmmmm....
-hov
Excellent... thank you..
Much Aloha.. Tom :cool:
Brad,
Do you have a thermostat control on it? Do you know what the temps inside will reach and hold?
I do have a thermostat control on it...I have the $50 Ranco ETC from flea bay. I have not yet had a chance to test it out to see what it will do. I installed 4-100 watt bulbs this past weekend but never tested it to see what it will reach.
I have a question for Brad or anyone else that cares to chime in. I am planning to build a heat box (borrowing Brads plan)but want the be able to use it for drying staves at low temps as well as baking lams. Thus the need for a snap disc that will shut off (open?) at a high temp but remain closed at a low temp, say 75 degrees. I know nothing of snap disc but it sounds like a good safety feature. I assume I want one that has a singular function, opening at a high temp? Any ideas where I could purchase such a critter. I have e-mailed Bignham and am waiting for their response.
pmcleare,
It would be a manual why but if you had thermometer and used a light dimmer switch (or a rheostat) you would have to play with it a bit but once you figure out at what temps is at what position you could just mark it.
You start at the lowest setting let it heat up and mark it, in pencil the say a quarter a way let it heat up so forth and so on. I would do it couple of times just to ensure it was constant the permanently mark them. You would have box that you could control the heat and use it for almost anything.
Kelly
What if I use an eternal temperature control (ETC)? Just get a manual snap disc with say a 200 degree limit? Should have given more detail on my thought process. Want to use a digital temperature control but wanted the added safety of the snap disc. Don't want to burn the barn down, just got finished building my work shop and outfitting with power tools. Where is the best place to aquire snap disc and temp control. Been looking on the web but would welcome any suggestions. Thanks for your reply Kelly.
Patrick Clearey
Nice work Brad. As usual, I plan on stealing some of your ideas!
Patrick,
I don't have a clue about snap disk at all.
sorry,
Kelly
bjansen,
Could we see pics of the themp controls and such.
pretty please,
Kelly
Sure...coming soon....I dont have a snap disk installed yet just as a heads up.
I agree with the dimmer switch idea. Just make sure dimmer switch can handle the amps and ya you can do like you wrre saying.
Nice looking oven! I am not motivated to add castors to mine and some new insulation as you used rather than the foil method I used.
I meant to say that I AM motivated to add castors etc...
Thanks for taking the time to share.You have given me some motivation to change some things on mind.One thing I would like to add is some kind of low speed fan that could take the heat.Anyone have any suggestions or know where to get one?
Sorry....I maybe should have started a different topic and not asked the fan question.
AL :knothead:
If I'm around in 55 years I'll be at your estate sale for it, very nice job, and thanks for the handles! After seeing the oven on the Stalker build video and now yours, I'm definitely doing some mods on mine and moving the bulbs down below where they belong. Great job and thanks for the inspiration.
Nice job. That's about a million times nicer and better built than mine. Like usual...
How long did this take and how much? I only ask cause im 100 bucks into it and 12 hours to build it heh
Thanks for resurecting an old post. Going through this brought back some good memories in the old shop.
For a nice, low velocity fan try to find an old desktop computer someone is throwing away. The box portion will have nice little cooling fans built in the back. They are small and will move just the amount of air you need in the box.
Time wise...a good weekend project...maybe 6-8 hours total. Cost wise, with the ETC this is probably a $150 project.
One other addition I made last year to this box was to wire in a timer switch prior to the ETC (I believe it is a 6 hour switch I picked up at a home improvement store for $17). Historically, I would either leave the oven on too long (i.e., overnight), have to time my bake right, or have to go back to the garage at an odd hour to shut it off. With the timer switch, you can throw in the item you are cooking....set it and forget it.
This is possibly the nicest hot box design I've seen yet. Awesome build along too. I just read through the whole thread and my mind is swimming with variations on the ideas presented by everyone. Now how to put together a bit of extra scratch so I can implement them all is the only question :thumbsup: