Anyone use a ceramic or pottery kiln as a heat treating furnace?

[WestCoastFranky]

I've been looking for an inexpensive heat treating furnace, and I can't find any. However, I see a lot of ceramic or pottery kilns at very attractive prices. Has anyone ever used one of these for heat treating? Is there something special about a heat treating furnace that makes it different than a kiln?

 

[mickeyf]

A serious heat treating furnace might have controls to precisely lower the temperature over a specific period of time, for annealing. I may be wrong but I think a basic pottery furnace merely heats to a certain temp and then is turned off to cool down as it may. There is no reason you couldn't equip one with whatever controls you wanted to, but "out of the box" it might not do everything you dream of.

The most important difference might be that you want to be able to safely and conveniently remove things from a heat treating furnace while they are hot. For a pottery furnace this not a design consideration. Top opening (pottery) vs door in the side. A glassworker's furnace might be more nearly suitable.

Oh, yeah. And how hot does it get. For pottery? Not sure, but easy to look up.

 

[WestCoastFranky]

I hadn't thought about taking an item out while it is still hot. Maybe I'll break down and buy one with a proper door. I've seen plans for home built ones. I have also been thinking about converting an old barbecue grill I have with a hinged lid.

 

[powderhorn01]

You might want to think about a Jewelery casting oven, they will get to 1200 deg, and hold a temp, also once you shut them off, they will hold the heat for a long period.
The one that I have, if heated to 1100 deg, and shut off at 6 pm, will still be over 200 deg at 9 am the next morning.

 

[Chips4Lips]

Have done and am using what was suggested - works great and permits an accurate control for both time and temperature. Prices are less than the similar ovens sold for "heat treating" - but when you think about it, the oven is simply that - an oven sold with controls to do whatever you want to use them for. I'd be willing to bet that reaching 2000 deg/F in either system amounts to the same heat! It's all in what you want to spend your money on. Thanks.