Recommendation? DIY Electric Kiln vs. COTS Electric Kiln

H

honingblades

Joined
Oct 4, 2018
Messages
72
Hi there,

I should state upfront i'm not interested in gas kilns for this discussion.

I came across a few videos on DIY Kilns. Both videos are very helpful for someone wanting to build their own kiln.

Initially I was going to buy an Evenheat KH 418 but now i'm second guessing myself as it appears to be a rather "simple" process to build your own. I know armchair building via Youtube is much easier :) I also have a buddy that can do the electrical part of it although it doesn't look very hard.

I don't want to start a debate on who is more hardcore (DIY vs COTS). I am most interested in why you went COTS over DIY or vice versa. I'm also curious for context if you're a hobby knife maker vs. a business/small production/custom order knife maker.

The main reasons I can think of going COTS over DIY are:

- Time. Time is money.
- I want it NOW!
- I just want something that works and I don't want to read and find all the parts.
- Better programming/control over heat treating cycles. Some appear to have "memories" which could be dialed in for various types of steel.
- ???

The main reasons I can think of going DIY over COTS are:

- Price
- Like tinker/build
- Add dimensions/size without increasing price much (see first bullet)
- Low output knife maker/hobbyist and don't need the professional programming

Prices:

DIY: $350-$500 (Assuming you have the tools which most knife makers should/would minus maybe a welder)
COTS: $1,600+ (for an 18" depth)
 
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Ive made most all of my tools for my knife shop. I personally cant afford to run out and buy commercial equipment. I built an electric kiln with a TAP controller and It works great. I would say go for it. But I am also a trained welder and was an electrician for 10yrs.
 
I had to google COTS :D
“Furnace”
Kilns are for firing pottery

I bought a Lindbergh furnace from my neighbor for $70.... He’s retired and was getting rid of things so I got very very very lucky

I also have a thermolyne furnace which I bought off craigslist for $650 from somebody who got it at an auction off the government site

both are in excellent hardly used condition, Both are industrial grade furnaces and are muffle furnaces which means the elements are not exposed

If I was going to build one, which is not my style , I would build two at the same time. One for tempering
 
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I built my furnace. I bought a whole lot of insulating firebrick for $0.50 a piece a few years ago and also had insulation boards and blankets left over from a pizza oven build. I don't think I came close to spending $300 on it, but I did spend a good bit of time. Knife making is just a recently acquired hobby for me, though. I am thinking about building a 2x72 belt grinder now...
 
Thanks for the video link. I ended up watching a few of his videos on the grinder build, but I don't think this is for me. If I end up building one, it will most likely be built from aluminum. I do not trust my welding skills enough to work on something that requires any kind of precision. I do great welding shop tables, picnic tables, shelves, racks and even enclosures for heat treating furnaces, pretty much anything that requires tolerances between 1/16" and 1/8"...
 
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