How to choose and use an oven for calcining electrodes?
How to make a case or tube for electrodes and not only from the scrap plastic tube with his hands.
In today’s article I want to show one of the options for making pencil case (tube) for a variety of long objects. In this case you can store electrodes (it is actually made for them), and if you make it a little shorter, you can store drills, drills, pins, etc. The advantage of such storage of electrodes is that, unlike cardboard boxes, in plastic cases, they will not get wet, even if they fall into the rain (moisture affects the quality of the electrodes very strongly), just in such a tube, due to the fact that there is a handle, it can be easily carried, and most importantly, to make it very simple with their own hands literally from improvised materials.
Operation
The instructions for proper use of the equipment recommend hot to take out the electrodes at the end of hardening and put them inside the thermopanel. They will not be exposed to moisture inside the chamber. They can be transported over long distances and stored for long periods.
Before drying the welding electrodes, the device is installed on a special foot. The way of connecting to the power supply is chosen. The plug is plugged into a socket. Two wires are connected to the cables, going to the holder and clip on the workpiece.
The thermopanel is switched on beforehand so that the chamber has time to warm up. After about 30 minutes you can open the front cover, take the electrode and start working. The case should be kept closed in order to dry the remaining materials.
How to make the electrodes with their own hands
Hardening furnace for electrodes is an electric heating device. They can be both factory-made and made by our own hands.
These devices are powered from a normal AC 220 volts, or from a three-phase network of 380 volts. Alternative domestic methods of drying electrodes in small quantities for welding work are the use of an oven and a powerful construction hair dryer.
The welding process itself is carried out using special electrodes. It is a consumable material that tends to absorb moisture from the air and dries out, after which it loses its performance properties. this is why welding electrodes need to be dried and tempered.
Peculiarities of drying electrodes at home
If you decide to dry your electrodes, most likely you suspect moisture. Therefore, the main purpose of drying is to reduce the percentage of moisture on the surface of the electrode. You do not need to be an expert to dry the conductor. Please pay attention to the information written on the package. The manufacturer must specify the conditions for drying the product.
If you do not have a special heating pad for drying the electrodes, use a heating object you have at home. For example, an electric oven is suitable. It must necessarily be of the closed type. Drying the electrode on an open fire is prohibited by safety regulations.
If you ignore the hardening when it is extremely necessary, it can lead to poor quality of work, creation of an incorrect weld, increased conductor consumption, unsatisfactory results.
The oven for drying electrodes with your own hands
A calcining furnace for electrodes is an electric heating device. They can be both factory-made and self-made.
Such devices are powered from ordinary AC 220 volts, or from a three-phase network of 380 volts. Alternative domestic methods of drying electrodes in small quantities for welding work are the use of an oven and a powerful construction hair dryer.
The welding process itself is carried out using special electrodes. This is a consumable material, which tends to absorb moisture from the air and dry out, after which it loses its performance properties. For this reason, welding electrodes need to be dried, as well as glowing.
Types of equipment for hardening
Drying electrodes at home in special devices. For this you can use:
- Electric furnace for the calcination of electrodes with their own hands, equipped with a thermostat. This type of equipment is characterized by small dimensions, so you can carry it from one place to another if necessary. The functioning principle is based on heating elements, which are controlled automatically. Such a furnace can be plugged into a standard 220 V network. The power of the devices, depending on the model, varies from 1 to 3 kW. Maximum loading of electrodes. 50 kg.
- Electric furnace for heating with additional drying functions. Current models are equipped with a microprocessor controller, through which the entire process of operation can be programmed. The equipment is characterized by high thermal insulation values and operates in stationary mode. Due to the fact that the design includes heat shields, the electrodes are heated evenly. Maximum temperature up to 400 ° C, the load. 160 kg, the maximum power. 8.5 kW. To connect such devices you need a three-phase network of 380 W.
- Thermopanel. a kind of dryer for electrodes. This is a thermally insulated sealed container, which can act as a place to store consumables. Such devices are small in size, so they can be placed at the welder’s workplace. The main distinctive feature is the ability to heat the electrodes with the energy of a transformer or with a standard connection to the network 220 V. The volume of thermowells holds 10 kg of electrodes.
electric furnace for melting welding electrodes
Hardening and drying at home
Amateurs are interested in how to dry electrodes at home, if there are no special stoves. To do this, use conventional ovens, in which bake pies.
- Unpack the electrodes and take the necessary amount for work.
- Place in oven. It is preferable not to use a sheet, but a grid.
- Turn on intense, all-round heating.
- Set the temperature to more than 200⁰, as you can get in this model of oven.
- Hold for 2 hours.
- Transfer to the thermopanel.
Use an electric oven. The gas wick releases during combustion soot, moisture, and other substances that deposit on the wick and degrade its properties.
Electrodes can be dried at home using a thermocouple. Check the data sheet to see the maximum heating temperature. Then consult the table on the electrode packing. It depends on the rod material. Preheat the oven to the maximum and after 2 hours turn it to 110 ⁰. This temperature is sufficient to dry the electrodes.
A 2kW pole wire usually goes into the house. It may not be able to withstand the load of the thermopanel.
Some craftsmen who do a lot of welding recommend that the electrodes are simply stacked on the heating radiator. They argue that a full-fledged drying of the coating occurs in a few days. For simple structures that do not require very strong seams, this method can be suitable.
Proper heating is done at a temperature of more than 100°C so that the water evaporates. The amount of air should be small with minimal moisture.
Making a case for the electrodes with their own hands is not difficult. It is like a small muffle furnace. Minwool or asbestos pipe is used as an insulator.
The chamber is made of a sheet of stainless steel 2 mm thick. Covered with insulating cloth on top. Then the coil is wound. A fire hose can be used as the chamber material. It can withstand temperatures up to 200⁰C, is impervious to moisture and made of electrical insulating fabric. The ends of the spiral are led out backwards, and everything is covered with mineral wool.
The body can be made of sheet metal, use the remains of laminated roofing and metal profile. It is divided into 2 parts. Front large, holds a thermal chamber. On the back a small space to install the switch and lead wire. A handle is mounted on top for moving. A stop bracket is mounted at the front.
The chamber wrapped with mineral wool is placed in the frame and fixed. The lid is double, with a layer of thermal insulator inside.
It is difficult to cast the electrodes in a self-made chamber. It is used more as a drying rack.
How to make your own hands?
The simplest furnace for heating electrodes with their own hands to make quite simple. Here is how to assemble a stationary electrode furnace.
Automatic Pop-up Electrode Drying Oven
Consumables
To make such a furnace, you will need:
- Metal profile for the frame.
- Glass magnesium sheet.
- Galvanized sheet steel.
- Mirrored stainless steel.
- Heat-resistant sealant.
- Mineral wool for thermal insulation of the furnace body.
- Steel rod to make the grids.
- Metal corners for guiding grids.
- Silicone seal for installation door.
- Heating element, temperature sensor.
- Fasteners (self-tapping screws or bolts).
- angle grinder (angle grinder).
- Drill or electric screwdriver.
- Welding machine.
- Marking and measuring tool.
Step by step instructions for making it
- From a pipe or prof. We do frame. A welding machine comes in handy for this.
- Cover the frame with galvanized steel (all around), inside the structure. with glass magnesium sheet.
- All joints are treated with heat-resistant sealant.
- We fill the inner space with mineral wool for thermal insulation of the working chamber.
- Next, the glass-magnesium sheet is covered with mirror stainless steel.
- Cut out the door, it is also sealed and a silicone seal is glued around its perimeter. Screw the hinges and handle to the door with self-tapping screws.
- Inside the working chamber, the lattice guides are installed with self-tapping screws. The grids themselves are welded from a steel bar.
- We install a heating element or a nichrome coil inside the oven and a temperature sensor on the outside of the unit.
- Screw the doors to the furnace body (with self-tapping screws).
- At this step we test and test run the construction.
Also, similar stoves can also be made, using as the outer casing material a piece of metal pipe of large diameter or an old gas cylinder.
