I am right there with you. I am looking for a budget heat treating furnace.
I am looking into something round, about two 1lb coffee cans high on the
inside, and haven't figured out the outside yet.
First step was to buy the Gingery book on building a furnace. Looking into
refractory material and what to use as a mold. The controls and Kanthal are
also available from http://www.budgetcastingsupply.com/ . Still need to get
a better pyrometer though.
Let me know what you decide, I would like to compare notes.

--
Steve Worcester
www.turningwood.com
Better Woodturning through Technology
(And a hell of alotta practice)



"Roger N" wrote in message
k.net...

I'm thinking of building a high temperature furnace/oven/kiln or whatever
you want to call it. Anyone have links to supplies such as insulating
castable refractories, fire brick, heating elements or Kanthal wire, etc?
....Or links where others have made similar ovens?


If I'm thinking about this correctly, the temperature will max out when
the
furnace looses as much heat as is put in it. In other words a small, well
insulated box should be capable of high temperatures without an enormous
amount of heating elements and electricity. I was thinking that 1000
watts
on 120V might be enough for a 6" X 6" X 18" box with 3" insulating fire
brick, if not, perhaps wrap the outside of the box with some high temp
fiberglass insulation.

I noticed some of the Super Kanthal element wires were capable of over
3000
degrees F, sounds like they could be useful for making a small crucible
furnace. Anyone casting iron in the home shop?