Welding Tips and Tricks

Ok I just thought of this. I mad a powder coating oven it has 16ga galvanized skin on the inside, then yellow fiberglass insulation on the inside and then 16ga gal on the outside. Now the problem I really just thought of I have to drill holes from the inside of the oven to the outside for the heating elements. Now i'm worried about the oven element coming into contact with the insulation since it has to go through the entire wall for the wiring. Any ideas on this or think it will be a problem?

A tube from Knob and Tube house wiring would make an easy solution, but barring that, you can probably even put something as simple as fiberglass sleeving over the wire where it passes through the walls.

I honestly don't think I'd be so worried about contacting the fiberglass insulation as I would be about shorting against the inner or outer sheet metal.

Can't you get an element that has integral feed-through insulators as part of the mounting block?

How about an extended style TIG cup as a pass-through insulator? You can likely get a good match to the element size and you know it'll take the heat.

There's no harm in the element contacting the fiberglass, but it would be nice to have isolation between the element and the sheet metal.

Steve S

Alternatively, you could pack the opening with wood stove door seal rope, available at any decent hardware store.

Steve S

Thanks guys I actually didn't even think about the shorting on the walls. I just remembered I think I have some header wrap laying around if that stuff withstands the heat of a header it will be fine to wrap the elements where they pass thru the skim

Header wrap is an even better solution, and easier to use. Good thinking.

Steve S

I also have that orange high temp silicone tape I know it's good to like 500 degrees but I'm not sure how hot that element gets directly, but we do use it in fittings in our turbo shaft engines in the helicopter. I have a toaster oven so experiment time lol. I am in japan so hard to find stuff and mostly I have to order. I'll try the header wrap just will be a bigger hole. Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I'd not use the silicone. It's good to about 550* tops, and you want the element to "breathe" a bit anyway, or it will burn through. Don't over-insulate it and completely seal in the heat at the transition or the element may have a short life.

Steve S

pavetim,
Here's a crazy idea, buy 2 tig fingers from Jody's store, straighten them out, and use them.

Len

Get high temp fiberglass insulated wire and keep the element totally on the inside.