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dbc1218 · Newbie Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 7 Location: Ohio

I have just started building my first machine and I have some questions. I got 8 nichrome wire heating elements form a surplus store. http://www.geocities.com/cafecb200/pictures
I built a prototype machine with some suff I had around the house just to test these things out. My main question is about the wire. The wire on these elements is 0.012" in diameter, I don't know what guage that is but I know its smaller than what I've seen you guys have been using. I did some research and found that the smaller wire gets hotter at lower amps. I want to do the oven in four sections each with its own dimmer switch control. Each section would have two of these elements in parallel. Each element has 74ohms resistance. I think for the total oven this comes out to about 13 amps and 1600 watts. Is this going to be enough for a 12"x24" oven? And my bigger question, am I on the right track? Any help would be great.
Doug

arktrooper · Newbie Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 6 Location: MO-USA

Hello, dbc1218. I saw the bike you built. Very nice. You should have no problem at all with your project. Sorry, I'm not much help in the advice dept. for I am in the process of purchasing my supplies. I just finished a welding class, so I am taking a crack at the frame fabrication. After this vacu-form project you ought to try to build a speeder bike...sweet. I have seen completed models in the not so distant area with the 70th Explorers Garrison.

dbc1218 · Newbie Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 7 Location: Ohio

I'm actually building the vacuumformer to make parts for my bike, fairings, a seat and other body parts. I've made two pulls with my prototype machine, neither came out very well but thats why I built it to test different components and methods. I've got some other questions as well, could I go any bigger with my oven? In other words what watt ratings are good for what size ovens? Oh yeah how do I get pictures to work?

dman · Novice Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 34

You put your image tags backwards. You have it [/img] at the beginning and [img at the end whereas it should be [img] at the beginning and [/img at the end]

jegner · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:07 pm Post subject:

If you don't already have a copy of Thurston James' book, THe Prop Builders Molding and casting guide, you should get a copy. In the book Thurston details the construction of a 2x2 foot oven, but has built a 4x4 oven, and not much more than a scaled up verison of the 2x2 machine.

Jim

BTW, welcome to the board!