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Information on a Gallenhamp Oven

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victor mcconville23/01/2010 09:30:06
20 forum posts
Hi everybody,
As I am new to forums,and do not know my way about as yet,I may have placed this question in the wrong spot.
I have just aquired a small Gallenhamp oven,on checking everywhere online at the companies website I can find no reference to my particular oven.
Gallenhamp
Amps 6.5AC
Volts 230/50
App No C3575
Cat No FR520
Any info would be of great help.
I am just starting model engineering and thought this oven would be just the ticket for small scale heat treatment
Thank in advance
Vic
joegib24/01/2010 17:16:25
154 forum posts
18 photos
In its current guise the company's homepage seems to be here:
 
http://www.weiss-gallenkamp.com/
 
Can't see a link to 'support' or 'parts' — maybe an email to the contact address will yield some info.
 
Joe
 

Tony Ray27/01/2010 23:09:58
238 forum posts
47 photos
The Gallenkamp name has been in use since well before I started out in lab work nearly 30yrs ago. I'll bet that your oven is a silver grey colour with the logo in red or possibly silver on black.
 
What is it you need to know ?
 
There probably a silver disc in the top surface with a hole in it - this is where you can put a thermocouple.
 
Is there a temperature scale on the variable control ? or is it just marked eg 1 to 10 ?
 
A worthwhile upgrade would to be to fit a digital temperature controller that we what we did with our lab oven when it died.
 
What temperature do you need ? bearing in mind that amps x volts - watts you are looking at 1.5KW . If knew the internal volume of the oven I could guesstimate your likely max temp. If it were me I'd put in a temp probe & run it up to see what you get & make a table up to relate dial setting to temperature.
 
If you need to be up above 400 C then you will need a furnace rather than an oven.
 
Please bear in mind that if its quite old it could contain asbestos ! which will be OK as long as it is in good condtion & you don't start drilling it etc & making dust.
 
Tony
victor mcconville28/01/2010 19:57:12
20 forum posts
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your reply,here some details
1. The internal space is 7" deep x 5" wide x 4" high.
2. The lining is a white very hard cement like material.
3. On the front face below the counter balanced door there is to the left a square black    Centigrade guage indicating up to 1100 degrees.
4. In the centre a red power on light.
5. To the right there is a large black control knob graduated from 1 to 100 but no indication as what the graduations mean.
What I would like to know is
1. What temp will it go up to.
2. How long can it be safely held at its top temp.
Any info at all will be very helpfull.
I got the oven from a friend and he tells me it came out of a university lab.
It does work as my friend tested it and took it up to 200 degrees (indicated)
When I tried it it blew the fuse on the extenion I was using but I think it was a very small fuse.I will try this weekend again when I have more time.
Thank you for any help you can give.
Vic
victor mcconville29/01/2010 18:39:57
20 forum posts
Hello again Tony,
I have tried the oven/furnace tonight.
The result was a great success,after maybe 45 mins the indicated temp had risen to 900 degrees centigrade.
On opening the oven the inside was glowing a dull/bright red.
The setting on the control knob was set at 100, at less than 70 on the dial the power light would switch off.
The oven blew a fuse at the earlier attempt to test because the fuse was only 3 amp.
Again any info will be a great help to me.
If the indicated temp is correct this oven/furnace will be great for heat treatment of carbon steels
Thanks
Vic
Tony Ray30/01/2010 00:17:30
238 forum posts
47 photos
Vic,
 
Good news then, I calculated that you might get to 1000 Celcius. You won't get to 1100 C but it may go a bit higher if you leave it longer. Your max temp will be limited by the power input and by the ambient temperature of your workshop. I would not run it unattended.
 
Heres an example of a modern one
 
 
The power input is not tooo far away from yours.
 
You'll need a 13 A fuse.
 
Think carefully about location and proximity of combustible materials especially solvents ans solvent vapours. I would fit a heat activated (rather than smoke) alarm.
 
I recommend that you invest in some suitable tongs, protective gloves and and wear eye protection - a face shield is best and stout footwear when taking anything in oor out of the hot chamber.
 
Have fun
 
Tony
 
 
Gerald Weare30/01/2010 05:20:43
9 forum posts
7 photos
Hi,
An oven like that is a great device.  I bought a Thermoline on eBay for not much, and I love it.  It uses about 1500W, but is about the same size as yours.  I can get it easily to over 2200F or 1250C, well it takes a while to get there.
 
When I got it, it had a thermocouple/analogue meter and a bimetal strip power controller, not very precise. I decided an electronic control was the thing, so I built a microprocessor controller using the thermocouple input to control a triac (like a lamp dimmer).  It also had a heating timer and was going to (but did not actually) have many fancy features.
 
I can set and keep the temperature within 1 degree C (truly!).  So I would recommend you rig up some kind of feedback control of the temperature. You don't have to do your own, these days there are standard off  the shelf devices that could be used easily.  I just saw a Chinese version for 40USD, a digital temperature controller on eBay that could be used with a standard solid state relay, or even a regular power relay wired into the power cable to an existing oven.  You would need to hook up the thermocouple, that is the only modification required to the oven.  If you want to pay more, non-Chinese versions are readily available, going for maybe $120 US.
 
I haven't tried these devices, but I can't see how they would not be great.  They look good and the specs are impressive (they seem to do everything), and though you don't get the timing functions I put into mine, the price is right.
victor mcconville30/01/2010 07:21:51
20 forum posts
Hi everybody,
Thanks for the great response to my questions.
Hello Tony,
 Very good advice on the safety side of this oven,I had not given any thought to the possible solvent problem,I will take all your advice on the handling of hot objects.
Is there any way I could get a circuit diagram for this type of oven,I would like to upgrade the control to a semi auto digital control.(the chap that gave me the oven (for free) works with me at the same company and is an electronic wizard.)
I would not be leaving the oven to operate without my presence.
Thanks for the link
Hello Gerald,
Reading through your reply,you are based in the USA, I am in Scotland and it is bl---y cold at the moment -2 centigrade in my workshop today.
Very interesting comments on controlling the oven, I will let my electronic wizard friend read your comments on control as I am more on the metal cutting side of life.
Any more complicated than a 13 amp fuse causes my brain to shut down for a week.(some workmates would suggest that I that I am always in that state.)
Thank you all
This a great site
Vic
Gerald Weare30/01/2010 15:19:33
9 forum posts
7 photos
Vic,
Bitterly cold, hmmm.  It was 4.5F last night when I went to bed, that's -15C.   The wind was about 25 mph, it was howling.  When I first came here, in July 1981, a guy from Glasgow (not known for high temperatures) told me, within 10 minutes of meeting him, to buy a down jacket and a snow shovel.  It was on his mind.  Once I had found out what those things were, I was worried.  The weather here in the Boston area really kills you, to the extent that I miss English weather.  Of course, it can get REALLY cold up north in New Hampshire or Maine or Quebec...
 
That aside, you should be able to get those controllers.  Some are shipped direct from Hong Kong, and I am sure most of the US or Canadian suppliers would ship them to UK.   The non-Chinese brands are a common industrial control/lab item, and they should be easy to get also.  The price would naturally be much higher for non-Chinese.  Talk to your firend and have him take a look on the web and I am sure he will agree there isn't an easier or cheaper way to go.  And it is certailny well worthwhile.  Good luck.
Tony Ray03/02/2010 10:25:24
238 forum posts
47 photos
Vic,
 
Good to hear that you have a friend that can help you on the electrics side. You won't need a circuit diagram you friend will have no trouble working out its curreny setup and how to add a digital controller as mentioned by Gerald.
 
If you do go down this route make sure that you thermocouple is rated for your operating temp and is compatible with the controller.
 
Good luck
victor mcconville03/02/2010 20:44:12
20 forum posts
Hello Again helpfull People,
Thanks everybody for your very good input on my oven.
This project will be put on the backburner for a little while untill  my electronic friend looks into the best gear to get.
I will be taking onboard all the suggestions especially the safety side of operating this oven.
Again many thanks
Vic
ps as "Arnold" says I'll be back
Gerald Weare04/02/2010 22:44:01
9 forum posts
7 photos
Just FYI, Type K is the most common type of thermocouple for this kind of temperature, and that's probably what's in the oven already.  It is also the most common type you find with the multimeters that have a temperature range.  The controllers I mentioned list a lot of compatible thermocouple types (and I mean a lot), and you just configure them for the type you have.   Very impressive.
 
Jed

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