Re-purposing a Toaster Oven (shop uses)

[Joel_BC]

My wife just found a good deal and bought a new toaster oven. The previous one had problems in her eyes, because the spring-loaded door didnt work as smoothly as when new...

Anyhow, the door is not much of a problem, as far as Im concerned. It does stay shut reliably when I shut it.

So, okay, now Ive got this little heating unit that I can take to my shop. It seems the controls function as-new. Thermostat system works. Heats up to 450* F, or as low as 125* (warming function).

I began to dig around for shop uses for retired toaster ovens, and it turns out that people are using old toaster ovens for flow soldering, and for un-soldering components on circuit boards, and for powder-coating of small objects. (Powder coating is an alternative to painting metal... slick, hard color finish).

A guy gave me another idea: you can use a t. oven in the repair of small two-stroke engines for chainsaws, weed whackers, and that sort of thing. You can use the t. oven heated to around 200* or just above, to ease removal and replacement of crankshaft bearings. The expansion of the metal of the crankcase will allow the bearing to be knocked out of position more easily. He says to put a new bering in, put the new bearing in a freezer, heat the crankcase halves again, and put the new bearing in place.

 

[lighthawk]

They also make a good heating element for a home made electric smoker.

 

[moolie]

... and for un-soldering components on circuit boards...

This just sounds like all sorts of trouble.

 

[Joel_BC]

... and for un-soldering components on circuit boards...

This just sounds like all sorts of trouble.

It's for those who want to recover the parts. From what I've been hearing, there are people who do it all the time. I believe - not sure - there may be some YouTube vids about how you do it.

 

[hwillm1977]

They also make a good heating element for a home made electric smoker.

That a neat idea... we have a toaster oven that need to retire... maybe I could look into making it into a smoker

 

[moolie]

... and for un-soldering components on circuit boards...

This just sounds like all sorts of trouble.

It's for those who want to recover the parts. From what I've been hearing, there are people who do it all the time. I believe - not sure - there may be some YouTube vids about how you do it.

I would have huge health concerns regarding the heavy metals in a home workshop. We passed on buying a particular house a few years ago because the owner was a gold smith who worked in his home--just in a regular room with regular vents in and out for the forced air heating. We would have had no idea what was in the air/furnace as a result of his work.

Not to mention the fact that many of the plastic components would melt as well--more stuff in the air, and damage to some of the parts that the person might be trying to recover.

 

[Joel_BC]

I would have huge health concerns regarding the heavy metals in a home workshop. We passed on buying a particular house a few years ago because the owner was a gold smith who worked in his home--just in a regular room with regular vents in and out for the forced air heating. We would have had no idea what was in the air/furnace as a result of his work.

Not to mention the fact that many of the plastic components would melt as well--more stuff in the air, and damage to some of the parts that the person might be trying to recover.

Interesting points.

Of course, I can't speak for the guys who talk about using an old toaster oven for solder-working purposes. They've shared an idea, but I don't know how they handle the general situation. My own metal-working workshop, which is mainly for cutting, grinding, welding, and sand-blasting of steel, is out behind our converted bar. It's covered, but open-sided... so, well ventilated. Plus I've got a fan out there for when I want to push air past a project, away from a workbench, etc.

The sort of considerations you've raised, moolie, are why I don't work metal in my home basement shop area.

 

[moolie]

No worries Joel, I wasn't speaking to what you might be up to personally, but rather to the potential hazards that people who are "un-soldering" things in their home toaster ovens might be dealing with. I think it's cool that more and more people ARE re-purposing items rather than just chucking them. I'm constantly amazed at what people put out at the curb--that could at the very least be donated to a thrift shop.

I think oftentimes people get into things without checking on all the details in advance. For example, we renovated a late 1950s rancher over the course of 10 years, and some things took longer than they might have because we had to leave certain things (like original flooring that might have contained asbestos) in place and floor over top. But I've seen all sorts of you tube video since that time where people just blast ahead without concerns about toxic substances.

To each his own, but I personally wouldn't want to raise kids (or live myself, I already have breathing issues because I have mild asthma and allergies) in a home where something like asbestos had been disturbed in large amounts like removal of a floor or insulation.

 

[Joel_BC]

I was working with a friend once, and we used an oven to cure some metal tools' handles, where we'd painted the metal handle with enamel. Normally, using several thin coats of the enamel (from a spray can), the drying/curing process seemed to take quite a while - for the surface to really harden. So we used an old kitchen oven (outdoors) for that. Worked out well. A nice durable finish. I think we were able to set the temp down to 170* F, and a lot was accomplished in 1/2 hour.

So I think maybe the toaster oven can be used for this, with small metal pieces.

This has also made me wonder about speeding the curing time of an epoxy adhesive, on small pieces or parts, in the t. oven. Usually epoxy containers give an estimate for curing time based on 75* F, or around there. I can set the temp in the old t. oven I now have as low as 125* F, according to the "warming" function end of the thermostat knob. I'm trying to get info, on another forum, as to whether this would be too hot for good curing. Will share that, if I come up with anything.

 

[the_whingnut]

Powder coating carbs?