Anybody else see this episode of This Old Tony, where he installed a inert gas kit into to his oven? It's interesting, but I'm not sure if it would be cheaper than SS foil or coatings. Not sure if that link will work.
I looked into this a few years back. Perhaps with exception to a salt bath, I believe argon shielding is the most cost effective protection, once you get setup. Argon a common shielding gas in GMAW and is available at any welding shop, farm supply places and some hardware stores have a swap-a-bottle programs. Keep in mind there is an asphyxiation hazard with argon or any gas that replaces the air we breathe. Might not be an issue in a large shop or where the door is open, but a tiny sealed shop you'd want to get some ventilation to be safe. Dan
I opted out of this option on my Paragon Double Barrel Kiln, because I didn’t know any better...I would probably get it if I had a do-over.
Griff, I think it's pretty easy to setup. You need a small tank, a regular/flowmeter you can set to a couple of cubic feet per hr. and hose with a fairly long stainless steel tube that goes into the interior of the kiln. The length helps shed the heat a bit before getting to the hose fitting. You'd have to make a penetration in the back of the kiln. That will flood the interior with gas and you're good. Reminder that argon is heavier than air, so any excess will accumulate around your feet first...like propane...so put your bird cage on the floor. I still have a 1/2 can of Condursal left, but this will be my project when the Condursal runs dry. Dan
Would your oven need to be perfectly sealed so the argon doesn’t escape? Or does the constant flow keep up its levels and force out oxygen if your oven had a leak
Ideally the chamber is perfectly sealed, but in reality there's always going to be some way for the argon to escape. From Paragon's technical brief: "The theory behind gas injection is to provide a slight positive pressure internal to the furnace to force air out. There will always be some mixing of air with the incoming gas, but with attrition, the amount of normal atmosphere air will decrease dramatically and the firing chamber will contain almost exclusively the injected gas." Paragon recommends very small flow rates, as low as 0.2 cu. ft./hour. The larger the chamber the higher the flow rate. Plan on 1 cu. ft./hour. One recommendation I heard from Ray Rogers was he sets his flow at 7 to 8 cu. ft./hour! That's probably a leaky oven. In any case, we're talking about a small amount of gas and a bottle will last a long time, say 80 hours or more. Welders may use 20 or 30 cu. ft./hour. Dan
Russ, I couldn't find that specific argon kit shown for sale either. I did find a video that shows kit's the parts in detail. It'd be pretty simple to source parts that serve the same purpose. In the video it's around the 3:38 mark. Dan
Thanks Dan. I think that's the way to go. I found one person on a forum who bought a kit the same name as their oven. Turned out the regulator wasn't specifically for argon and would have to be recalibrated.
Did a quick look through amazon and I think I found all the parts except one that's from omega.ca. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07DMHWGX5...colid=V7SH59TO8Q8D&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it https://www.omega.ca/en/accessories...n-heads-and-tubes/ss-inc-tubes/p/INC-14-6OPEN
Oh, man, I vividly remember that episode of This Old Tony, and it's crazy to think it's been 2 years already! Time flies when you're having fun, right? The way he installed that inert gas kit into the oven was pure genius. It got all of us DIY enthusiasts hyped up and ready to try it ourselves.
But hey, I totally get your concerns about cost. SS foil or coatings might indeed be more budget-friendly options for many of us. Sometimes, we've got to strike a balance between innovation and practicality. By the way, that link you dropped seems to be a bit off-topic for this thread, but hey, if you ever need some appliance repair tips, check out https://fixappliances.ca/blomberg-appliance-repair/. Who knows, it might come in handy someday!
