Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Baking Coatings

I want to coat my own guns with either Norrells or Gun Kote and need some advice about baking the finish at home. They both recommend 300 deg for 30 minutes. Will a single burner, 1000W hot plate installed into the bottom of an insulated gym locker get me to that temp? Any concerns about exposing the entire hot plate (and circuitry, cord, etc) to that heat?

**My bolt actions won't fit on the gas grill nor inside my wife's new oven**

Thanks, Dinny

I use a gas pizza oven now, but before I used a steel locker lined with insulation and a electric oven heating element and thermostat for my heating, worked great. Not sure if I would place a heat plate inside and close it up. Maybe a heat gun on each side of the locker would work, but hard to control the heat, find a old electric oven cheap and tear it down for the parts youneed

Maybe I should get a double burner hot plate, cut holes in the side of the locker, and attach the hot plate to the outside of the locker??

Thanks, Dinny

You only coating one rifle or you going to be doing more down the road

Just coating 3 at most.

Thanks, Dinny

I used HVAC tape to seal all the openings in the locker. I cut a 7" hole in the steel shelf inside the locker and attached the single hot plate to it with only the burner exposed. I measured my longest barrelled action and added 6" to determine the shelf height. It's been on the highest setting and I'm barely reaching 166° inside the locker. I will measure to see if I can fit another got plate in there. I will also consider insulating the inside of the locker so the ambient air temp has less affect on the inside temps. Pictures to follow.

Thanks, Dinny

It appears I have enough space to put in another hot plate. I'm off to WalMart to get another one.

Thanks, Dinny

Did you put the foam insulation on the outside ?

I built a cerakote oven using a PLC to control the temp in the over out of a old gun safe that takes 220, and uses a stove burner.. BUT I put the insulation on the inside vs. outside.

It needs air circulation to heat up even in the box, you will have a hot spot right at the burner. Install a small computer fan under the shelf and an exhaust vent in the top of the box. This will make it like a convention oven and make it more even heat throughout the whole box. I use a heat gun that blows hot air at the same time to circulate in my hot box.

I'd use a PID to control temps in the box.

No insulation yet. I'm researching temp tolerance of drywall fireboard. I'll install a vent in the top and use an electrical box cover plate with a screw thru it to control the flow. I'll have to ponder on the fan. I retire and move home for the first time in 20 years in several months and don't want to take this contraption with me hence the hesitation to sink much money into it.

Thanks, Dinny

I can get a cheap bathroom exhaust fan from Home Depot for $15. My plan would be to mount it on the floor of the locker and cut a hole in the side of the locker for the intake port. Fresh air in through the bottom and heated air out the top.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/NuTone-50-CFM-Wall-Ceiling-Mount-Bathroom-Exhaust-Fan-696N/100081599

Thanks, Dinny

A sheet of 5/8" thick Firecode X Panel should do the trick to insulate the inside.


fireboard

Today I filled the locker with bricks that were gifted to me. So far I have seen a fair amount of moisture build up around the top vent and the bricks are heating up nicely. With another 1.5 hours until bedtime I hope to see just how warm it gets inside with one 1100W burner. If needed, tomorrow I'll add another burner.

Thanks, Dinny

The plan is to preheat the oven, remove the front row of bricks, then place the barrel in, followed by the bricks then bake.

Thanks, Dinny