Has anybody bought a cheap electric smoker to cure receivers or parts painted with these products? Proper Cerakote ovens are four figures in price and while my regular go-to for painting parts does a great job, he's super slow (sometimes a year).

I've had great luck with air-curing Brownells Alumahyde and Aervoe for 10-14 days by hanging in the garage but I'd like to do some other parts and heat cure them. A decent electric smoker box is basic; metal, thermometer and heating element at the bottom and should work well for doing this. At $79-249, looking for practical feedback from someone that's used one.

No but I am about to.

Going to most likely buy one like your picture from Craigslist for about $100 then beef it up.
New ones are too expensive at HD or Lowes.
Plenty of examples on YouTube.
One thing that concerns me is even heat distribution and plan on an internal fan.
Could make something from scratch or use something else like a locker, cabinet etc if I had one.
It also has to fit in my already crowded garage.

Works great, I've done a bunch of Cerakote in an electric smoker.

Is it too stinky to do in the oven?

What are the temperature/duration numbers to effect a cure for the various coatings? Seems like a used electric or gas oven might be very cost-efficient, even if you have to install a 240VAC circuit or gas line. Are there humidity or other considerations that might mandate a special purpose oven? Is fume mitigation an issue?

My impression is that most of these coatings are applied as a fine powder, perhaps held in place for curing by a static charge, and affixed ot the substrate by a melting process. Is this accurate?

OK, Internet lookup finds this chart with cure temps generally in the 250-300 ℉ range, easily achieved in any standard kitchen oven.

Hmm, Mesquite scented Lowers, Oak scented Uppers...

No.... But I do have that exact smoker in the photo. Works Great!!

fumes and offgasing; not recommended for cooking food

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Is it too stinky to do in the oven?

Not so much that for me as the size.
Long items are not easily stuffed into a regular oven.
That and the logistics of running in from the garage and stuffing in the kitchen oven.
Some say not to mix food and this type of painting but it wasn't a big issue for me on that part.

Any electric oven will work, a gas oven is too moist. I've seen where some people have used stack on type gun cabinets with an electric heating coil to Cerakote.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Is it too stinky to do in the oven?

The one time I did it, the smell caught me more flak than it was worth, and that was after my disclaimers and assurances that it was supposed to be perfectly safe. A big smoker wouldn't have that problem and it would also better fit barrels and barreled actions.

I once dipped a raw aluminum AR15 delta-ring in AlumaBlack in a glass dish to blacken it. Yeah, that was a bad idea indoors. The offgassing and smell...let's just say mild chemical burns to my throat and nose. My wife sitting 15ft away also was effected and called me all sorts of names.

So, outside from now on...even if it's "safe" to bake in the home oven.