Anyone ever baked an enclosure with a solar oven?

[ryanscissorhands]

I find myself sans toaster oven, but desparate to paint en enclosure. I recalled having some quite delicious cookies in grade 10 that were baked using a solar oven during a science fair. "Cookies," I say to myself. "And enclosures. . ."

So I glued some aluminum foil to the insides and panels of a box I found, closed 2 flaps, and covered the hole with plexiglass. Voila--environmentally friendly, kind of hot oven.

THis isn't a really good solution, but it's pretty good given the price and time it took to make it. It was good enough to preheat my enclosure before priming. I've heard here that some people don't even bake their enamels, so I figured a half-baked enclosure will still probably be decent as long as I can find a good clear coat. I'm hoping my autobody-owning neighbor can find it in his heart to clean out his epoxy hoses by spraying down some enclosures. . .

Anyway, if anyone else has tried this, let me know how it went. If not, wait a few days and I'll post my results. Well, that's assuming it's sunny tomorrow.

[Pedal love]

Never a solar oven. I don't want to get morbid but when I first started building boxes, I worked at a pizza place. I apologize for the strange tasting pies folks.pl

[phillip]

Seems like it would work if you had a good hot, sunny day.  Here in Georgia it can get to be over 100 in the shade during the summer, so if you were to put it in direct sunlight here it would be VERY hot in there!

Not sure what the highest temps of the year are there in Canada, though

Phillip

[PB Wilson]

Wasn't it someone here who baked enclosures in their car on hot summer days?

Could make for some fancy footwork on behalf of the driver if he or she ever got stopped by the police.

Just say no to huffing paint fumes!

[toneman]

gets 2 hot.
no temp control.
just let the paint air dry.
patience....
or let your box  go nayked

[ninoman123]

Anyone ever try an Easy Bake Oven?

[phillip]

I doubt that it would get too hot.  Some people bake enamel paint in toaster ovens at 250 degrees.  The solar oven probably wouldn't reach that temperature...the inside of the car definitely wouldn't...I wouldn't hope anyway :shock:  

Phillip

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Would a hairdrier work? A heat gun? I don't know...
but, a solar oven is going to be difficult to regulate.

[petemoore]

A dark colored box, sitting in the sun, in a car with the windows closed could get nearly as hot as a solar oven...well that IS a solar oven... solar ovening is probably a good way to pre heat test these finishes anyway.
 I don't think it'll have a tendancy to be as predictable heat as a toaster, nor will it reach over 250 degrees...[easily or often] This is just totally untested theory and remembrances of touching items heated by solar radiation.
 Use an oven thermometer and/or reduce exposure to the radiation during super hot spells. Make a hole for partial heat release.
 I don't know what the criterion is for how much air the chemicals need to cure 'fast'..or even if the fumes collect and slow curing.

[optimus_prime_1985]

I use enamel hobby paint and it works great and is very durable. I have tried baking in the oven at 200 and it started to form bubbles. What I do is spray it, let it sit for about 10 min and then hit it with a hair dryer to even out the surface and make it glassy. Then after I put on my graphics or paint them, I hit it with a clear coat and then with the hair dryer. It turns out like glass.