[john mathers]

Ok.  So i started a new business a couple months as a carpet cleaner but being january & a new business its slow.

I was thinking of doing an add on service cleaning cookers, i have done a fair bit a research on the chems & tools needed on numerous threads on here, and videos.

I cant jusify a dip tank as i will probably only be doing 1 or 2 max per week, My friend has an old Steel Toolsafe box on his van a tiny bit bigger than a dip tank and it is water tight.  Can i not put a secure stand for it together and set up a burner underneath it instead of forking out between 600 to 1000 on a stainless steel one?

I know there are some out there who use just a plastic tray, but the heat is going to go after about 15mims with that.

Cheers

[john mathers]

Same as this by the way. 

[Smudger]

The biggest worry would be how thick the "steel" was on the box, if it's made from mild steel ( most likely ) you could possibly burn through it, certainly over time the heating will effect the integrity of the metal.

If your getting the box free, just set it up outside on some bricks and test it out

Darran

[john mathers]

Well as far as I'm reading 1340 degrees (celcius), Is the point steel melts.  So as long as it's got an okay amount of thickness to it (i.e built to hold heavy tools) should be okay yeah?

Anyone else, yay or nay?   

[Tadgh O Shea]

Well as far as I'm reading 1340 degrees (celcius), Is the point steel melts.  So as long as it's got an okay amount of thickness to it (i.e built to hold heavy tools) should be okay yeah?

Anyone else, yay or nay?   

Hi John, oven cleaning chemicals are based on sodium hydroxide which is very corrosive so the combination of heat and the corrosive nature of sodium hydroxide will make poo of the mild steel toolbox very quickly, the thickness of the mild steel used to fabricate these toolboxes is usually 2 to 3mm but it wont last very long for your intended use.

[john mathers]

Hmm, thought I was onto a winning idea then.  A quick search of the term "Van Box" on ebay brings up loads of different ones.  How to tell the difference between mild steel, and steel suitable for taking the same type of heat as a frying pan, or dip tank in this instance?

[Tadgh O Shea]

Hi John, yes most of these type job/tool boxes are fabricated using mild steel, or if you want to pay more you can also get them in aluminum checker plate but again for your intended use even with the aluminum checker plate ones the combination of sodium hydroxide and heat will destroy it very quickly. Tadgh

[john mathers]

How about stainless steel.

I remember those massive deep cooking trays at school, that they would batch cook food in.

Anything stainless steel is good to go yeah even with caustic?, the dirt busters dip tanks on ebay on look a quarter inch thick if that and are just plain stainless steel.

[Smudger]

1/4 inch is 6mm which is at least 3 times as thick as a toolbox also stainless has many different properties to mild steel, you have to bear in mind steel is strong ( if good quality ) but does not like heat and chemicals.

Tadgh made an excellent point on the chemicals used, they will eat through steel in a short time, I guess it's best to stand back and ask the question why are all the dip tanks on offer are stainless steel.

Darran

[Kev Martin]

I found this in 10 seconds on Fleabay so not sure what all the fuss is about.??
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/321031454894?adgroupid=13585920426&hlpht=true&hlpv=2&rlsatarget=pla-131843261346&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F710-134428-41853-0%252F2%253Fipn%253Dicep%2526icep_id%253D67%2526mtid%253D1673%2526kwid%253D1%2526crlp%253D50600204586_563391%2526icep_item_id%253D321031454894%2526itemid%253D321031454894%2526icep_meta_categ_id%253D11700%2526icep_etrs%253DY%2526icep_epid%253D-999%2526icep_ctlg%253D-999%2526icep_cond%253DNew%2526targetid%253D131843261346%2526rpc%253D0.24%2526rpc_upld_id%253D62410%2526device%253Dt%2526icep_msku_flag%253Dn%2526icep_cbt%253Dn%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526googleloc%253D9041125%2526poi%253D%2526campaignid%253D207297426%2526adgroupid%253D13585920426%2526rlsatarget%253Dpla-131843261346%2526gclid%253DCP39tZLpssoCFSsEwwodMEUEbA%2526srcrot%253D710-134428-41853-0%2526rvr_id%253D968322294223&adtype=pla&ff3=1&lpid=122&poi=&ul_noapp=true&limghlpsr=true&ff19=0&googleloc=9041125&device=t&chn=ps&campaignid=207297426&crdt=0&ff12=67&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff14=122&viphx=1&ops=true&ff13=80

[john mathers]

Its £600.

Was looking for an alternative.  May just see how i get on with something like this.

www.ovenkit.co.uk

[JandS]

Risk your health with an heath robinson affair.
There's a reason they sell proper dip tanks.

[dustee]

Plastic box ( mailboxproducts.co.uk ) with lid cost £150 tops hot water heater ( baby burko ) type thing £40

Soak racks etc in boiling water whilst doing oven , no need for dip tank if only going to do 2/3 per week

set up in customers house  the hard part is having to set up for each job

Doe's it work yes  been doing it for years as an add on