Design Update

I managed to find a free CAD program... "DoubleCAD XT". It acts a lot like AutoCAD (I have 6 years experience on AutoCAD), so I'm doing what I can to draft up some ideas, of which I have many...

My to-do list for tomorrow is:
1) Check the ohms across the elements.
2) See how much heat the elements retain when air is forced across them.
3) Investigate some high-temp RTV and see if it melts when in direct contact with the elements.
4) Do up a dimmer switch setup to see if I can use the elements on a simple dimmer.

If the RTV works, then I'll be able to punch out a bracket of sorts from some SS or aluminum, make the airflow scoop and install all that into the roaster to start testing temps. If all the above is successful, or at least quasi-successful, I'll focus on the drum and drum motor assembly...

Worst case, I have a heat gun and access to a bread machine.

ABSOLUTE worst case, I have my 60g a pop popper. :-)

Design so far:



Referencing the above picture:

This is a side-view of the roaster-to-be. The shape of the grill should be obvious. The "rectangle" at the top is a 9"x4" roasting drum.

The light blue underneath the drum is the airflow skirt I'm working on. It may or may not work.

The "fill" surrounding the airflow skirt is insulation. I want to keep heat off the bottom of this thing. More insulation will most likely be added... haven't reached that point in the design yet though.

The magenta line is just a reference center line.



This is viewing the roaster from above. The big circle is the 14" diameter rim. Lots of exciting stuff here. The "rectangle" again is the 9" x 4" roasting drum. It is also the dimensions of the top part of the airflow skirt. The blue circle in the middle is the bottom of the airflow skirt/fan shroud.

The three red rectangles are the elements, set at a 45 degree angle to cover the entire length and wide of the roaster. I don't know yet if the fan will be strong enough to push air through the "coils" of the elements, or if I will have to somehow suspend the elements over the fan area.

The theory is the airflow skirt will help to focus airflow through and around the elements, providing 1500 delicious watts of cozy warmth to bathe the beans in the drum above.