Open Source Hot Dip Galvanizer

Concept

Our size of interest is a vertical pipe 12" in diameter, about 6' tall, for galvanizing columnar-shaped pieces, such as helical pier foundation piles and in-ground steel stakes. We are thinking of putting powdered ceramic insulator material at the bottom, so that the bottom weld is not exposed to molten zinc and therefore the 'kettle' can be made of common, off-the-shelf steel. This would be surrounded by a ceramic heater element of about 20kW, and well insulated. This would be for on-demand galvanizing applications, with automated dipping in all the prep baths so that production galvanizing can be done on a small scale.