I built one of these about a year ago. I spent about 5 hours on it, over a little more than 2 days (some things need to dry or set up before going to the next s

I built one of these about a year ago. I spent about 5 hours on it, over a little more than 2 days (some things need to dry or set up before going to the next step). To reflow a small board (or 3) on an extreme budget, use a frying pan and an infrared thermometer. Not super accurate, but if your board is on a piece of foil you can pull it out before it overheats so your components don't cook. I handled the ceramic fiber part by working in a room with a powerful vent fan that exits far from people, taping my cuffs to my gloves, and staying upwind of the insulation. I cleaned the room as soon as I was done. It only took a few minutes and the top cover goes on as soon as you get the insulation in place. You can buy pre-built Controleo3 ovens, but you can probably get a used industrial oven for about the same price as the prebuilt kit. I guess it depends on what you consider a reasonable price, and whether you know people who like building things from a box of parts.