Bi-metal thermostat for melting pot

[ghh3rd]

I don't have the $ to buy a PID, but would like to regulate my pot temp better than checking my thermometer and adjusting the knob once in a while.

I wonder if there's a suitable adjustable bi-metal thermostat out there that would work?

Randy

[fecmech]

I wonder if there's a suitable adjustable bi-metal thermostat out there that would work?

That is pretty much what is regulating the temp in your Lee, RCBS, or Lyman pot now. Lee used to sell the the bimetallic switch for their pots as a repair part but they no longer do.

[bangerjim]

You already have an accurate (as it get) bi-metal tstat in your pot. It senses the indirect temp of the element back in the housing, not the REAL temp in the lead. But that has worked for decades and still does very well. You just figure the number range on the dial (5.5 to 6.5 for my 4-20's) and start casting.

You will sink around a $100 bucks in a full digital electronic temp controller with PID algorithms, unless you have a lot of components around or can scrounge them. Controllers sense the temp IN the lead by using a type K thermocouple (just another wire to get in the way in my book) but a lot of people use them.

I do not even measure the temp. After doing it so much, I know where I need the temp to be by the casting, sprue cutting force, sizzle of the boolits when they hit the cooling water, and the finish of the final product.

Good luck finding what works for you.

banger