IR thermometer for mold temp?

[AbitNutz]

I know or at least read, that one of those infrared laser pointer thermometers won't work for getting the temp of the lead in the pot. I guess it's something to do with the reflective nature of the target. But what about the mold temp? Does anyone use one to get the temp of their molds?

[dragon813gt]

Molds are just as reflective. You could paint a matte black spot on one if you wanted to. Even then you're testing the surface temp. And the area of measurement increases the further away the thermometer is from the object being measured. It's the completely wrong tool for the job.

[Beef15]

They don't work well at all.
I use a temp probe on a multi-meter. Had the probe laying around in the toolbox for years unused.

[bangerjim]

Forget about it!!!!!! As they say in Jersey!

You can make a black spot on the side of your aluminum molds with Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black to read the temp with an IR. The IR must read black or dark surfaces (black body radiation...remember you HS physics?!?!?!?). Do NOT use black paint!!!! Aluminum Black actually chemmically blackens the surface of CLEAN (importnat!) aluminum.

Will not read molten lead either. You can float a BLACK washer on the surface, but that is a total PITA> \\\


Just buy a good lead thermometer! Analog or digital.

banger

[bangerjim]

Floating the washer is not the PITA. Picking it out is. :kidding:

OB

Can you say "MAGNET"?

[Peregrine]

Floating the washer is not the PITA. Picking it out is. :kidding:

OB

I'm pretty sure there are ways you could have picked it out that didn't involve squatting over the pot. :)

[AbitNutz]

It's starting to look like a pretty good idea that I ordered a mold temp thermometer and probe when NOE ran their 4th of July sale.

[bangerjim]

People today seem to be too "in the weeds" with mold and pot temps! I have cast may thousands of perfect boolits without a pot or mold temp indicator.

It's all common sense. When my "at-temp" boolits (in a pre-heated to casting temp mold on a hotplate) hit the drop water they have a sharp sizzle. The sound of that sizzle is what I use to dermine if the mold/lead are hot enough. No or little sizzle......too cold. Loud or long sizzle...too hot! It takes a bit of experience to gain the knowledge of what works, but it has worked for me of al loooooooong time.

I do not have another thing dangling from my mold getting in the way of what I am doing.

And I design and sell industrial quality temp controllers and measuring equipment (not postage stamp-size ones) in my company I own, with all kinds ot T/C's, indicators and PID controllers available to me and little or no cost. Not needed for me.

Have fun casting, no matter what you choose to use. "Whatever works for you".

banger

[AbitNutz]

Hey, understand where you're at with this but for some us it's the journey, not the destination. I've been doing this on and off for almost 40 years and up until fairly recently, not a thing has changed. The pots are the same, the lead is the same, the molds are the same...although with the advent of CNC and what not, they're a heck of lot more plentiful. The only thing that's changed is electronics. First it was digital scales...man do I love my RCBS ChargeMaster! Then it was the advent of the Proportional Integral Derivative...PID. God I love mine! Yes, I have a Master Caster with a PID and a RCBS Pro-Melt, plugged into a PID and a Lyman Mag 25 that grew a PID. I'm a tired computer engineer, er I mean re-tired, yes retired. Adding a digital thermometer that only costs like 30 American Pesos to my molds I suspect will be fun and informative.

Like most of us old curmudgeons, I have accumulated a metric ton of different molds of many different designs and...materials. I always get whacked out of shape when I go from an aluminum mold to a brass mold to an iron mold...from a single cavity mold on large dual cavity blocks, from dual cavity to three cavities to four to...gang molds. They're all very different. I think it will be super cool...or hot...whatever...to add a column to my log book that shows mold temperature.

Imagine...I set my PID to EXACTLY 675 degrees, place my mold on my sainted mothers old hotplate, that uses more electricity than Trenton New Jersey, until my new thermometer reaches...(insert known mold temp here) and start dropping good bullets right from the get go. I have had this happen on its own but rarely.

Let's face it. We involve ourselves in a sport that had its last revolution about the same time James J. Buchanan was running for president. Until they invent a gun that works when an explosive liquid is sprayed into a chamber and then electronically ignited...I'm going to play with whatever thing changes up my routine...