Mold Thermometer

[cmat1120]

While doing some research I came across the NOE Mold Thermometer. It looks like this has been discontinued. Is there another standard product that people use? Or any suggested devices? I'm looking to get into casting and as a new caster this seems like a very useful tool.

Thank you

[kbstenberg]

Ebay or just use any search engine an look for temerature monitors.

[jsizemore]

I use a meat thermometer from Walmart. I put the probe in the cavity while it sits on the hotplate. When casting you want to time the cut of the sprue and drop when you cut the sprue and not tear it out which keeps you from smearing lead across the top of the mold blocks and sprue plate bottom. You should still use a sprue plate lube. If you wait too long to cut the sprue then you'll end up with a nub that will keep you from seating gas checks.

[cmat1120]

What's the max temperature I'd need the thermometer to be able to go up to? I know the lead Temps can be past 700 but I've seen people suggest mold Temps from 280 to 400's

[Froogal]

If your bullets are frosty looking, the lead is too hot. If the bullets are wrinkled looking, the lead is not hot enough, or the mold is too cold. I don't use a thermometer. Correction, at first I DID use one of those remote sensing, laser type of thermometers. It did give me an idea of where to set the thermostat on the melting pot.

[ReloaderFred]

I've never used a "mold" thermometer, and I started reloading in 1963, and casting in 1969. I go by the condition of the bullets, but I do use a lead pot thermometer to double check the setting on my casting machines.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[country gent]

While most thermometers aren't dead on calibrated to zero. Yours is on and your numbers can be repeated for a given set up to your thermometer. IE while 750* maybe 730* on another thermometer, 750* is always the same 750* on yours.
The thermometer can be a valuable tool starting out. It allows for temperatures that worked and what didn't to be documented and repeated. Ie if 700* cast great bullets with Mould XXX then next session bring pot up to 700* flux and cast.

[cmat1120]

While most thermometers aren't dead on calibrated to zero. Yours is on and your numbers can be repeated for a given set up to your thermometer. IE while 750* maybe 730* on another thermometer, 750* is always the same 750* on yours.
The thermometer can be a valuable tool starting out. It allows for temperatures that worked and what didn't to be documented and repeated. Ie if 700* cast great bullets with Mould XXX then next session bring pot up to 700* flux and cast.

Exactly! I get that I can just learn to judge bullets and get the "feel" of it, but why not accelerate that learning with a simple tool plus allow some useful documentation. I can vary my time between fills and document how much the temperature fluctuates to hopefully get a really accurate way of measuring.

Another idea I had was to smoke up the side of a mold and use an IR thermometer(which I already have) and then I wouldn't have anything dangling from the mold. I don't know if smoking it up would decrease the shininess enough for that to work though.

[John Boy]

Is there another standard product that people use? Or any suggested devices? I'm looking to get into casting and as a new caster this seems like a very useful tool.
Used infrequently but when I want the temperature of a mold, an IR laser temperature gun works nicely...
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-1022D-Thermometer-Temperature-Refrigerator/dp/B01BV0YMH4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?hvadid=78134098618271&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=infrared+thermometer&qid=1554050951&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

[Mike W1]

After some amount of experimenting with an IR gun and a bit of reading about them for our purposes I concluded they're really not worth using. An expensive one calibrated for a specific job would do but that's beyond our means. I drilled several molds and used a 1/8" TC with either a PID or a VOM that reads temperature and got far better results.

[jsizemore]

What's the max temperature I'd need the thermometer to be able to go up to? I know the lead Temps can be past 700 but I've seen people suggest mold Temps from 280 to 400's

I meant to post this but I found aluminum molds start to cast better @ 375F and my iron molds like 400F. The meat thermometer I use is rated to 450F and has a probe with either a silicone or braided stainless steel jacketed cable that plugs into the plastic thermometer housing. Like the thermocouples we use with our PID's.

[gunarea]

Hey cmat1120
Welcome to the jungle, now jump into the wormhole. Your curiosity and concern is real and shared with others.

238998 238999

For your mould temp most candy thermometers will cover the range needed. For lead temps, higher ranges are available from several providers. My affliction is served by a Mypin PID for pot temp. A Fluke, dual register, fast change thermometer (most will cringe at the price) with a 3" probe on channel "A" and a ceramic magnetic probe on channel "B". The "A" channel monitors inside mould temp and "B" channel monitors mould outside temp. A single channel quick change thermometer is hard wired to my aluminum heat sink mould cooling device to monitor cooling rate. Yeah this is where you can go to produce "match" projectiles. The majority of casters do not want or need such high levels of consistent quality. They are also the ones I beat at the match. Your quest is nothing new and documentation is never a bad thing. If you are truly committed to this endeavor, abandon any hope of saving anything but experience. Equipment costs will no longer be a primary concern. Accurate repeatable results will become the absolute pinnacle of success to you. This thing got hold of me in the mid 60's, it's much too late to save myself. You have to decide, fight or flight. I empathize with you and stand at ready, to assist. Best of skill to you.
Roy

[oldhenry]

Rotometal has a lead thermometer listed for $39.51 that looks exactly like the RCBS item except it does not have the wire type handle/bracket. I needed Sn anyway & included their thermometer with the order (over $99.50 so everything shipped free).

Henry

[Captain*Kirk]

I just bought a Lyman digital lead thermometer at Midway for $20.00 and change. Half the price of of a "steam gauge" thermo and accurate to less than 1 degree

[Conditor22]

I started with a regular thermometer (many of the Lyman old school thermometers were off from the factory), after you get a good thermometer then you have to watch it to stay within your desired temperature range.
I did a little research then built a PID controller for my pot. I'll never go back to a thermometer and casting is more relaxing and fun now.

[gwpercle]

Casting for 50 + years and have never used a thermometer or a PID .
You don't really need one to cast boolits...just another do hickey they want to sell you.
And you don't need a PID either...more gadgets you don't really need .
But I'm old school and learned the craft before all this stuff was "must have " ...melted a pot of lead on a gas stove and cast away.
You might not want to listen to me though ... what do I know .
Gary

[Ozark mike]

I cast the stoneage way my lead is melted over a burner in a pot I have come to figure out the temp of the mixture by looking at it and how it casts. I dont have a lot of the stuff the reloading places try to sell. But my bullets come out as shiny and accurate as a hundred dollar bullet

[bobthenailer]

Harbor freight digital temp gun , moulds need to be between 400 to 500 degrees to make good bullets