thermometers

[joshmb1982]

i saw the other post with your recomendations for thermometers and its got me wondering where to find them. i googled lyman, rcbs, and lee. looked on their pages and couldnt find a thermometer anywhere. mabye i just ssed it though. could someone post a link for me please?

[lwknight]

Here are some.
www.rotometals.com
www.midwayusa.com
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
www.cabelas.com

[Southern Son]

Josh, you could probably also get them from Buffalo Arms and Dixie Gun Works.

[joshmb1982]

ok thanks a bunch.

[Shiloh]

I have an RCBS. My question is how do you know about calibration? If you have two or more thermometers, eand the readings are off several or more degrees, which one is accurate?

If one has some pure metal, that would be one way. Any others??

Shiloh

[nonferrous]

I have a Lyman. I cannot imagine casting without it, it would be like driving a car without a speedometer. I do not know if it is accurate to an exact temp, however I know what temp works the best as far as mold fill out and making Boolits with respect to this one.
I am sure that they all vary a few degrees.

[HammerMTB]

I have an RCBS. My question is how do you know about calibration? If you have two or more thermometers, eand the readings are off several or more degrees, which one is accurate?

If one has some pure metal, that would be one way. Any others??

Shiloh

You could check it against a thermocouple. Then you might ask how accurate is the thermocouple? TCs are generally accurate to within a couple percent.

[yman]

This may not work as I dont have a lead theomometer,so without looking at it i can say for sure. but here goes. We used to adjust our food theom by heating water to boiling & sticking the theomometer in then adjusting them to 120deg--boiling point of water. Your boiling point may vary a bit depending on your altitude but you can google that. There is usally a nut on the stem or just turn the stem untill you get it to 120. We used to do the same then in ice water but I dont think that will apply here. I might go the other way & put it in a pan in the oven (ovens are usally farely correct) & check a higher temp like 400. (dont forget to put on some gloves) You could use the boiling water as your constant & the oven a a check point. Good luck.

[jonk]

I have one and it just sits in the junk drawer.

I use 3 alloys. Pure lead- run the pot full blast. Wheel weights- run it on full blast until it just starts to melt, then turn down to 7.5. #2 clone made with wheelweights and 50/50 solder- run on 7.

I don' t really care what the temp is, I care how the mold fills out. And I like frosting, both chocolate and vanilla and lead.

[c3d4b2]

You could check it against a thermocouple.

A word of caution on thermocouples. I have had some problems with thermocouples in the past due to the resistance in the connections.

I have always been more concerned with repeatability than accuracy if accuracy is not required. If the thermometer reads 210 F in boiling water, then it should read 210 F the next time it is checked. If it reads 200 one time then 215 the next there is enough variation to cause concern. If the thermometer is repeatable and you get the best bullets at 725 F. then the next time your melt reaches 725 F you should be good to go.

The only drawback to the lack of accuracy is if you tell a friend the best temperature is 725 F, and there is 15 F difference between the thermometers, then things will not work out well.

[Cadillo]

This may not work as I dont have a lead theomometer,so without looking at it i can say for sure. but here goes. We used to adjust our food theom by heating water to boiling & sticking the theomometer in then adjusting them to 120deg--boiling point of water. Your boiling point may vary a bit depending on your altitude but you can google that. There is usally a nut on the stem or just turn the stem untill you get it to 120. We used to do the same then in ice water but I dont think that will apply here. I might go the other way & put it in a pan in the oven (ovens are usally farely correct) & check a higher temp like 400. (dont forget to put on some gloves) You could use the boiling water as your constant & the oven a a check point. Good luck.


120 degrees??????

[Leadsmith]

Don't put the whole thermometer in the oven. I did that once and it ruined the head. The stem can take 1000 degrees but not the indicator!

I'm sure he meant 212 degrees. Get yourself some linotype and do the slow cooling test, that will show you exactly how close your thermometer is to being right.

Bob