Melt thermometers?

[Tedly]

Where and how much for a decent melt thermometer. Mostly concerned about getting too hot and melting in the zinc ww....so where do I buy , what model and how much am I going to pay for it ?

[Jim_P]

I use one of these:
http://www.tequipment.net/FlukeThermo51.html?b=y&v=7749 and cost about $250.00 This is the top shelf solution.

You'll also need one of these:
http://www.tequipment.net/Fluke80PK-22.html is the probe I use and cost another $85. Nice and long and will reach to the bottom of any pot.

This is accurate to sub 1 degree levels throughout the range (< 0.1 degree below 1000 F) and they can measure to 2500 degrees F.

Yup, these cost a bunch of change. But if you want the best, IMHO, here it is. FWIW, Fluke is the name to own for meters in electronics work and a very well known and respected company world wide. There stuff ain't cheap. But their stuff is the best.

[VHoward]

No need to go extremely expensive for casting or smelting purposes. http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.co...d-Thermometer- This is the one I have and works just fine.

[Yodogsandman]

I smelted two weeks ago using a PID and probe just to show the temperature and not to control anything. I still don't own a thermometer after casting tens of thousands of boolits. So, a PID is more useful to a caster. You can use it to control your casting pot, control your lube heater, control your heat treating oven and/or PC oven, control your hot plate and now, just show the temperature of your smelted alloy. I use 3 meter long wires to the "K" type probe. PID's can be built for about the same cost as a good thermometer using information in the threads here.

If you still feel you need a thermometer...

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.p...hrp8tk20ff7mi3

[mold maker]

To the best of my knowledge, all the major sellers get their thermometers from the same source.
Tell True, makes them and brands them for the rest.
You can buy strait from Tell True, at a savings.

[Maven]

Tell True is an excellent thermometer!

[762sultan]

I use the one from NOE and it works well for my casting pot.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I tell people to go to a plumbing supply store and buy a boiler temp gauge with a 6 - 8" stem on it and a dial that goes up to 1000 or 1200 degrees. I`ve been using this gauge for the last 15 or more years with no troubles.Robert

[GLL]

I have used this $20.00 Cen-Tech for years. It was purchased at Harbor Freight but I am sure this model is long gone.
It is extremely accurate as tested on eutectic melts and boiling water !
I have upgraded the K-thermocouple over the one in the photo.

There must be other similar models out there now. Saw one of these recently on eBay for $8.50 !



Jerry

[gwpercle]

Wouldn't sorting out the zinc and steel weights prior to melting solve the problem or is this just too old fashioned and backwards a way to do it ? I just don't have an extra $270.00 for that fancy thermometer.

[williamwaco]

I use the one from NOE and it works well for my casting pot.

Ditto!