PID Unit

[trapper44shooter]

Hey fellas how much would one of these things cost me to buy or do I need it I can get anew Lyman Digital Lead THERMOMETERS for $24.99 Are the PID Units cost much more

[Hossfly]

I would start off with the thermometer, then later if your not satisfied with the temp control of a lee pot you can add a PID. You can get the equipment parts off internet for about $50.00 or buy one already made, for more.

[Dapaki]

You can find a Chineesium kit on flea-bay for about $15.00, shipped from China.

[gunarea]

apples and oranges! A thermometer tells you what the temperature is. A PID keeps the temperature where you tell it.

[Chad5005]

you can get a good one on here if you decide you want one

[Dapaki]

apples and oranges! A thermometer tells you what the temperature is. A PID keeps the temperature where you tell it.

The one I posted? Yes, it's a PID...

[RydForLyf]

Once you run a lead pot with real temperature control, you’ll wonder why you waited so long, even if you didn’t. It’s better than cruise control on a long trip.

[Iwsbull]

Definitely PID. Set it and cast at your desired temp the entire casting session. Can make your own setup pretty frugally by YouTube instructions and fleabay if funds are tight.

[Bantou]

You can find a Chineesium kit on flea-bay for about $15.00, shipped from China.

Does it work well? I’ve had my eye on the one that Hatch makes but money is really tight.


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[trapper44shooter]

WOULD THIS WORK ON MY LEE 4 20 BOTTOM POUR THE Inkbird F Display PID Temperature Controllers Thermostat Heat Sink and Solid State Relay 100 to 240ACV ITC-106VH 40DA SSR White Heat Sink K Probe I AM WONDERING IT IS JUST A FEW MORE $$ THAN THE LYMAN DIGITAL LEAD THERMOMETER I WANT TO DO MY VERY BEST

[Tazlaw]

Yes it’ll work. You’ll have to have a box to mount it in and probably a different thermocouple. Most kits I’ve seen have a 0-400c range. You need to go to 700c. Plenty of YouTube videos on building a PID box.

[Tazlaw]

Might follow this thread too.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...o-4-20-furnace

[Conditor22]

I used an old computer power supply box, worked great.

Love PID's I'll never go back. Set the temperature and forget about it

[lightman]

A PID is nice but you can learn to cast good bullets without one. Many of us started casting long before anyone ever heard about them. As a new caster, you could benefit from some other stuff more. Add one to your want list for later on.

A member here, Hatch, makes and sells a nice one for a fair price. He is also good to answer question for those that build their own.

[Dragonheart]

Does it work well? I’ve had my eye on the one that Hatch makes but money is really tight.
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I think the question is more in the line of how long will they last? I honestly do not know, so I guess it gets down to taking a chance and possibly getting a good deal or wasting $15. I do know the cheap relays are way overrated for what they can actually can handle, but it is not like a casting pot is going to have a really heavy load. I wouldn't expect the thermocouple to last long either.

I have put together several boxes using a "Inkbird F Display PID Temperature Controllers Thermostat Heat Sink and Solid State Relay 100 to 240 ACV ITC-106VH 40DA SSR White Heat Sink K Probe" purchased off Amazon for approximately $40 for the kit. The first one is now several years old and all are still working as intended.

[wv109323]

The basics are $40.00 if you can wire it yourself. Top of the line components are $80.00.
After I rebuilt the thermostat and wiring/terminals on my pot 3 or 4 times, the PID was an obvious answer to get rid of all that. The problems always showed up in a casting session.
My PID is 10 years old with zero problems.
Last week the heating element rotated under the pot and grounded. It blew the SSR. The replacement cost was $8.00

[Drew P]

There’s a cheap complete unit on eBay now too. Might be worth a look. I think 30$

[Mal Paso]

Actually top of the line components start about $250 for an Omron PID without relay or thermocouple. Auber Instruments sells mid range PIDs and you could put together a nice unit for $80. I bought an Inkbird to replace an Auber I lost and it is definitely not as good. It will be replaced with an Auber which are $42+ shipping. Maybe I got a bad Inkbird but some things made today are just Too Cheap.

[Dapaki]

Does it work well? I’ve had my eye on the one that Hatch makes but money is really tight.


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They work fine, they are NOT Auber's but even they run $35.00 - $70.00. The Solid State Relays are the bigger issue, they make heat and are prone to limited life spans.

[Dragonheart]

Heat is the enemy for electronics, but the kit I mentioned includes a heatsink. The first PID I installed was in a 30" wall oven converted for powder coating. I was worried about it so I beefed up the heatsink and installed a salvaged small fan to keep the relay cool. Even when two 220V elements are running full power at start up my relay stays below 90 degrees. Old computers usually have several cooling fans, wiring and other parts that can be repurposed and that is just one source.