Casting Thermometer

[94Doug]

Anyone purchased one of these?


http://cgi.ebay.com/Thermometer-200-1000-Degrees-Fahrenheit_W0QQitemZ280187087874QQihZ018QQcategory Z50974QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Would it work for casting? I suppose a Group Buy wouldn't save anything by the time all the shipping was worked out.... he has 14.

Doug

[miestro_jerry]

That would work, I use the one that came with my Turkey Fryer/Casting Post. If works fine.

Also I have a couple of Lyman thermometers.

Jerry

[94Doug]

My next question, then. Does the thermometer have to be placed in the pot in any special way? As in suspended, not touching sides or bottom? I see that the RCBS model does have a little extra piece with it.

Doug

[mechdriver]

Anyone purchased one of these?


http://cgi.ebay.com/Thermometer-200-1000-Degrees-Fahrenheit_W0QQitemZ280187087874QQihZ018QQcategory Z50974QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Would it work for casting? I suppose a Group Buy wouldn't save anything by the time all the shipping was worked out.... he has 14.

Doug

I'll let you know when mine arrives. Thanks for the link. Now if you can find me some lee six cavity molds for about 15 bucks each.....:-D

[94Doug]

:mrgreen:
I'll let you know when mine arrives. Thanks for the link. Now if you can find me some lee six cavity molds for about 15 bucks each.....:-D

... You would never know they existed if I found them.:mrgreen:


Doug

[mechdriver]

My thermometer came today and though I haven't cast with it yet I did stick it in the pot and turn it on while I was feeding the horses. It read up to 750. We'll see how long it last. Seems OK.

BTW Does anyone have any suggestions on how to check accuracy of a thermometer without having another to compare. Perhaps a list of melt points for different materials???

[mtgrs737]

I got mine today also, I will run it next to my RCBS thermometer when I get the time next week and let you know how it compares.

[94Doug]

Mine is on order too. I don't want to get my expectations up too high, due to the huge price difference. BUT, the RCBS and Lyman also seemed way too expensive.

Doug

[freedom475]

Just got a new Lyman therm for Christmas......took it out put it in the pot and it would jump from temp to temp, then a little tap woud cause it to move again before it made up its mind.

second time in the pot it jumped to 550 and never moved again...its now 20degrees outside and its still stuck on 550:(

:takinWiz: Lyman therms

[Swamprat1052]

Freedom475, I've got one just like it. Hasnt moved off of 500 since the first time I tried it. I emailed Lyman and they want me to send it back to them if I cant tap on it and get it to go back to where it should be. Thats a joke. I havent sent it badc, probably a waste of time but I guess I will. I know of several of them with the same problem. I think their junk.

Swamprat

[94Doug]

Wow, I gotta say, that guy ships fast! Mine came in today. As far as how to place in the pot, I was thinking of rigging up a simple piece of wood with a hole drilled in the center for the thermometer, which would then hold it in suspension rather than contacting the side of the pot? Or am I over-thinking this?

Doug

[mtgrs737]

I got time today to test the $15 ebay (it says KATV on the dial) I fired up my pot and let it get up to temp. Then I stuck in both my RCBS thermometer and the new KATV unit at the same depth both units started to move very smoothly, the RCBS unit was a little quicker to move up the scale. When they both stopped the RCBS was reading 750 on the button and the KATV was reading 725, Which one was right? I don't know. I had the RCBS Pro Melt set on 750 but who knows how acurate that is. I will say that the KATV unit was just as smooth as the RCBS and the dial is a bit larger and just as easy to read as the RCBS unit. I will do some more testing to see if I can see any short commings that would concern me and post them here. My conclusion is: That for the money it might be a good buy for the starting caster who would otherwise do without, and according to some of the posts on Lyman thermometers it may be a much wiser purchase, I will know more with more useage. It is a good looking unit despite the cheap price.

I plan on using it for smelting where it may see rough useage.

[dromia]

You can calibrate your thermometer with boiling water if you know your atmospheric pressure, I just use my household barometer.

Here's a link to a conversion function:

http://fridgetech.com/calculators/

Scroll down the page 'till you come to the Atmospheric Pressure and Water calculator that'll tell you the boiling temperature of water at that pressure boil some water with your thermometer in and see how close its reading is to the current boiling temperature.

[Forester]

You can calibrate your thermometer with boiling water if you know your atmospheric pressure, I just use my household barometer.

Here's a link to a conversion function:

http://fridgetech.com/calculators/

Scroll down the page 'till you come to the Atmospheric Pressure and Water calculator that'll tell you the boiling temperature of water at that pressure boil some water with your thermometer in and see how close its reading is to the current boiling temperature.

Wouldn't any error be multiplied as you get to higher temps by some (unknown) factor? between boiling point and casting point you could have 7 or 8 times higher temperature. Would be good for a rough check though.

[dromia]

No Forester, what this test is, is the reading for calibrating the thermometer. Not checking whether the thermometer is good over its range.

My RCBS thermometer is 12 degrees over on this test and is twelve degrees over all through the temperature range.

How do I know? My wife is a glass artist and has some pretty accurate thermometry for reading her kilns. She gets her kit from a specialist company and they checked the RCBS for me when I was in with her one day.

Why was I having it checked? 'cos I dropped it.:roll:

[mechdriver]

I must agree with Dromia. I remember that in high school, wow, I can remember that far back, that when we calibrated thermometers as an experiment they were linear in scale. So the deviation found in one area would be the same over the entire range.

[Swamprat1052]

I ordered one Monday and got it on Wed. I havent tried it yet but will soon. The description on ebay said it went up to 700 degrees. This one goes to 1000. If it works I am happy.

Swamprat

[miestro_jerry]

I have an Omega Digital Thermometer that I use to check my mechinacl and analog thermometer with.

Jerry

[AZ Pete]

I posted the following in another thread, but it answers some questions here about the accuracy of the eBay thermometers....at least for a sample of one.

>>Got the same $15 thermometer that Swamprat mentioned (from eBay). Arrived promptly, and I just gave it the old "boiling water test" it registered just under 210 degrees. We are at about 1,000 ft elevation, so that would put the thermometer within a hair of being right on the money. I would have to quess that it will be more than accurate enough for casting lead boolets..........particularly since I have been casting since 1966 without benefit of any kind of thermometer.<<

Hope that this helps.

[bobthewelder]

Hey guys I posted this in another thread. They seem to be going fairly fast now, page 7 has a couple other 200-1000 on it. I asked and they told me that this was a one time buy so they won't get more once they are gone. Hope this helps someone.

http://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.asp?numrec=20&lastrec=100&sort=1&search=thermometers&UID=2008012012502330

[ihuntbuck]

I just picked up three of the katv themometers off of e-bay for $30 shipping paid has any body actually used one of these enough to see if they will last ??

[syh]

sorry for the thread zombie.

Any current sources for cheap thermometers? All the links above are no longer working / useful

[cajun shooter]

Tru-Temp in NY. Custom made SS 0-1000 for around $35

[largecaliberman]

Anyone purchased one of these?


http://cgi.ebay.com/Thermometer-200-1000-Degrees-Fahrenheit_W0QQitemZ280187087874QQihZ018QQcategory Z50974QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Would it work for casting? I suppose a Group Buy wouldn't save anything by the time all the shipping was worked out.... he has 14.

Doug

Try one of these. I purchased it on evil bay known as a gas actuated pyrometer.

[dsmjon]

BTW Does anyone have any suggestions on how to check accuracy of a thermometer without having another to compare. Perhaps a list of melt points for different materials???

Add something with a low mass to measure off of and place it in boiling water. Since the water will never exceed 100/212, you should obtain a 'close enough' reading. You could also compare it with a couple other thermometers at varying temps, while not 100% accurate, if they're all consistent it should suffice for casting needs.

[dsmjon]

Whoops, sorry for the redundant post. Thread title caught my attention, didn't see it was a dino-thread.

[grages]

This is the one I bought, the were not very fast in shipping.

About $26 shipped

http://www.teltru.com/p-272-big-green-egg-grill-dome-kamado-replacement-thermometer-lt225r-2001000-degrees-f.aspx

[BSkerj]

I was in a local pawn shop and they had a used Lee 4-20 sitting in the corner with a Lyman Thermometer stuck in some lead that was left in the pot. I asked the clerk if he had any not in a pot and he said he would sell me that one but we would have to melt the lead first. Anyway, 20 minutes later he sold it to me for 5.00. It even was accurate ! We all decided in the shop that we have to get a life...3 guys sitting there watching lead melt looked pretty pathetic. Store owner said that that was the most excitement he had all day ! We all concurred.

[Andy Griffith]

I understand that casters as a ground are well...frugal by nature.

However, I just can't see throwing good money- even $15. for a Chinese **** thermometer that is in no way certified to be calibrated. If I am correct, the $30-45 Lyman and RCBS thermometers are currently of PRC manufacture, and I wouldn't trust them for longevity.

I bought one of these fine American made thermometers...and couldn't be happier!
They've been in business since 1946 and stand behind their product.

I got a 1.7" dial in the 200-1000F range with a 6" stem...cost me $60 bucks.
But it is American Made and certified. [smilie=w:

http://www.ptc1.com/public/therimm072.htm

[farmbif]

Surplus Center has clearance sale on 200-1000 degree F Trutel thermometers

[John Boy]

Surplus Center has clearance sale on 200-1000 degree F Trutel thermometers They must have sold out quickly because all I saw for sale were the 550 degree ones

[ulav8r]

They must have sold out quickly because all I saw for sale were the 550 degree ones I went thru 3-4pages of thermometers, saw 3 or 4 that were 200-1000. $34.95 to $64.95.

[John Boy]

BIG Green Egg, Primo, Komodo, Grill Dome, or other Kamado-style Replacement Thermometer LT225R, 5 inch stem, 200/1000 degrees F

Price: $22.55 from Tel-Tru... this Surplus place at $35 is no big shakes for discount prices!

[kokomokid]

I have usre the Tel-Tru for three years now and still accurate. LB