Lyman thermometer

[RD4570]

Hello
This is my first post on here and I’m glad to be apart of this forum to learn about casting. My first question is how do the Lyman thermometers and their ladles perform?Ive got a Lee pro pot and I don’t have a way to check the temperature. Thanks

[fred2892]

I've had two lyman thermometers and it was only after buying a digital thermometer that I discovered just how bad they are.
One was consistently out by 60 degrees through its entire useable range.
The other was better at lower temperature but by the time it got to the 600-700 range it was over 100 under reading.
A digital thermometer and probe thermocouple off eBay would be about half the cost and removes any doubt on accuracy.

Lyman ladles however are excellent. I have one that was passed on to me by a friend who purchased it in the fifties. I originally had a Lee ladle which was about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

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[Outer Rondacker]

Welcome to the forum. Fred2892 hit the nail on the head.

[RD4570]

Thanks

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Before I started using a PID, I used a Lyman thermometer and, of course, I thought it was accurate.
After I started using the PID, I did a comparison (assuming my PID is accurate?) the Lyman read about 15º hotter ...so it turns out that while the Lyman thermometer wasn't accurate, it is was handy as it gave me a number to reference, as long as the Lyman could repeat the reading (and I assume it did).

[KenT7021]

The dial type thermometer I have was obtained from Brownell's.I also have a Lyman digital thermometer and a Lyman Mag25 pot with PID.They all read within a degree or two of each other.If you want the dial type I would buy the one Brownell's sells.They are sold for use with bluing salts as well as lead.The Lyman digital is nice but you may have to call Lyman for a replacement.The thermocouples on some of them have the wires crossed at assembly.Lyman will replace the thermometer at no cost with a phone call.Replacement thermocouples can be found on EBay to repair the bad thermometer since Lyman doesn't want them back.

[toallmy]

I use a tel-tru thermometer with a 8 in probe , it's quite useful - when cooking down coww also , as well as in the casting pot .

[Pipefitter]

The Lyman dipper works great until you have a 4 banger mold dropping 300+gn boolits. Then I would use the RCBS model as it is a larger capacity. I have both and the RCBS gets my nod for all uses.

[HangFireW8]

I own two Lyman dial thermometers and a calibrated PID pot. I cannot recommend the Lyman dial thermometers. They do not agree with each other, or the pot.

[Walter Laich]

wouldn't go back to a casting thermometer since I built my PIDs

[lightman]

There have been several post about Lyman's thermometers being wrong. I have a RCBS and a Tel-True and they both differ a little from the readout on my PID. Not as much as the Lyman and not really enough to make any difference, but maybe 20º or so.

[RED BEAR]

i heard bad things about lyman so i went with rcbs for therm. but use lyman ladles.

[Cardinal Bullet]

I had a Tel-tru dial thermometer that I'd always used and thought was accurate. When I switched to a PID I found out the Tel-tru read about 60 degrees cooler than the PID.

[bangerjim]

Lyman casting ladles = GOOOOD

Lyman Thermometer = BAAAAAD

And NEVER us an IR gun to measure shiny sufaces. They just do not like them.

[fast ronnie]

I've had two lyman thermometers and it was only after buying a digital thermometer that I discovered just how bad they are.
One was consistently out by 60 degrees through its entire useable range.
The other was better at lower temperature but by the time it got to the 600-700 range it was over 100 under reading.
A digital thermometer and probe thermocouple off eBay would be about half the cost and removes any doubt on accuracy.

Lyman ladles however are excellent. I have one that was passed on to me by a friend who purchased it in the fifties. I originally had a Lee ladle which was about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I bought one of those things one time because it was on sale. I think it is still in it's original package somewhere around here. I think you are being kind with your description.

[Mike W1]

I had a Tel-tru dial thermometer that I'd always used and thought was accurate. When I switched to a PID I found out the Tel-tru read about 60 degrees cooler than the PID.

That Tel-Tru can be adjusted. Did a lot of informal testing with several TC's, a couple different PID's and a VOM and as all those readings agreed within a degree or two decided they were accurate enough to reset the Tel-Tru. Just hold the nut on back and twist the dial head. Might be a little off I suppose but mine was off about as far as your's and it pretty close now.

[Walks]

I have an RCBS that's about 3yrs old, another from N.O.E. with a 8" probe. The N.O.E. faceplate cracked somehow, but they still read within 15degrees of each other. I bought a LYMAN digital last year. The three rarely vary by more then 20degrees from each other. I think in today's market you pays your money and you take your chances. They all come from china so unless you want to spend a fortune on AMERICAN QUALITY that's your choice.

[Creepin]

My Lyman thermometer seems to work very well!

[Grmps]

Some of the older lyman thermometers are "adjustable" by gripping the probe and twisting the head to get them close to where the should be.
started building PID's and never looked back. I will occasionally stick a lyman thermometer in a smelting pot to keep the alloy under zinc temperatures 787.2°F

[Larry Gibson]

I use 2 Lyman thermometers in my Mag20 when casting. As the alloy level drops the temp will also change. All bottom pour pots do that with Lee pots changing the most. A PID measures the temp of the pot in one spot, not the alloy itself and can give a false reading as to the actual temp of the alloy.

One Lyman thermometer is longer than the other which measures the temp of the bottom half of the alloy in the pot. The shorter thermometer measures the temp of the alloy in the top half. I have calibrated both thermometers in boiling water and they are easily adjusted to match each other. When casting I add more alloy when the thermometers are measuring +10 degrees difference from each other. Takes a few minutes for temp to come back up and even out.

It really doesn't matter if the thermometer is absolutely correct or not as to the exact temperature. It is simply a measurement and as long as you keep the alloy temp reading on the thermometer the same (+/- a bit) where you are casting good bullets it doesn't matter if the thermometer is off from the actual temp just as long as it is consistent.

[country gent]

The lyman thermometer and some others may not be dead on but as a comparative reading its okay. If your casting good bullets and the lyman is reading 725* then 725* at the next session is what you need/want. My lyman thermometer is used in this manner not as a dessive temp but as whats needed to be the same session to session.

Lyman ladles are good and work well. I have lyman rcbs and rowel ladles I use. The lyman and rcbs get the spouts opened up to .210 dia usually for a faster pour. The rowel is already large enough. The lyman is the smallest of the 3 and on my 2 cavity 550 grn mould holds enough for it. The rcbs is a little bigger and slightly different shape with a rib on the bottom. The roel is a #1 that holds a pound of alloy, A good ladle but due to spout desihn dosnt allow for pressure pouring. I cast with several 2 cavity moulds and have modified a rcbs to a double spout with the spacing centerline of the moulds. Really speeds things up filling both cavities at the same time. One pour 2 bullets. Also the alloy hasn't cooled any between the 2 cavities.

[Hossfly]

Thermometers are like ampmeters, if you got one it’s all good but get another then you get off readings. As long as they are close it really doesn’t mater that much. When your casting and watching temps you will notice temps just change quicker and you see pid working to keep temp where you have it set. They sure make it easier to deal with adding ingots, start with near melting point on hot plate and hot Moulds things go a lot better.

[BCOWANWHEELS]

tell tru from n.y. I just bought 1. right at 30 bucks

[Rcmaveric]

I think mine is way off.... but it is consistent. I use it more as a reference mark than a no **** measure. Pot needs to be at 900* to cast good bullets.