Oven Thermoniter's

[MGySgt]

What do use to check/test your ovens for correct temperature to bake your boolits??

[jdgabbard]

I used a PID with a temperature probe designed for brewing beer in mine. Wired it up in an old computer ATX PSU case, and the temp probe goes through a hole drilled in the back of the toaster oven. Works like a charm, and is easily set to various temp settings depending on if I’m doing boolits or something else.


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[georgerkahn]

What do use to check/test your ovens for correct temperature to bake your boolits??

A colleague of mine once pointed out that, "water freezes at about 32*F/0*C and boils at 212*F/100*C." He had a quite costly electronic temperature recording device and showed me that either the boiling point of "his" water was "off" -- or, it now boiled at 220*F -- EIGHT degrees difference! Reading the instruction manual which came with his thermometer we found a small trimmer potentiometer and it took a few tries -- move it as hair, wait for stabilization, repeat -- but we eventually got the digital display to read "212" while submerged in a pot of boiling distilled water.
Since -- and this had to be fifteen years back -- I always make it a practice to check the reading any thermometer provides with either the boiling water, or in a tub of crushed ice.
That said, once calibrated ;) -- a relatively inexpensive baking thermometer should prove accurate -- and most importantly, reliable -- for your use.
geo

[jdgabbard]

A colleague of mine once pointed out that, "water freezes at about 32*F/0*C and boils at 212*F/100*C." He had a quite costly electronic temperature recording device and showed me that either the boiling point of "his" water was "off" -- or, it now boiled at 220*F -- EIGHT degrees difference! Reading the instruction manual which came with his thermometer we found a small trimmer potentiometer and it took a few tries -- move it as hair, wait for stabilization, repeat -- but we eventually got the digital display to read "212" while submerged in a pot of boiling distilled water.
Since -- and this had to be fifteen years back -- I always make it a practice to check the reading any thermometer provides with either the boiling water, or in a tub of crushed ice.
That said, once calibrated ;) -- a relatively inexpensive baking thermometer should prove accurate -- and most importantly, reliable -- for your use.
geo

That's one method. With PC though precision isn't quite as important. I simply set my oven to 415F, and once up to temp and normalized stick my tray of boolits in for 30-35 minutes depending on size and density. Haven't had a coating peal off yet.

[Hick]

That's one method. With PC though precision isn't quite as important. I simply set my oven to 415F, and once up to temp and normalized stick my tray of boolits in for 30-35 minutes depending on size and density. Haven't had a coating peal off yet.

That's what I do as well. For my oven, the setting that works is 400, and the time is 20 minutes. I have no idea what the actual temperature is but it works every time. Find what works for you then stick to it.

[MGySgt]

Problem is, oven goes to 415 on preheat. On door put boolits in and temp never gets over 360 and the drops to 340.
That is according to the one electronic thermometer I was using.

Which is wrong oven or thermometer? I don't know.

[jdgabbard]

Problem is, oven goes to 415 on preheat. On door put boolits in and temp never gets over 360 and the drops to 340.
That is according to the one electronic thermometer I was using.

Which is wrong oven or thermometer? I don't know.

It’s not unusual for my temp to drop down to around 340F after putting bullets in. One thing I noticed is the over a lot of times will turn off the elements as a means of short/overheating protection. If it keeps doing this the boolits can not get up to temp. Having a PID helps, as it can slowly ramp up the heat helping to take strain off the system. But if it just won’t get back up to 400F I think you have a power problem - i.e the oven is struggling too much and you should get a higher rated wattage.


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[mehavey]

simply set my oven to 415F...If one does not know the actual temp, one is whistling in the dark/hoping for success
(wherein you might sitting on the knee of the curve)

If you don't have a PID (probably a majority of PC'rs), do get an inexpensive digital
probe thermometer and find out/adjust where you'e really at.
https://buythermopro.com/product/tp-16/

HomeDepot, Amazon, etc

[jdgabbard]

If one does know the actual temp, one is whistling in the dark/hoping for success (wherin uou might sitting on the knee of the curve)
If you don't have a PID (probably a majority of PC'rs), do get an inexpensive digital probe thermometer and find out/adjust where you'e really at.
https://buythermopro.com/product/tp-16/

HomeDepot, Amazon, etc

I was referring to setting my PID to 415. I’m not worried about calibration so much as reaching at least 400F for 20min after bullets soak to 400.

I’m pretty familiar with soak and ramp profiles. I do a lot of SMD work on electronics, and use the same setup to do this.


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[charlie b]

I just use one of the oven thermometers sold at stores. They are fairly accurate as bakers are almost as critical as we are :)

My small convection oven is 50F off, to the high side. The higher heat isn't much of a deal until you see your bullets slump in the pan due to high heat. :)

Yes, the ideal is a PID, for both the lead melt pot and the PC oven, with a temp probe on your mold as well. :)

[mehavey]

I was referring to setting my PID to 415...Got'cha. :bigsmyl2:

[Minerat]

My water doesn't boil at 212° more like 205° (5275' above sea level does that):kidding: but my boolits reach 400 no problem. I use one of these

https://www.taylorusa.com/products/oven-guide-thermometer

[Hick]

If one does not know the actual temp, one is whistling in the dark/hoping for success
(wherein you might sitting on the knee of the curve)

If you don't have a PID (probably a majority of PC'rs), do get an inexpensive digital
probe thermometer and find out/adjust where you'e really at.
https://buythermopro.com/product/tp-16/

HomeDepot, Amazon, etc

You can go to all this trouble-- but doing without is not whistling in the dark. The 400 temp is approximate anyway. I've done thousands of bullets with no PC problems and no temperature measurement. You can spend the time and effort on temperature measurement, or you can set the oven, find what works, then just always keep the oven at that same setting. It also helps for consistency if you always do the same size batch of bullets (I do 50 at a time). Its simply a question of what you are comfortable doing.

[Outer Rondacker]

A PID would be nice. Guess I should look into buying one or making one.

[res45]

My water doesn't boil at 212° more like 205° (5275' above sea level does that):kidding: but my boolits reach 400 no problem. I use one of these

https://www.taylorusa.com/products/oven-guide-thermometer

I use the same thermometer, cheap and works great. My oven was off about 25 degrees on the cold side, once set I haven't had to touch it for a couple of years now, but I do keep the thermometer in the oven for quick reference.

[mehavey]

not whistling in the dark. The 400 temp is approximate anyway.
Real world experience here:
See https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?405574-Toaster-Ovens-the-new-Toilet-Paper-(and-a-question)&p=4946515&viewfull=1#post4946515

Now I run a true PID, and Eastwood/Smoke's powders.
Learned my lesson on both accounts. :mrgreen:

[jdgabbard]

A PID would be nice. Guess I should look into buying one or making one.

They're pretty easy to make. I bought one of the cheap Chinese Rex C100PID, a temperature probe with a long rod with threads to put a lock nut into (this physically sticks into the oven above the top tray). an old ATX Computer PSU to put it in, along with a wall outlet and a 25A SSR. Wired it up so that it just turns one port of the wall outlet on/off, and the other is constant power in case I need to run something else during the process. I just plug the Oven into that On/Off port, and the PID does the rest.

You can get much more elegant, but it isn't needed. This allows me to use the PID for other purposes as well. So it's a win/win for me.

[charlie b]

As mentioned above, water boiling point is not a constant. We're only at 4500ft these days and it is off a bit. We used to live at 6700ft and that would frequently cause issues with cooking. Longer cook times or higher oven temps.

[mehavey]

Look at any cake recipe and oven times on the box re altitude.
https://thebestcakerecipes.com/high-altitude-cake-baking/

[charlie b]

But...you have to remember to look at that info :) I don't bake enough for it to be a habit so I will forget the change.

[jsizemore]

Walmart sells a digital meat thermometer for pretty cheap. It's got a thermocouple in a stainless steel probe with a braided stainless jacket over the wires. I test it's relative accuracy in boiling water. Just snake the cord through the door, set the alarm to your bake temp and start the timer when the alarm goes off. Turn off the alarm and monitor the temp visually. I use one to set the digital controls of customer's ovens.

[Kraschenbirn]

Diff'rent strokes for different folks. When I began PC, I bought a decent (Taylor) bi-metallic oven thermometer, checked it in our kitchen oven against my wife's baking thermometer...did I mention that she's a prize-winning pie/cake chef...used red nail polish to mark the thermostat dial of my toaster oven for an actual 420 degrees and have been using that setting for about 5 years. Yes, I check the oven temp every time as part of my set-up and, using Smoke's Clear, haven't had a bad batch yet.

Bill

[armoredman]

Umm, thermometer? I use a $5 Godwill toaster over, set on toast, 20 minutes...works perfectly every time.

[elmacgyver0]

I have a Hamiton Beach toaster oven I bought new, I'm cheap so you know it did not cost too much.
Never used an external thermometer and so far, I haven't had any problems.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Check your altitude vs boiling point, like Minerat said, water does not always boil at 212*. When I lived at 8700 ft it was more like 185*. Even ' high altitude' recipes are mostly for 5000'.

[Outer Rondacker]

I have a Hamiton Beach toaster oven I bought new, I'm cheap so you know it did not cost too much.
Never used an external thermometer and so far, I haven't had any problems.

Cheap, cheap you dont know cheap. I paid $2.77 cents for my toaster oven brand new. LOL Black Friday clearance deal at lowes. If being honest I have bake bullets to death in it. I think I would like a PID in the future. I was not lucky on the oven it gets flaming hot.

[rsrocket1]

Be very careful of electric oven heating elements, especially exposed elements. You might set the temperature of the oven to 400F but the red hot heating elements are way above the melting point of lead. Good ovens have a shield under the heating element, cheap ones like my $19 Walmart oven have a directly exposed heating element. An oven may very well keep a 400F temperature, but the actual temperature your bullets are exposed to can make them slump. If your oven has an exposed heating element, make sure your bullets are not directly exposed to the heating element. Either make a shield or use another tray to to shield the heating element.

https://images2.imgbox.com/50/04/IRAVOvR9_o.jpeg

[30calshooter]

Instant Read Meat Thermometer Deep Fry Thermometer Oven Thermometer with Dial Thermometer（10-290℃/50-550℉） for Turkey BBQ Grill Oil by AikTryee. $7.97 on Amazon. Drill a hole thru top of your oven, and put the thermometer in and you're done!

www.amazon.com/Instant-Thermometer-Thermometer（10-290℃-50-550℉）-AikTryee/dp/B094V3R7H8/ref=sr_1_87?keywords=oven+thermometer&qid=1701889852&sr=8-87

[boog]

I have found that if the PC gets shiny for about 10-12 minutes it all appears to be fine.

I found where my bullets slump in my cheap oven, then stay below that.