Gas Forge Temperature?

[BLADECARVER]

i may have asked this question before but what device will i need to use to watch the temperature in a gas forge? special thermometer? ect, also where would one purchase it? thanks guys

 

[kvolle]

Try this web site. http://www.omega.com/ for thermocouples and temp. equipment and meters.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

You need a type K thermocouple (from $10-25), and a device to read the output, usually a PID . A cheap $30 PID controller will do fine as a digital thermometer, but with a little bit of piping work few wires, and a solenoid valve ,you can make the forge temperature controlled with that same PID. Set it at 2200F and you won't have to worry about melting things. Set it at 1525F and soak that 1095 for 5 minutes and not worry about overheating the steel.

It is best to put the thermocouple in a pipe ( called a thermocouple well) to know it is reading the chamber temperature, not the flame temperature.

There have been many threads on hooking up a PID to a forge.
Stacy

 

[BLADECARVER]

is there any schematics to show how to hook up the solenoid. what type of solenoid would i be looking for?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

You want a gas solenoid, 120V coil,1/4" or 3/8"NPT, NC, rated at about 15PSI.
Here is one on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/3-8-Gas-Solenoi...2901537QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

You wire the output from the SSR at the PID to the valve. The PID turns the SSR on and off, and the SSR turns the valve open or closed.The valve is installed in the propane line, at the burner.

I posted plans for a two stage controller a while back, and Fred Rowe built one recently. Temperatures can be regulated to a very close tolerance.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=523845 lots of info.
Stacy