Thermocouple/ Thermometer

You could use that. Here's what I have on my forges:

http://cgi.ebay.com/UNIVERSAL-PID-TEMPERATURE-CONTROL-CONTROLLER_W0QQitemZ190277050277QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Automation_Components?hash=item190277050277&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Then purchase one of these thermocouples from Omega...
http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=JTIN&Nav=tema07

I'm always cruising on ebay looking for thermocouples....often times you can find some really good ones for dirt cheap.
 
1++ on what Ed said. I use this same PID on both my forge and my electric HT oven. Have used for over 2 years on HT oven with no problems.
 
That unit won't work for a forge. It will be fine for a tempering oven or testing the temp of the quench oil. The thermocouple would be instantly destroyed in a forg, and the range is too low. Using a PID and a ceramic clad thermocouple is cheaper and much easier than spending the money on a forge grade pyrometer.

If you have the $30 to spare, that little unit will be useful around the house and in the shop.

Stacy
 
So if I went with the PID and a high temp thermocouple a la Ed Caffrey, what else would I need to get good temp control? Some kind of solenoid or valve to control the gas input?
 
Its far simpler if you just use the needle valve and the blower to adjust temps.... solenoid valves, in my experience do not work well on forges where your using the measurement of the air temp as the set point. The forge will cycles way too much, and in many instances, will not always re-light when the "call for heat" is sensed, which can be a dangerous situation. This can be correct by installing some kind of ignition system, but your adding more "things" to go wrong.

The solenoid valves work well on Salt tanks because you have a large thermal mass (the liquid salts) which do not cause the large and rapid temp fluctuations that air does.

My thought with a forge used for forging, is to keep it as simple as possible...it will generally work much better, and if something does go south, its much easier to track down the cause. In this case KISS is the best principle to follow.
 
Or you can use a setup that uses a gas solenoid that does not cause your flame to shut off, just lower/raise the flame to maintain temp. My gas forge can maintain temp +- 5 degrees of setting with this setup. Inside the forge I have a ceramic thermo sheath covering a kiln thermocouple. The PID, thermocouple and ceramic thermo sheath were all ordered from http://www.auberins.com/

Eric
 

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That is identical to the two-stage control I posted a while back. It works flawlessly.
Stacy
 
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