Is there an easy way to verify temp in my kiln?

Travis Fry

Well-Known Member
I have a feeling that my thermocouple reads lower than the actual temperature, making it difficult to know what temperature I'm actually getting in my kiln. Low temp tests with an oven thermometer have verified this, but I need something more precise at high temps so I can graph the difference and get more precision. I'd like to do something relatively inexpensive if possible.
 
I use the non-magnetic point of a piece of scrap. Make sure you catch the phase change on the way up and don't let the temp. overshoot before you check it. I let the oven equalize at 1400, put the scrap in, and check it after about 10 or 15 minutes. Put it back in, let the oven equalize again, raise the temp. by 5 degree increments, and repeat until the steel goes non-mag, which should be at 1414F.
Table salt is supposed to melt pretty sharply at 1475 but I have not used this trick yet. The Curie point is not subject to any variability so that is my trusted zero.
 
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