IR thermometer or tempstick?
Tue, 31 Aug 2021 10:13:14 GMT
I have no way to measure temperature so have been going by feel so far.Would it be better to buy an IR thermometer or to buy a set of tempsticks? Or are they used for different applications? I've never used either so...I'm thinking about stuff like preheating for a shrink fit, preheating for welding, hardening and annealing etc.Any advice?Thanks,Pete
Reply:In My Opinion, I would go with the IR as you would have a broader range of temperature capability for Hardening/Annealing.
Reply:Yup IR. I actually had great success with the 30 dollar harbor freight version. I used it for several years on farm equipment. It saved me at least a couple fires on my round baler from hot bearings. I have a new more expensive one now, but it isn't any more accurate.Farmer2
Reply:Just be forewarned - IR thermometers can be very inaccurate on reflective/ground surfaces. You may want to consider a contact pyrometer.
Reply:Tempil sticks or Mark-all temp crayons are the benchmark for steel and aluminum. Tempilstiks don't need batteries and they aren't affected by the surface finish. That said, they only indicate if you are above a certain temp or not. You need multiple crayons to get more exact info on what temperature a surface is. They can be hard to read on some surfaces and some temperatures. Sometimes the smoke from them stinks.Cheap IR guns can be off by 50°F or more, depending on the reflectivity of the surface being measured and how the gun is calibrated. High end guns can be calibrated by the user for different surfaces. That said, I have an HF gun and I use it fairly often if I just need a ball park temperature or if I'm simply trying to tell if one surface is at a different temperature from another. IR guns can be very good for relative comparisons, if the surface finishes are similar and if you don't care what the exact number is. Say, checking an exhaust header for a combustion cylinder that isn't firing...Contact pyrometers are precise and accurate. But they are expensive and can be delicate.What's your goal in measuring temperature? Are you trying to ensure you've reached minimum preheat? Say over 220°F? If so, tempil sticks are probably the way to go. Or are you monitoring interpass temps on cr-mo pipe welds? Monitoring some kind of post weld heat treatment?The one exception or warning about tempil sticks is that certain stainless steel welding applications are sensitive to surface contamination, including the residue from tempil sticks. If you're working on stainless steel, you may have to use an IR gun or contact pyrometer.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:IR doesn't work well on shinny surfaces like stainless, aluminum or freshly flap wheel polished steel. They tend to read low.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:Temp sticks are standard temp measuring devices in the industrial welding world. I've used them a lot to check preheat temps in structural steel welding. I like them. Very simple and effective.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Thanks for your comments guys.I saw that Tempil also makes the Estick which is a digital contact thermometer. http://www.tempil.com/products/estik/Anybody used it?Otherwise it seems that the temp sticks would probably be the fastest and easiest to use. I haven't done anything yet that was really critical regarding temperature. So I don't have any specific use in mind, just general fabrication and repair.
Reply:Yes, I've used an e-stick. very convenient. not as sturdy as I'd like. It'll survive a couple accidental drops, but not a daily beating...Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_doYes, I've used an e-stick. very convenient. not as sturdy as I'd like. It'll survive a couple accidental drops, but not a daily beating...
Reply:Tempilstik Kit. HandsDown. Basic. The 20ea stick Tempilstick Kit, ranging from 125-800F, sells for ~ $320 on a good day.By comparison, we employ a direct surface measurement (Seebeck voltage, mV )probe on select occasions (shop testing) with our Fluke 111 True RMS. Scored the Fluke TK80 ThermoCouple and Omega # 88012 Probe (max T of 900F) for $41 via eVilBay. The K probe's SMPW mini conn is a direct interface to the TK80, and the TK80 plug n plays with the "111" DMM. EasyDay.Testing to date with O/A and O/P rigs and comparison between the analog and digital methods have shown convergence. Attached Images"Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
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