Determine aluminum pouring temperature with a steel rod

Have always heard about using a steel rod for checking aluminum temperature but never to this level of detail.

ChirpyYesterday at 7:05 PM

yea, those things are useless tbh

[7:05 PM]

next time, take a steel rod and stick it in the exhaust to heat it up for 10 seconds, then stick it into the metal to the bottom

[7:06 PM]

if it balls up on it, then it's too cold, if it sticks to it but easily fall off as a thin shell of aluminum, then that's perfect pouring temp for most castings, if it repels it like a magnet, then it's way too hot

And on Dec 7th

ChirpyToday at 3:33 PM
for thin castings in aluminum, you want it to be silver in daylight, but might have a little color to it in the furnace

[3:33 PM]
it shouldn't stick to a preheated steel rod, but shouldn't repel it like a magnet either

[3:34 PM]
I mean it shouldn't ball up on the steel rod, if it forms a super thin skin on it that easily falls off, then your good to go usually, or that gives you a good place to start from



Dusty DanToday at 3:58 PM
@Chirpy are we talking about a 1/2" or so rod ?




ChirpyToday at 3:59 PM
for what?



[3:59 PM]
oh, I usually just have a 3/8" rod or whatever, the bigger it is, the longer you have to preheat it



[3:59 PM]
other than that, i dont think it really matters tbh, lol



[4:00 PM]
I have some 3/8" rod and thats what I use just to poke the melt




Dusty DanToday at 4:00 PM
OK thats what I wanted to know