Pro tip: Always check your crucible temp before a big pull

Last week at the studio, I went for a heavy gather and the whole thing slumped because the furnace was running about 50 degrees too cool. Had to scrap the piece and reheat the whole batch, which took an extra hour. Anyone else had a furnace temp reading lie to them like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

garcia.jake20h ago

Wait, you just trusted the readout without a backup thermocouple?

walker.julia15h ago

My old studio in Tacoma had three different thermocouples fail in one year. The digital readout would show 2150 but the actual temp was closer to 2050. Now I test with a small gather of clear before any color work, every single time. It's the only way to be sure your equipment is telling the truth.

phoenix_martin4013h ago

Backup thermocouples fail too. The real problem is not having a physical check. I keep a small piece of 6 mil cane in the studio just for a quick melt test. If it doesn't slump in ten seconds at the door, I know the reading is off. Digital tools are great until they break. You need something you can see with your own eyes.