For those of you that I have seen comment on the cost of a casting thermometer I have found a solution. $30 to $40 or more is more than I wanted to spend so while walking through my local market I stopped off at the grilling supplies section and there I saw a grilling thermometer for $7 that went up to 700°, had a clip on it to attach to the side of a pot, was 10 inches long so could be used in the deepest pot, and it had an arrow on the dial to set where you wanted to settle the temp and could see how close it was at a glance. It has been working great for a few weeks now and I am saving propane by keeping the melt at 650°. Just a thought.
Stephen