I am really, really aware of thermal expansion and use it to advantage all the time. We are still talking tiny distances, not the tower expanding out over the Bronx. Another thing that seems to confuse some of you is flame temperature vs adjacent steel temperature. The steel ain't burning and heat is picked up from the flame but is also radiated out from the steel. Maybe an experiment can be tried if you have a stove with gas burners. Turn the stove on and heat your frying pan. Crank 'er up, no eggs to burn. Let it bake like that for an hour. Use the thermometer like ya stick in the Thanksgiving turkey to get a temperature reading. Now stick the thermometer into the burners flame and see if it's maybe any hotter.
Buy your replacement thermometer before Thanksgiving.
Phone calls... Mom it's me, Mark Bingham!
