lead temp.

[686]

just got a digital thermother for my lead pot. rcbs 22 lb. got it up to 775 started casting it eased up to 840 put in a 5lb bar went down to 640 fast. tride 1 lb bars it would drop it 50 de. hard to set dile to hold at 750-775 with out frezing bottom spout when adding lead. i have used this pot for years and never knew how much the temp changed. how much change is normal and ok? i can see how feeding the main pot from a 2nd pot above would fix this. or i could get a magma 90 lb pot. does ant here bottom pour with the magma 90 lb. pot? thanks for your help

[Marlin Junky]

Set the correct temp for your casting conditions a leave the thermostat alone. When adding metal to the pot wait for the temp to come back to optimum casting conditions. If that takes a few minutes set your molds on a hot plate while waiting. One of the reasons why I like the Magma pots (I have a 40# dipper-only) is the wide lip at the top where you can rest molds during a pot fill-up or when you just need to sit down for a few minutes.

MJ

[Sundogg1911]

I have the Magma 40 pound on a master caster and a Lee 20 for hand moulds. I also have a 15 pound pot (CPalmer Super pot) to feed the Lee. If you use a small pot like the Lee's a feeder pot is a must. (or you have to take a lot of coffee/Beer breaks) The 90 would be pretty nice especially if you cast larger boolits. It's pretty expensive, but it is great quality and keeps a stable temp. but you have to consider how many Lee pots you can get for that much money. Maybe consider the Magma 40 pound pot and feed it with your Lee.

[slughammer]

I find a happy temp based on the mold and the rate of lead use. I run an old Lyman 1000 watt 10lb pot. When my castings are getting too hot, its time to add lead. Adding the lead cools the pot and refreshes the level. I use 1lb ingots, and reach over and add on a regular basis. Doing it this way, the pot never goes out of good casting temp range. I'd use the 1lbers and save the 5lb ingots for the end of the session.

[NVcurmudgeon]

686, I cast with a ladle over a Coleman stove. The pot is twelve lb. capacity. Most of my moulds prefer 700-750 F. There are four ingots of 1 lb. each very close to the fire. After 20 to 30 casting cycles there is some dross to get rid of. I leave the boolit or boolits in the mould and set it close to the fire. Next the ingot closest ot the fire is added to the pot and the others moved up. Depending on the number and size of the boolits being cast I add a little bit of sprues, keeping the pot near full. While the new metal is melting I add an ingot to the parade warming up. Now it is time to flux, skim, and take a thermometer reading. Usually the pot needs little or no adjustment for temperature. You might htink I'm busier than a one-armed paperhanger, but over time this procedure has matched my pace of casting. Most of this is of little use to a bottom feed electric caster, but notice that I am constantly adding small amounts of very warm metal. With your RCBS, you could cover the melt with kitty litter, never flux or skim, and add a pre-warmed one lb. ingot from the ledge on the top of the furnace. With twenty lb. left in the pot, bet you would never notice a temperature drop.

[NVcurmudgeon]

I cast with a ladle, twelve lb. pot, and Coleman stove. There are four ingots warming near the fire for replenishing the pot. After 20 to 30 casting cycles, there is some dross to be gotten rid of. I set the mould down where it will stay warm, add the ingot closest to the fire to the pot, and depending on the number and size of the boolits cast, add some sprues. While the new metal is melting, the parade of warming ingots is moved up and a new ingot added to the line. Now it is time to flux, skim, and check temperature. Seldom is it necessary to adjust the stove. Most of this is of little use to a bottom feed electric caster, but notice that I am adding small amounts of metal often. With your RCBS you could keep a layer of kitty litter on top of the melt, never need to flux and skim, and add a one lb. ingot as needed from the ledge at the top of the furnace. If you were maintaining a twenty lb. level in the pot and adding one lb. at a time, bet you would never notice a teperature drop.

[NVcurmudgeon]

Sorry about the two near-identical posts, but then I can't do anything abut the system dropping my log-in whenever I post or edit, either. If somebody who is more comouter savvy than me sees this please delete #5 and keep #6. Arrrrrgh!

[leftiye]

When you add all of that metal a little at a time, does it cause a lot of dross? I use a bottom pour, and I put the sprues, and rejects back as I go, as well as adding ingots. I think it causes some crap that affects the surfaces of my boolits. Anybody else have this problem? I'm thinking of using two pots, and casting out of one while filling the other with sprues, and rejects. Switching back and forth as one gets full, and the other gets empty. Flux the pot to be used next when it gets full, and not again until the cycle comes full around. The idea about keeping the next ingots to be added hot on the ledge of the pot sounds like it might help too. I'm working on a ring thing that will form a dam on the bottom of the pot around the pour spout too.

[buck1]

YES SIR! PREHEATING MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE!

I cast with a ladle, twelve lb. pot, and Coleman stove. There are four ingots warming near the fire for replenishing the pot. After 20 to 30 casting cycles, there is some dross to be gotten rid of. I set the mould down where it will stay warm, add the ingot closest to the fire to the pot, and depending on the number and size of the boolits cast, add some sprues. While the new metal is melting, the parade of warming ingots is moved up and a new ingot added to the line. Now it is time to flux, skim, and check temperature. Seldom is it necessary to adjust the stove. Most of this is of little use to a bottom feed electric caster, but notice that I am adding small amounts of metal often. With your RCBS you could keep a layer of kitty litter on top of the melt, never need to flux and skim, and add a one lb. ingot as needed from the ledge at the top of the furnace. If you were maintaining a twenty lb. level in the pot and adding one lb. at a time, bet you would never notice a teperature drop.

[686]

i have dever used a thomoter until now. always thought the bullets cane out good. never knew the temp changed so much. i read so many people saying they cast at a certan temp. do you add lead and wait till the temp is back up or what? with my rcbs 22 lb. if i let the temp be at 725 , cast some then add lead when needed the temp will go to 600 and freez. i try to keep the pot near full because i think it is bad to let it go below the heatinh elemet. i am leaning toward the magma 90 lb. pot. 220 and mold guide is no problum. does the lead jet out faster because of having more weight or preshure on the bottom? i use only 4 and 6 cav. should i get the 2 orphs or 1 as i an use to? only make 9mm 38 and 45 acp bullets. thanks

[VTDW]

I find a happy temp based on the mold and the rate of lead use. I run an old Lyman 1000 watt 10lb pot. When my castings are getting too hot, its time to add lead. Adding the lead cools the pot and refreshes the level. I use 1lb ingots, and reach over and add on a regular basis. Doing it this way, the pot never goes out of good casting temp range. I'd use the 1lbers and save the 5lb ingots for the end of the session.

Great explanation there.:drinks: