Lyman Mould-Master XX

[ShootNSteel]

I went to a local gunshow yesterday with mostly hopes of finding cheap brass in mind, and I came across a fellow selling off his casting items. We spoke for a few minutes as I looked over his items. He had a Lyman 450 sizer which I was most interrested in and a few other bottom pour pots. He wanted $50 for the sizer and $75 for a nice Lyman Mould Master XX bottom pour.

I finished the building up and came back to offer him $110 for the Lyman pot and sizer, which he thought about for a minute and said that sounded good. I feel like it was a good deal for the both of us.

Anyway my main point of this is I am wondering what kind of reviews this pot gets. I fired it up and it heats up nice and quick, but it seems that once it has reached it's temp it drops off and gets slushy periodically. Other than that, once the bottom spout warms up it seems to be an great improvement on my lee 10lb.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46017&stc=1&d=1342370948

[MrXrings]

Sound like the thermostat isn't quite right.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

The Lyman MM-XX and the Saeco were a couple of the best pots ever made. Either is certainly worth restoring/fixing. There are posts in the search department with how to repair various problems, names and addresses/links for parts etc. I agree that it sounds like your thermostat is sticking and/or in need of a cleaning/tuneup. The pot is in a league that the Lee will never see, so hang on to your score and get it to work right. it will last a long, long time. LLS

[Bret4207]

If you need a new thermostat- http://orders.ppe.com/odr/rbpperetail.htm?p-part=B-200

[ShootNSteel]

Great, thanks for the good news and info. I wasn't going to buy the pot but it just seemed to be a quality peice. I've already emptied it and cleaned and lapped the spout, which works very nice now. I will get into the thermostat and see if things are a little dirty.

[ShootNSteel]

I took a look at the thermostat this evening, it looked brand new inside the control box. Everything passed a visual inspection, although I put it back together and put a thermometer on it and results were as follows.
1/8th turn above high: 650° plus/minus 30°
High setting: 580° plus/minus 20, slightly slushy sides
Med Setting: 520° plus/minus 20 very slushy to solid
If the temp would stay constant i would be happy to crank it up above the high setting, but with it fluctuating between 620 and 680 I think a new thermostat is in need.

[Bret4207]

Well, it's going to fluctuate some. That's just a simple thermostat at work. If you mean that, for instance, you set it 1/8 turn above high and it stays on till the melt hits 680 and doesn't come back on till it hits 620, that's a bit of a spread. Mine is the SAECO version and doesn't have the same markings. The thermostat may be bad, but then without a little more info on what you mean, it's hard to say.

[ShootNSteel]

Well, it's going to fluctuate some. That's just a simple thermostat at work. If you mean that, for instance, you set it 1/8 turn above high and it stays on till the melt hits 680 and doesn't come back on till it hits 620, that's a bit of a spread.

Yes that's what's happeneing, although the temerature increase and decrease seems a bit random at times.

[Bret4207]

There is a sloted screw that you can adjust the thermostat gap with, or there might be at a least. You can try narrowing the gap. In a bi-metal strip thermostat part of the way it functions, how much the temp varies that is. If yours doesn't have the adjustment you can try the new thermostat. Sad to say, but the cost of the new thermostat (about 28 bucks) is pretty cheap today.

[MGySgt]

You can adjust the thermostate by taking the dial off - there is a hex screw in there that you can adjust the temp higher.

Turn the dial all the way up.
Wait until the light goes out.
Turn the adjustment screw clockwise until the light comes back on,

Wait until the light goes out and check the temp again.

Repeat until you get your high point temp you want.

I have mine set for a high about 900. Normally cast about 750 - 800.

My Mag Dipper fluxuates about 40 degrees between the high and low (light goes out and turns back on. It is about 20 years old and had the wires burn off about 10 years ago. Rewired it and repacked it - no problems since.