Lee 4-20 heat plate/lead and mold rest.

[Strtspdlx]

I've seen threads where people take a sheet of marek or aluminum and basically bolt it to there Lee pot to lay lead or a mold on to preheat or out some amount of heat into. I was thinking of doing this as I tried running two molds this week and I wasn't having much luck setting the mold on the rim of the pot and having it stay there. I should have a sheet of 1/8 alum large enough I couldn't cut the hole for the pot and screw it down so essentially I'd have more surface area on top of the pot. Has anyone noticed any unexpected effects in doing something like this. As in it takes more heat input or the stand is too flimsy to hold two cavity steel molds and a 6-7lb lead Ingot? Or anything else I may not have thought of.

[DerekP Houston]

I didnt have good luck balancing my molds across the pot so I bought a cheap hotplates and use that on the side. Sounds like a good idea to me, once it is hot I wouldn't imagine it overloading the heating power of the unit. I've seen my lee pot glowing red on the bottom from running it too long.

[Walter Laich]

first there is an aftermarket lid available for the lee pot

that being said I use put a piece of aluminum on the pot opening and put the mold(s) on it using a couple of 1 lb ingots to hold them flat. It's not hard at all

the lid/aluminum has an added advantage of holding in heat so you're not using as much electricity/gas to keep the lead up to temp.

the aluminum would work on the hot plate too; I've seen folks use a metal electrical box over the hot plate to hold in heat--same idea as lid on lead pot

[bangerjim]

You will NEVER EVER get a mold hot enough floating above your casting pot!!!!!

Just go out and buy an electric hotplate and use that to heat all your molds to FULL CASTING TEMP.....not just sorta warm - - - as they will be over your pot. They are not THAT expensive!

I use a hotplate and get perfect drops from the 1st pour! Aluminum, brass or Fe-based molds. 1 thru 6 cavity.

And you can heat feed ingots on the hotplate also. Saves time coming up to casting temp.

Forget the Rube Goldberg rigs on a casting pot. Do it the right way..............and be happy.

banger

[HangFireW8]

What bangerjim said. I use the mold rest on top of my Mag 25 to let the mold cool down. I use a hot plate when I want it hotter.

[rancher1913]

I generally only do one mold at a time and balance it on top of the pot when I first turn it on and by the time the lead in the pot is melted the mold is hot and ready to go. if I need a second mold I just let it set on top of the pot and take a little break then its good to go also.

[Mike W1]

I use Lee 10#'s but the principle should be the same. Made warming shelf's years back and here's the comparison with one particular mold. Takes right at 20 minutes to get to casting temperature from a cold start. In that time the mold would get to about 140° F. That same 20 minutes on the hot plate would have the mold at 300° F. You can probably cast a good bullet most of the time starting at that 140° temperature but it's a lot easier at 300° which is where that mold does it's best. Shelf is nice for warming ingots but the hot plate does that job better too.

[bangerjim]

I heat all my molds to at least 500F on my hot plate. I can melt pure lead if I turn that industrial lab plate up on high. I normally run it at about 60% for molds.

You will NEVER get a mold that hot simply sitting on the lip of a casting pot or on a shelf. Forget it. If you want perfect drops from the 1st pour, get a hotplate!!!!!!!! Period.

Warm molds are worthless. HOT molds cast perfect boolits!

banger

[Strtspdlx]

I don't think I explained it clearly. I'm not really trying to use the shelf to heat the molds. The Ingots possibly I want the shelf so I can switch between two molds without losing a bunch of heat and not using up space and electric running a hot plate.

[Traffer]

Wow, great thread. Now I gotta get a hotplate.:goodpost::happy dance:

[DerekP Houston]

I heat all my molds to at least 500F on my hot plate. I can melt pure lead if I turn that industrial lab plate up on high. I normally run it at about 60% for molds.

You will NEVER get a mold that hot simply sitting on the lip of a casting pot or on a shelf. Forget it. If you want perfect drops from the 1st pour, get a hotplate!!!!!!!! Period.

Warm molds are worthless. HOT molds cast perfect boolits!

banger

you don't need an industrial lab plate. my walmart special melts my range lead ingots if I leave it on "high" ;). I hadn't considered the increased electrical draw or cost in my estimation, not sure if that affects others or not. It certainly helps when I use heavy brass or iron molds as they take forever to get up to temp for me.

[bangerjim]

you don't need an industrial lab plate. my walmart special melts my range lead ingots if I leave it on "high" ;). I hadn't considered the increased electrical draw or cost in my estimation, not sure if that affects others or not. It certainly helps when I use heavy brass or iron molds as they take forever to get up to temp for me.

I know that. But I have 3 different pro lab hot plates in my shop so I use them. A cheapo from walmart will probably work if you put something in between the coil and the mold...some use an old saw blade. Mine are solid flat so are perfect. And are digital controlled.

[ryan28]

I have one of the Walmart hot plates, and with a saw blade on the coils, it would take at least 20 minutes to get an iron mold hot enough. I now use a thinner sheet metal plate, and it heats up in much less time.

[bangerjim]

When procuring a hotplate, get the highest wattage you can find. 400-500W does not really cut it. Try to find one in the 800-1200 watt range. And a flat top, not one with old style coils. Flat ones heat VERY fast! One of my hot plates is 1500 watts.

banger

[DerekP Houston]

Guess I need to do more home repairs and wear out a saw blade faster.

[bangerjim]

Guess I need to do more home repairs and wear out a saw blade faster.

I would never use a saw blade. Too thick. Use simple sheet metal...thinner and heats must faster, yet distributes the heat from the old style bare coils.

[Strtspdlx]

I bought a hot plate from Walmart. It is the flat top style. And I have tried melting lead on it with my old stainless pot. And it works. Not ideally but in a pinch I could see it working.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Old steel coffee can ...Free
Dull circle Saw Blade dug out of the trash at a jobsite ...Free
Cheapo open coil hotplate at thrift store ...$1

The Look on Bangerjim's face ...priceless
:bigsmyl2: LOL

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/reduced.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/reduced.jpg.html)

[bangerjim]

Old steel coffee can ...Free
Dull circle Saw Blade dug out of the trash at a jobsite ...Free
Cheapo open coil hotplate at thrift store ...$1

The Look on Bangerjim's face ...priceless
:bigsmyl2: LOL



Ya' gotta do what ya gotta do! If it works for you.....GREAT.

And there is no "look" on my face.:shock:

From being on this place for several years, nothing surprises me what people do and use to get by on the cheeeeep. Cost means nothing to me - - - If I want it, I just buy it new, no matter what the cost. In the long run, things just seem to work better (and longer) for me that way. And the time and those single dollar bills I save from trying to get old junk and scrap bin stuff to work for me....priceless.

To each his own. [smilie=w:

bangerjim

[DerekP Houston]

Ya' gotta do what ya gotta do! If it works for you.....GREAT.

And there is no "look" on my face.:shock:

From being on this place for several years, nothing surprises me what people do and use to get by on the cheeeeep. Cost means nothing to me - - - If I want it, I just buy it new, no matter what the cost. In the long run, things just seem to work better (and longer) for me that way. And the time and those single dollar bills I save from trying to get old junk and scrap bin stuff to work for me....priceless.

To each his own. [smilie=w:

bangerjim

lol I've already spent my allowance on guns and house repairs for the next 2 months....gotta replenish the emergency fund before I consider any more toys. I *do* have an old cookie sheet that was left out side.... My hot plate doesn't look like the one pictured, it is a flat top with the coil underneath. Works like a champ so far.

I have upgraded all my other casting gear already, I'm of the same opinion. Buy good stuff once and use it longer. Toaster oven and hotplate were supposed to be a "test" batch, but they work so well I'm going to use them until they break. At least all my MP molds, NOE, H&G, etc will retain value and hold up to being used much longer than my lee equipment. Casting is a heck of a fun hobby. I wanted to go to the range today, but........I want to play with the hitek coating again to see if I can get it green!

[Andy]

I use a hotplate but there is some guy on ebay selling what look like nicely made top plates for the lee 4-20 and other pots if you want to try that

[bangerjim]

I use a hotplate but there is some guy on ebay selling what look like nicely made top plates for the lee 4-20 and other pots if you want to try that

Save you money! ANYTHING that sits above a casting pot will never get hot enough to heat a mold to FULL casting temp.....what you get with a good hot plate.

banger

[bilco]

Anyone have any suggestions for a makeshift mould guide for these pots? Long casting sessions with large brass molds gets tiring fast and the small one provided doesn't play nice with the Hp pins.

[bangerjim]

Anyone have any suggestions for a makeshift mould guide for these pots? Long casting sessions with large brass molds gets tiring fast and the small one provided doesn't play nice with the Hp pins.

I use the built-in rests on my Lee 4-20's all the time with my MiHec brass HP molds.

You installed the pins on the wrong side of the mold!!!!!

Switch them to the right side and they will side in and out without any problems.

banger

[copdills]

I use a hot plate this has worked well for me, I let the mold heat up the same time as the lee furnace , if i'm useing two molds I have the extra on the hot plate for a easy switch