This Took Way To Long To Figure Out

[JohnH]

I've been casting with the Lee Pro IV 10 pound pot since the mid 1980's. Wasn't untill I began casting with gang molds and running two at a time that I began to notice I was getting really wide variations in weight. The little pot simply don't have the metal capacity nor the outright melting power to keep up with the additions of metal require to knock out 800 boolits in 3 hours. Two weeks back I began to set one of my small smelting pots on a hot plate and kept a melt in it that I refilled the pot from. Today I cast up a large batch of RCBS 30-150-CB and the Lyman 357430, the 195 grain RN. While not too scientific a method, I grabbed up 16 of the 30-150 boolits from a pile of 400 and weighed 'em.... a 2 grain variation, 147-149. Not too bad as the last time I tried to cast two molds at a time with these two molds I got 9 grains of variation. Not a bad method of getting more boolits from this little melter and reducing the temp variations of the melt at the same time.

[Calamity Jake]

And you learn something new every day!!
I use a Lyman mag 20 and run 2 moulds all the time, I cast a lot of 45's both for the acp and colt I use two saeco 4 cav's for a 255gr colt boolet, they drain a 20 pounder pretty quick. I get about 1.5 gr variation in 8 cavities.

[HORNET]

We do have a couple of members that have stacked 2 pots. They use the top pot to melt ingots to keep the bottom one filled and minimize temperature variation in the pot they're casting from. If you're running 2 molds at once, you might want to look into the idea, maybe with a 20 pounder as the main pot with your current 10 pounder feeding it. The 20 is probably a little better pot for casting.

[dardascastbullets]

I've been casting with the Lee Pro IV 10 pound pot since the mid 1980's. Wasn't untill I began casting with gang molds and running two at a time that I began to notice I was getting really wide variations in weight. The little pot simply don't have the metal capacity nor the outright melting power to keep up with the additions of metal require to knock out 800 boolits in 3 hours. Two weeks back I began to set one of my small smelting pots on a hot plate and kept a melt in it that I refilled the pot from. Today I cast up a large batch of RCBS 30-150-CB and the Lyman 357430, the 195 grain RN. While not too scientific a method, I grabbed up 16 of the 30-150 boolits from a pile of 400 and weighed 'em.... a 2 grain variation, 147-149. Not too bad as the last time I tried to cast two molds at a time with these two molds I got 9 grains of variation. Not a bad method of getting more boolits from this little melter and reducing the temp variations of the melt at the same time.

Rodger the two pot technique. The constant temperature of the alloy is without a doubt THE most important variable to produce high quality cast bullets. Congratulations on your find!

Matt

[Willbird]

I use a saucepan on a walmart hot plate to premelt, then I ladle the liquid into my promelt. I run a layer of kitty liter on both pots. If I get ambitious this winter I will drill a dutch oven(or make a schedule 80 steel tube pot) for a Kenjudo valve setup I think and rig an lp gas burner for a premelt pot above my rcbs promelt.

Bill

[jonk]

My goodness- even with 6 cavity molds it's all I can stand to cast 1 pot full, just knowing I gotta lube them and load them. It's fun but is one of those things that is fun in moderation.

Often I only cast 30 bullets and then turn the pot off!

So it's not an issue. If I DO want to cast more- well that's why God invented casting thermometers and TV. Add more alloy and come back when it is back to temp.

That's ME anyhow. Still, an interesting idea! :-)