I traded pots, help with the new one requested.

I helped my 83 year old dad get a new RCBS pot after his finally kicked the bucket after almost 45 years. Like any old farmer, he thought he could fix it, and I ordered him a couple of elements off the innerwebs. They are still in a box. Ended up helping him get an RCBS Easy-Melt 25# pot. At 83, and one arm almost completely immobile, he still tries to get to his playroom, with much difficulty. He hates the digital function of this unit. I tried to show him, and I'm even half tech challenged myself, but he still can't get it. Can't see the dang numbers anyway, and then can't program it. Thinks it has two ranges. I ended up just buying Lyman's simple dial operated 10# pot, and traded him. 10# will give him all the lead he needs to cast the 30 or 40 boolits he ends up doing in a night's casting. Dad likes the simple dial control on top of the pot, and will just use his thermometer to find his casting temp, and unplug it when done. That said, the RCBS instructs one set the temperature to 160 at the end of a casting session to allow cool down before unplugging. I read through the book, can't find the purpose of this step. Aside from losing the programmed temp of that casting session, why can't one simply unplug to pot?

Dad is much happier with his simpler pot, but I'm not sure I'm gonna welcome this as much as I planned. I have never used any pot with a PID controller, and have cast for over 40 years. I've still got my old Lyman 10# pot, with the element in the pot, not on the outside, that has melted several tons of lead. I keep using it cause it ain't broken yet.:grin::grin:

The plastic controller can't take the heat radiating from the hot lead without the fan running so they want you to let it cool to 160F before shutting it off. It's a pain but I like the layout and customer service better than Lyman.

I have read the same thing that it will melt the guts of the pid if you just unplug it. It takes mine almost 3 hrs to cool from 700° to 160° even when garage is 40° so I have to shut it down by 700 to get to bed by 10 unless I let it run all night. It's a nice pot but this makes it a real pain in the ***. They should have a auto shutdown.

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Originally Posted by Minerat

I have read the same thing that it will melt the guts of the pid if you just unplug it. It takes mine almost 3 hrs to cool from 700° to 160° even when garage is 40° so I have to shut it down by 700 to get to bed by 10 unless I let it run all night. It's a nice pot but this makes it a real pain in the ***. They should have a auto shutdown.

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That's what dad thought also. Takes a long dang time to cool down. Hope I didn't trade for a boat anchor. This may be the first and last PID controlled pot I get. Somewhat enjoyed just unplugging my little Lyman and walking away. Simpler times. :wink:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Makes it easy. Just set it for four hours and walk away.

Do all the ProMelt come with PID now or is it an option. If so I see this as the motorcycle helmet laws in some states. Big brother trying to protect me from myself. PID are overated. Ive cast thousands of boolits without one. Another option for you is to find a used ProMelt for sale. If I had one I sell it very reasonable to allow Dad to cast like he’s used to. Put the feelers out in here as I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way. Good luck. :Fire:

A timer is a good idea. I would prefer one made someplace other than China, but thats probably not possible. :cry:

I have one of Hatches PID on my Seaco bottom pour and I shut it down since it is not built into the pot like the Easy Melt. The PDI was why I got the EasyMelt, then found out the shutdown issue. Really not a problem just an inconvience. That timer that Burnt Fingers suggests looks like a work around.

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Originally Posted by nccaster77

Do all the ProMelt come with PID now or is it an option. If so I see this as the motorcycle helmet laws in some states. Big brother trying to protect me from myself. PID are overated. Ive cast thousands of boolits without one. Another option for you is to find a used ProMelt for sale. If I had one I sell it very reasonable to allow Dad to cast like he’s used to. Put the feelers out in here as I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way. Good luck. :Fire:

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That is bizzactly what I did, trading him a Lyman 10# dial pot. Same dial as on top of nearly all the older LEE pots. Simple for the older generation. And I also have cast a gazzillion boolits sans a PID, and honestly feel no need for one now, but I kinda just accumulated one through trying to help make things a bit easier for Dad. I imagine I'll be getting it back in the next few years anyway, relatively unused more than likely.

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Originally Posted by la5676

I imagine I'll be getting it back in the next few years anyway, relatively unused more than likely.

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Sad but true. Its cool he's still making his way out there to do it!!! Great example for all of us. Keep moving. Don't let any grass grow under you. "It may take me all day but dadgummit Im gonna get to the fridge!!!!" :Fire:

I have a Lee production 4 pot that I’m planning on building a PID for. But I’m not going to wire it directly. I’m going to build the PID with and outlet plug that the pot (or anything else I decide to) plugs into. So when done, just unplug pot. Nothing to cool down on the PID. It’ll be stand alone.

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Originally Posted by Tazlaw

I have a Lee production 4 pot that I’m planning on building a PID for. But I’m not going to wire it directly. I’m going to build the PID with and outlet plug that the pot (or anything else I decide to) plugs into. So when done, just unplug pot. Nothing to cool down on the PID. It’ll be stand alone.

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'Splain to me Lucy, what will your PID help you do that a simple dial rheostat and a lead thermometer won't do. I know dad has unplugged this a time or two previously, so I'm concerned with the life of the PID, and will likely do what you are doing if it goes out. Would it not be simpler to just wire in a rheostat?

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Originally Posted by la5676

'Splain to me Lucy, what will your PID help you do that a simple dial rheostat and a lead thermometer won't do. I know dad has unplugged this a time or two previously, so I'm concerned with the life of the PID, and will likely do what you are doing if it goes out. Would it not be simpler to just wire in a rheostat?

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By using a PID, the temp will be much more constant. Just turn the dial all the way up and let the PID control the temp. It will have a thermocouple to measure the temp. A rheostat is much simpler but I’m a little ADD and OCD so if I can better it I try. With your PID being incorporated in the unit, it won’t operate as mine would. Thus the cool down period. I’ve read the dial rheostats aren’t that precise and vary in temp with age. By using a PID to control power on and off of the pot (every half second) you can get extreme accuracy. With my pot being simple, there is nothing to go bad by just unplugging the pot.

If your pots PID goes out, you’ll have to bypass it to run wide open and on while plugged in—the new PID would control everything.

When I added the PID to my bottom pour I found out that the rheostat on the pot when set at 750 was actually 650 on the PID. That was with using a hot plate to per warm the moulds and is why it was taking so long to start dropping good bullets. The PID was set at 700 from Hatch and I started to get more keepers after the 3rd pour. I could have found this out with a analog thermometer but I am kind of a new toy junkie and the PID is a new toy. I run the easymelt at 750, and am getting 330 gr hp NOE 454330's as keepers on the first drop. I'm sold on PIDs as they just make it easier to keep track of the temp.

I have cast with not thermometer too and it works just fine, but why dig a trench with a shovel if you can use a backhoe.:grin:

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Originally Posted by nccaster77

Do all the ProMelt come with PID now or is it an option. If so I see this as the motorcycle helmet laws in some states. Big brother trying to protect me from myself. PID are overated. Ive cast thousands of boolits without one. Another option for you is to find a used ProMelt for sale. If I had one I sell it very reasonable to allow Dad to cast like he’s used to. Put the feelers out in here as I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way. Good luck. :Fire:

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The trouble is Mercury Based thermostats are going away. Replacement hydro/mechanical thermostats are not as good as the ones that came with the pot. I have been using PID for years. First on Lee 4-20s and now on an original Pro Melt whose Mercury thermostat had died and a Pro Melt 2. There is no dead band with PID, the temperature difference between on and off. Other than controlling the amount of Mercury that goes into the environment the only conspiracy is better control, cheaper.

I think RCBS has discontinued the bottom pour Pro-Melt 2.
I can't seem to find any Mail order outfit that has one for sale.
All list it as "out of stock".

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Originally Posted by Mal Paso

The trouble is Mercury Based thermostats are going away. Replacement hydro/mechanical thermostats are not as good as the ones that came with the pot. I have been using PID for years. First on Lee 4-20s and now on an original Pro Melt whose Mercury thermostat had died and a Pro Melt 2. There is no dead band with PID, the temperature difference between on and off. Other than controlling the amount of Mercury that goes into the environment the only conspiracy is better control, cheaper.

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Don’t get me wrong. I get all the advantages of technology. And for some it’s a must. But I would venture to say that most of us on here once we find the sweet spot while casting pull out a sharpie and mark a spot on the dial. [smilie=1: I have my thermometer set up to be in the pot all the time but only reference it at start up. It drops when I put fresh lead in but I can wait til goes back up if I’m pouring 500gn 45/70. Maybe 5 min. Gives me time to tell my nosey neighbor another story. Usually tho it’s 230gn .45 something’s. But one thing has come out of this. I’m gonna buy an “xtra” thermometer. Just in case they do go away. I’ll let my next generation worry about a PID. One thing I always wondered about PID. Is it not harmful in some way to ALWAYS have your pot turned all the way up and let PID take over? Prolly just me bein old school thinking again I imagine.

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Originally Posted by nccaster77

Don’t get me wrong. I get all the advantages of technology. And for some it’s a must. But I would venture to say that most of us on here once we find the sweet spot while casting pull out a sharpie and mark a spot on the dial. [smilie=1: I have my thermometer set up to be in the pot all the time but only reference it at start up. It drops when I put fresh lead in but I can wait til goes back up if I’m pouring 500gn 45/70. Maybe 5 min. Gives me time to tell my nosey neighbor another story. Usually tho it’s 230gn .45 something’s. But one thing has come out of this. I’m gonna buy an “xtra” thermometer. Just in case they do go away. I’ll let my next generation worry about a PID. One thing I always wondered about PID. Is it not harmful in some way to ALWAYS have your pot turned all the way up and let PID take over? Prolly just me bein old school thinking again I imagine.

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Nothing wrong with that but you may want to pick up a couple extra of whatever pot you are using if it has a Mercury based thermostat. RCBS Pro Melt's are getting scarce. Lee uses a buzzer and is not affected.

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Originally Posted by Walks

I think RCBS has discontinued the bottom pour Pro-Melt 2.
I can't seem to find any Mail order outfit that has one for sale.
All list it as "out of stock".

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Supposedly they took them off the market to "improve" them. They are once again listed on the RCBS website. But it seems like we are waiting for that slow boat from China to deliver stock.

The bunch here converted me to a pid last year and I put one together based mainly on information I found here.
I cast 45 years without one , so nope it ain't a necessity but it sure is nice to control pot temp. and keep it constant as the level goes down or adding to it and the temp displayed on the unit makes it easy to tell when to resume casting after adding to the pot I have found it a worthwhile investment in a little time and money to put one together . And as has been mentioned with one that is external you can find other uses for it.