Does anyone besides me use an inverted Factory made 1lb ingot mold as a pot cover for their Electric casting pot ?
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Does anyone besides me use an inverted Factory made 1lb ingot mold as a pot cover for their Electric casting pot ?
Nope. Just you. [smilie=1:
Starting out, I thought I'd be clever and have a metal lid floating on the melt of my bottom pour. It'd be hinged to allow adding ingots and sprues, and, being in contact with the melt, would prevent oxidation. Great concept, I thought, but, not being a machinist, having zilch metal working, and no practical problem solving skills, I never got it to work the way I'd hoped. Too slow, too messy, and too awkward once the melt level got low. Next version on top of the pot was still too slow and clumsy for adding lead.
Now I have the aluminum base of the feeder pot over the opening of the casting pot, clamped to keep it solidly in place, with a 1" hole to let the stream from the feeder enter the caster, plus another opening for the PID probe. That's as much of a cover as I can manage.
I use a piece of aero glass insulation.
I just cut a piece of coffee can to fit over the top. It has cutouts to clear the PID temp probe, and etc. Cheap/free, because I'm frugal.
If you have a Lee 4-20 here's an option:Quote:
Originally Posted by Walks
https://www.opennrg.com/product/lee-...t-upgrade-kit/
I don't have one so I can't give an opinion on it.
I have used my 4-20's as they were factory made and have never had the urge to change what works great for me.
I preheat all my molds to full casting temp on an electric hot plate.......faster, easier.
Also use that same hot plate to preheat all my feed ingots to 10-15°F below liquidous temp of the casting alloy I am using. Saves tons of re-heating/recovery cycle time when casting.
Take that $80 shown on that website and invest in a GOOD quality electric hotplate.....preferably with a flat top. Or put an old saw blade on top of an open coil plate.
Happy casting! :lovebooli
I have that setup. Works great.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dar
I still need to cut a hole for the PID. I think the lid holds in the heat and keeps the temperature more stable. I used a hot plate to keep my moulds warm. I slide my moulds, 4, 5, & 6 cavity, from left to right.
I used to use a folded piece of aluminum foil. I used it mostly during a cold start to speed up the heat.
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On initial heat up I put my mold across the top of the pot and cover with aluminum foil. That lets the pot heat faster and preheats the mold. After fluxing I put a handful of kitty litter on top of the melt to prevent oxidation and add my ingots and sprus through the litter as I cast. Litter acts as an insulator and keeps oxygen away from the melt.
I also have that upgrade.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dar
Looks nice but a bit pricey.......:-|
I didn’t pay $80 for my pot!
I hear that. I paid $50 for a Lee 10 lb bottom tap, 6 molds w/ handles, 200 lbs of range lead ingots, a Lyman ingot mold, 3 squirt bottles of ALOX and a 3/4 full jar of some magic flux stuff and 245 pieces of 45 cal commercial cast 45-70 boolits.Quote:
Originally Posted by imashooter2
I customized my set up with a flat pot lid from the humane society thrift store.
I leave a layer of dross on top of the melt, and that gets sprinkled with saw dust to char.
this not only insulates the molten metal, it keeps more oxidation from forming ;)
I've got one of these for my original Pro-Melt. I think it works well and easy to move about.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dar
with only minor shame I copied the aluminum cover previously mentioned. I cut it out of a left over piece of 1/32" rolled sheet steel from Lowes or somewhere. My pot has a thermocouple clamped to the underside of the pot, but I did cut a slot just beyond the lever assembly to allow lid removal without fiddling with the dip thermometer if/when I use one. The larger hole to the far right is to drop culled bullets through. However it is not quite large enough to allow sprues to pass through. I use a hemostat clamped to one of the tabs for handling.
I have a 1 1/8" thick vermiculite baffle board for a wood stove I was thinking of cutting and shaping a piece to sit just inside of a Pro 4-20. Would benefit be worth the trouble?
https://i.imgur.com/iVILHTi.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by Bmi48219