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Thread: Project - PID on Lee Pro 4 20 furnace

  1. #661
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by centershot View Post
    OK, I finished building the kit I got from jconn (http://jconninv.com/kit.shtml), but there's no joy. When I switched it on, nothing happened. No lights, no hum, nothing. I double-checked the wiring to make sure it was right and checked for shorts. Anyone have any troubleshooting ideas? It's a Mypin TA4.
    Noticed your post but don't know where to start without some sort of diagram other than to (dub) check the power outlet and the fuse. Assuming you've got the leads to the Mypin hooked up for power something ought to light up on there.
    I think I'd get hold of Frozone and he'll walk you through it I'm sure.

    So far the stuff I've found shows Pins 1 & 2 being the power input pins. If that's the way your's is you should be able to read voltage there. Double check that's the way your's is shown on the controller itself - apparently there can be some variations on different units.
    Last edited by Mike W1; 05-20-2015 at 05:51 PM.
    Mike

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  2. #662
    Boolit Buddy

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    Put my PID controller together this weekend. Got all the parts off ebay for about $55. I love it. Used a mypin TA4. Should have done this long ago.

  3. #663
    Boolit Mold
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    Is a 16ga extension cord sufficient? I believe that the cord is rated for 13amps. I'll be using the pid for a Lee 4-20. Thanks

  4. #664
    Boolit Buddy mgread's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MSG View Post
    Is a 16ga extension cord sufficient? I believe that the cord is rated for 13amps. I'll be using the pid for a Lee 4-20. Thanks
    I would not use that. I use 9 ft 14ga 15 amp cords

  5. #665
    Boolit Grand Master

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    If it's out in the open air, you might get by, but not recommended. It might even reduce the heat in your pot.

    The only close call I have ever had involved a "Lamp cord" that had close to it's rated load being used. The cord got covered by papers which insulated it. I smelled it and hunted till I found it. The cord was too hot to touch, and the rubber was crumbly.
    Best either get or make up a cord, of 14 or larger gauge and keep it short as possible. Your pot will be more efficient, safer, and last longer.
    Information not shared. is wasted.

  6. #666
    Boolit Mold
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    Thanks for the information. I do have a 12ga short extension cord that I can use. I'd rather be over built than have to worry about it later. Thanks again.

  7. #667
    Boolit Mold
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    Double post
    Last edited by MSG; 01-14-2016 at 03:01 PM. Reason: Double post

  8. #668
    Boolit Mold
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    hi there! any reason I cannot see the pictures in the beginning of this thread?

    i'm new here, but lurked for a while... just got my 2nd hand casting equipment in my shop and learning all I can Hello all!

    Mike B

  9. #669
    Boolit Master


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    The first post that has a wiring diagram/picture is post 10 then post 25. As a member you should be able to view them.
    Welcome to the forum and the madness.
    If you can not get the info let us know and I can help you out.

  10. #670
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by exibar View Post
    hi there! any reason I cannot see the pictures in the beginning of this thread?

    i'm new here, but lurked for a while... just got my 2nd hand casting equipment in my shop and learning all I can Hello all!

    Mike B
    It appears to me that if a poster saves a picture into a post on the site that the software eventually eliminates the oldest one first, then second, etc. as they post more pictures. This keeps the space pared down to whatever level. It's why I chose to post a "IMG" link to something like photobucket instead. I couldn't see the #10 & #25 posts mentioned above either and suspect they're no longer available.
    Mike

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  11. #671
    Boolit Mold Rickshaw's Avatar
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    I have been casting and learning.........started casting with a coleman stove and cast iron skillet. Then I made my own bottom pour from a 30lb. propane tank. The inconsistencies that I had were many......frosties were the exception and not the norm. Finally, I bought the Lee 4-20 and before I even loaded it I made a PID controller........All of this information was from you guys here......Thankyou........I now get very few culls, and managed to double my efficiency. Pot temp is consistent and so are the frosties. The PID controller is KEY.......Just do it!

  12. #672
    Boolit Master

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    Today was the first really nice day - warm enough to cast a few boolits in southern Ky. My son, who lives in the Birmingham, Ala, area, tuned in to Cast Boolits and read many of the posts, etc., regarding casting with pids. He is a whizkid with electronics compared to his old man. I already had a Lee 4-20 pot but he built the electronics recommended here on Cast Boolits - and purchased a Lee 4-20 to make sure it would all work and sent it to me last week. Today I used the pot with the pid to cast more 9mm boolits (a Lee 125 gr. rn 6-cavity mould) & more .38 Spl. boolits than I have cast before. All I had to do was keep the pot full and cast away. Now I've got to get those boolits sized and lubed, but that won't be too much of a chore with my Star sizer/luber. Big Boomer

  13. #673
    Boolit Mold

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    FWIW: I've been using the Lee Pro 4-20 for about 3 years now and have found that a setting of 3.75 works just fine; not too hot, not too cold, bullets drop out of mold with 1 bump of the wooden mallet. All this of course, after everything (pot and mold) have been nicely heated up for a while.

  14. #674
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wincacher View Post
    FWIW: I've been using the Lee Pro 4-20 for about 3 years now and have found that a setting of 3.75 works just fine; not too hot, not too cold, bullets drop out of mold with 1 bump of the wooden mallet. All this of course, after everything (pot and mold) have been nicely heated up for a while.
    Yeah, but what's the temperature of that alloy?¿ And what is it when the pot is half full? With a pid it's always where you set it, and that's a known temp that you can write down for the next time you cast that same boolit/mold.
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  15. #675
    Boolit Mold
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    Just "test" wired up my setup based on post 1. All the hootin' and hollering doesn't bother me too much, different people do the same thing different ways and get the same results. I'm going separate unit so I can use the same temp controller on whatever pot I feel like. My goal is also to be as small as possible.
    Thanks guys, I love this site.
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  16. #676
    Boolit Bub Flatliner's Avatar
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    I can't see the pics either. I assumed they were linked to something that was no longer available. Does anyone have a link to one of these projects with pics for the directions challenged.

  17. #677
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    those were posted on 2011.
    I assume one of two things, either they were hosted by our websites software and were lost in a upgrade
    OR
    they were hosted by a third party website (like photobucket), where the account has lapsed for some reason.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  18. #678
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by JonB_in_Glencoe View Post
    those were posted on 2011.
    I assume one of two things, either they were hosted by our websites software and were lost in a upgrade
    OR
    they were hosted by a third party website (like photobucket), where the account has lapsed for some reason.
    Nothing on the interweb is permanent
    Go now and pour yourself a hot one...

  19. #679
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    So I'm waffling here... I can't decide if I should just go cheap and buy the parts individually, or spend a bit more on a pre-built PID.

    I'm considering the pre-built kit from here: http://jconninv.com/pnp.shtml but would like to hear from guys that have ordered from this site before... good experience or not? It's quite a bit more cash to buy that PnP system vs. piecing one together, but the time savings would be substantial.

    After reading through most of this thread as well as the other PID threads here, my head is spinning.

    My finger was hovering over the "Buy" button on the jconninv PnP PID, but $170 is a lot more than piecing one together for 60 bucks or so.

    What do you guys think? Piece one together, or just buy the PnP?
    Last edited by Phlier; 11-30-2016 at 02:40 PM.

  20. #680
    Boolit Bub
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    I built mine and couldn't see spending that kind of money on one. They take about an hour to put together the first time and after the first one you'll want one on everything, like melting pot, hotplate, lube heater, and lots of other things. Putting them together is a good skill to have, and very easy to boot. Just my .02 cents.

    Jerry

    P.S. If you buy one already built, a detachable probe and a couple spare probes would be a good idea.
    Last edited by Green Ghost; 11-30-2016 at 03:11 PM. Reason: adding th P.S.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check