Master Caster questions

[ReloaderFred]

VHoward,

I looked at several different ways to mount the machine, and that was the best one for me. I've got another, older, Master Caster that I've got to get working, and I'll build the same setup for it.

Fred

[John Wayne]

How bout some pics of those bench set-ups?

[VHoward]

Today I started with a 3/4 full pot and cast until it was almost empty. Did not take me any longer. I am getting a routine down and it works pretty well. I am enjoying this machine a lot. In the time it took me today to cast up about 700 bullets, it would have only been about 350 handcasting. I can tell my RCBS Promelt is going to go mostly unused.

I built a "U" shaped stand out of 2 x 4's double stacked so it is 7 inches off the table top. I made it narrow enough so I could secure the Master Caster directly to it.









I made a wooden box out of 1/4" subflooring and some 1 x 1's using wood glue and finish nails. This is for catching the bullets.



I used a couple pieces of 4" wide aluminum roofing flashing material for a cover so only the front of the catch box is open. I will probably semi-permanently attach them later. Right now they just rest on top.



I bought a small loaf pan to catch the sprues in.



And a view from above where the bullets and sprues fall into their collection boxes.



Some of those pictures are a little out of focus, but you get the idea. This is all mounted on the right side of a 2 foot by 4 foot by 39 inch high bench with a 1/2" thick piece of plywood and a piece of hardboard on top of that for a benchtop. It has a shelf about 6 inches up from the floor also and it is sturdy.

[HATCH]

Mine setup uses just a single 2x4 standing up like yours. I have a alum ramp to direct the boolits and sprues to a hole under the machine.

[VHoward]

Another question: When you need to clean the orifice plate, do you need to empty the pot?
Or can you remove the orifice plate when the pot is cold so no lead flows?

[ReloaderFred]

You can take it off when it's cold and clean out the spouts with the proper size drill. You can also heat it with a propane torch to melt the lead out of the spouts when you have it off, but I've really found it easier to clean the spouts while the machine is hot. I made a tool from piano wire bent at a 90 degree angle, and epoxied into a file handle, for the job. I just run it up into the spouts whenever it seems to need a little cleaning.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[VHoward]

OK. Thanks.
Did any of you use the mold release spray that Magma sends. That stuff that is a gel until you warm it then mix it with an equal amount of denatured alcahol. I don't notice any difference of the bullets coming out of the mold when using or not using it. I've got my rhythm down to pour, move mold forward until it is in the fan output, count 10 seconds then bring handle down sharply and the sprue and bullets just come right out. I can cast up a huge pile in no time it seems. This is still with the 45 - 200I mold.

[ReloaderFred]

I use it, but not in the cavities. When I start seeing a smear of lead on the top of the mold, between the sprue cutter and the mold blocks, then I'll open the sprue cutter by hand and leave the bullets in the mold. I spray the top of the mold blocks, making sure I get as much as I can near the pivot bolt. I also spray the top of the sprue cutter to help the sprues fall off. I try not to get the lube in the cavities, since they next few casts will be wrinkled.

I use one of those single edge razor blade scrapers to gently remove the lead from the top of the molds when it sticks to them, or smears. Just make sure you keep the blade flat, like when scraping paint off a window, so you won't gouge the mold tops.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[HATCH]

I use one of those single edge razor blade scrapers to gently remove the lead from the top of the molds when it sticks to them, or smears. Just make sure you keep the blade flat, like when scraping paint off a window, so you won't gouge the mold tops.

I do the same thing

[bstone5]

I made a metal stand out of 1 inch square tubing with metal casters for mounting the Master Caster Machine and the cabinet for the PLC for automation.

I work in my garage which is full of other stuff, I move the Master Caster out of the way when not in use.

In the steel table there are locations for two baking pans for catching the bullets and the spruce cut offs.

Picture below.

[GabbyM]

You fellows have some nice mounts. I just screwed my machine down to a bench top. With front hanging over the edge enough to clear the bullet ramp. When I run it I have an old lamp table that is just the right height, after shimming with a 2x6, to set a box or pan onto. I run it while seated in a chair. Any bench with a pull out drawer could work. Just open the drawer then set in a pan. BTW this same lamp table is what I use to catch bullets from my Star size press. A hook in / slip in shelf would be the bees knees. Simple brackets under bench top to slide in a board with drop down sides. Like a stair step. Mounting the machine set out in front brings it closer to the operator so you can place your bottom on a padded stool. I can put in a four hour session with no pain. That's a lot of bullets. Since it takes very little arm power to operate a Magma caster sitting down works fine. I run my Star size press standing and my Lyman 4500 sitting in a chair.

When I run high volume handgun bullets. I'll setup another melting pot on the bench besides the Master Caster. Melting ingots in that pot. Then transferring hot lead with my big ladle I use when making ingots. Lead pour temperature stays consistent this way. Plus the harsh fluxing is done in the melt pot. Using one ladle at a time the level of lead in the pot stays within a given range and the standard thermostat maintains a very consistent alloy temp. For water dropped heat treat bullets. I just fill a steel bread pan 3/4 full of water. Set a five gallon bucket of water next to me. When the quench water gets to warm. I dump the pan, sticking it in the bucket. Coming up with a fresh fill of water. This is about as messy as it sounds. Covering the vinyl floor with bath towels has always been adequate to catch the spillage. Well that and my pants, shirt and sometimes my socks. Trick is to keep my right hand leather glove dry to operate the machine and hold the lead ladle. You don't want to grab something hot with a wet glove. Thus bucket is on left side. Water is all well below he level of molten lead. It's really a very easy setup to get water quenched bullets plus the consistency I believe is very good as the machine drops them out in a timely fashion. I have a sweep second hand clock hung on the wall that in addition to driving me nuts keeps my rhythm. This is how I make my rifle boolits in volume now days.

[ReloaderFred]

Here is how I mounted my Master Caster:



Here is the tool I made for cleaning the orifices:



An invaluable tool for putting the sprues back into the pot:



And preheating a 10 pound ingot:



The orifice cleaning tool is made from piano wire .078" in diameter. I used a propane torch to heat where the bend is, and heated the end that goes inside the file handle and made a bend back on itself to keep the wire from spinning if the epoxy didn't hold.

The aluminum scoop was purchased at a restaurant supply store (Cash & Carry) for less than $4.00, and then I added a file handle to it for some additional length to hold onto.

When preheating the ingots, don't go to answer the phone, and then decide to have lunch, because when you get back to the machine, your ingot will have melted all over the machine.....

Hope this helps.

Fred

[VHoward]

When preheating the ingots, don't go to answer the phone, and then decide to have lunch, because when you get back to the machine, your ingot will have melted all over the machine.....

This smacks with the voice of experience. I had a Lee pot empty on me once. I quit using it. I did not appreciate the mess I had to clean up.

So far in 3 casting sessions with this machine, I have enough bullets that would have taken me 3 times as long to get using my 4 cavity hand mold.

[Ken 45LC]

Has anyone tried a N.O.E. brass hp mold in their MC? Not sure how NOE does his hp molds, but I saw a sweet looking bullet design on his website that I would like to try.

Thanks,
Ken

[ReloaderFred]

I've done several 8 hour casting sessions on my Master Caster, with only a lunch break (after answering the phone)...... You don't feel all beat up after casting with the machine like you do when hand casting. It can be monotonous, but I count my handle strokes and after every 60 strokes I put a bullet in a small box next to the machine. I also empty the sprue box and bullet box, and give the mold a minute to cool under the fan.

At the end of the session, the number of bullets in the small box tells me how many bullets I've cast. I use 60 strokes to account for any rejects, if there are any, and to give me a generous margin of error in the count.

I haven't cast with a hollowpoint mold on the machine, but Erik, at http://www.hollowpointmold.com/ makes hollowpoint conversions specifically for the Master Caster.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[jmorris]

I have my caster and sizer on a 16x30 cart.

[donpablos]

Does anyone have a picture of the Double Cavity Orifice Plate from Master Pot ? Magma shows only the bottom of the plate in their how to clean the orifice plate video.