Lyman Mag 25 Digital Melting Furnace

[MnSpring]

Who has a, Lyman Mag 25 Digital Melting Furnace?
Understand, that the, mold guide, needs, some work,
understand the, 'warming shelf', is a ***.
Understand, melt time is less than Lee or RCBS.

Looking for a bottom pour pot, for, Bismuth Mix.
Sweet spot is about 450-475. (88%Bi/12%Sn)

RCBS Pro Melt, does NOT, go that Low.
Lee, (I am Sick and tired of the, 'Christmas Tree Art',
and the, CONSTANT, fiddling with temp, and the Constant fiddling with the pour spout)

For Rifles, (and some handguns), cast with ladel/Cast Pot/Gas ring/ Temperature gauge.
Been doing this a while, so I know, what 'position', to put things in, to keep the right temp, and, always use a thermometer, to verify.

For the, 'Spray & Pray', CAS bullets, I just buy the cheep ones.
(Who the heck can not hit a 10 FOOT, target, which is, 2 x 4 FEET big, with their eyes CLOSED)

But , now getting into casting, shot, (Non-Toxic), in sizes which are NOT Available.
And the Cost of Casting, is MUCH LESS, than buying, already cast shot.
And as, single casting (the old way), is Great, for making a, 'Perfect', Bullet.
Casting, 'Shot', want a bottom Pour, which does, NOT Make, (little Christmas Trees)
It is MUCH, Faster.

(Not planning on making any bullets, in, 'Non-Toxic', that is for the, 'Fairy Dust Sprinklers', to experiment with)

So, How, 'LOW', (In your experience), does a,
Lyman Mag 25 Digital Melting Furnace, go?

Thanks for your time.

[Fishman]

Not what you asked, but a pid controller would hold whatever temperature you wanted from any pot, from room temperature up to the limit of the heating element. Pretty much set and forget while you cast perfect bullets.

[Fishman]

A very interesting project by the way. I presume you are making no-tox for waterfowl? Where are you buying your bismuth?

[MnSpring]

A very interesting project by the way. I presume you are making no-tox for waterfowl? Where are you buying your bismuth?

Yes. Purchased the 88% Bi & 12% Sn, from: http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/...ulletalloy.htm

Describing what I am doing is on: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...h-Shot-Casting

Goal, bigger pellets, than can currently get, An a Whole lot cheaper.
Reason, Old fixed choke S/S's

The molds, from: http://buckshotmold.com/
(Outside of modifying the handles)
Just cleaned & smoked them. And they work Well !
With the Bismuth/Tin at 475.

Haven't tried lead. Don't think I will.

Have a, (Plug & Play), PID setup coming from a 'vender' here.
Going to put on my, old, 'Christmas Tree Maker', see how it works.

The only problem I have had so far, is, 'flush' cutting the ball.

I have broken the one that came with, went to Menards, they replaced it free, and I bought another one. (Just in case), it was a whole 1.98. But it is STILL a ***. Working on modifying a side cutter, (Almost Got it !)

[Fishman]

I responded in your other thread about a possible cutter idea. For your lee pot, you could use some abrasive paste and spin the valve rod in its seat to polish it and reduce leaking.

$15 lb for that alloy seems expensive. Well over a dollar a shell just for the shot. That's why I reload steel I guess. Really an interesting project you have there though.

[dromia]

Do buckshot moulds actually exist?

I've tried emailing them a few times and each one comes back undelivered, addresses are as per the web site and started via their web links.

[MnSpring]

I responded in your other thread about a possible cutter idea. For your lee pot, you could use some abrasive paste and spin the valve rod in its seat to polish it and reduce leaking.

$15 lb for that alloy seems expensive. Well over a dollar a shell just for the shot. That's why I reload steel I guess. Really an interesting project you have there though.

Oh Yea, the, ’Non-Toxic’, which is NOT, steel, is very expensive.
(Bismuth blend) (But Roto 'Does have sales !)

To Compare, Per shot, when ‘components’, all figured to 100, than divided to per shot.
All as much the same as I can get. (to compare prices)
New Kent: $2.30 (Factory).

Re-Loads: (Using all new components, priced from a B.P. Catalog)
Using Bought ITX-10 shot, and all new componets: $2.20
Using, (my cast shot, raw metal from Roto-metals), $1.65

And seeing as how, I Have a Bunch of stuff.
(Don’t we all) guessing final shell price will be closer to $1.35

That is figuring; Hull,wad, primer,powder,buffer, shot, overshot wad, (roll crimp), cork wad,tyvek, Motor mika,

Which is a BETTER, load, for a little more than, One Half, the price of factory.

Only extra cost, is the buck shot molds, and time time to cast them.
Could spend money on those things, or sit in the Bar.

Won’t have to do this, if we had less, ‘Fairy Dust Sprinklers’, out their.
Who don’t know their ‘hat’, from a hole in the ground.

The Lee bottom pour Pot; Have done many, many, of the things suggested.
Best, has been, a, ’sorta’, fix.
I am Right Hand. Mold in RH, LH, reaches over, lifts, RH, moves mold, about 1/2 time on last cavity,
LH, drops, (lifter), and then automatically, goes to the top of the ‘pin’, and does a ’twist’, and a gentle down.
(See photo for a crude ‘rod/pin’, twist adaptor)
The drips, while twisting, fill the last 1/2.
Then pull the mold out, wait for spruce to harden,
then turn over again. Will get one drip, during that time.
Then, wait, then de mold, then do again. By that time, their is, ‘only’, two drips.
(The Sharpshooter Buckshot molds, are 5 spruce each side, with 2 balls each spruce, 20 balls total)

This is on the buckshot molds, and Bismuth, and the old lee bottom pour.
(Resurrected the lee, because of speed)

All Other casting, (is Ladle pour)


The big knob on top of the rod, is just some brass fittings, and a hunk of oak, so I can turn it, without it being to hot.
The piece sticking up on the right side, is just a piece of sq tube I had laying about, Cut one side, bent the piece down, drilled a hole, and attached to one of the top screws. (To drop in the probe, when the PID get's here).

[MnSpring]

Do buckshot moulds actually exist?

I've tried emailing them a few times and each one comes back undelivered, addresses are as per the web site and started via their web links.

The mold: http://buckshotmold.com/ is the web site, and I used: skiesunlimited@att.net as e-mail.
And had no problem.
In fact, e-mail back was fast, and after I sent the money, very fast sending to me.
So Far, all is Good !

[dromia]

Must not like my email address, they have just lost an order because of that.

[MnSpring]

Must not like my email address, they have just lost an order because of that.

Could be it. I Know, about 30% of the, SPAM e-mails I get, come from my OWN, e-mail.
Simply because I have a web site, and the SPAMMERS, have harvested, that address.

If someone, has their, 'filter', set to high. They will never get my e-mails.

If you want, I am sure that someone here who has communicated with them before, myself included, would forward your info to them, stating that address is not SPAM.

[MnSpring]

On the Lyman Mag-25. Sent them a e-mail, asked questions, NO Response !
However, the day after, I received about 30 MORE, Spam e-mails, of a type I never received before.
I am sure, it is Just a Coincidence !

RCBS, several days later, sent the same questions.
2 days later received this:
“ … no there is no way to modify the thermostat in our unit to go lower than 650 because the unit is for lead, or Linotype. However we purchase the thermostat from a company in Fulda Germany and they may have a thermostat you could purchase to give the unit a wider range of temp. Their name is Jumo, and their web address is www.jumo.net and local US phone number is (315) 437-5866. Hope this helps and thanks for contacting RCBS!”

Then sent back, asking about use of a PID unit, for a lower temp.
and in, ONE, day got back this:
“ … it may work for you and be just what you need, but we can’t recommend doing it, as it technically voids your warranty if something does go wrong. Sorry we don’t have a better solution or recommendation for you. …”

Still waiting for, Lyman’s response. (and NOT, holding my breath)
Apparently, one company, understands,
’They do NOT, pay me, I Pay Them’. And another one does not.
(Something YOU, have to Constantly, Remind, elected officials of.)

So, does anybody have experience, on using a PID, with the RCBS, ‘Pro-Melt’ ?
(Or the Lyman, Mag-25)

As I understand it, will turn on/off, the device it is plugged into,
as to the temp you set, by information coming from the probe/Thermocouple, inserted in the, (in this case the melt).

Not worried about any LED display, on the base unit, turning, off/on,
A PID, will be displaying that info.
As verified with thermometers, and as ALL, thermometers, are a little different.
It is not so much the temp, as the variation of the temp.
(Next time you go to a mart-mart, store, look at the ‘metal expanding’, types, and tell me how many read the same?)

My wondering is the, off/on, of the heating elements.
If it is, ‘rapid’, (or more, rapid, than originally designed for), will that shorten the life of the heating element?
And the contact points, cycling the, 'on/off' ?

Have a ‘plug & play’, one coming from a vendor on this site.
Will be testing it on a, ‘Christmas Tree Maker’.

I Have lots of, ’Should Work’, and, ‘ Great Idea’s’)
(From things I have done, then found out, it, doesn’t work)
Looking for, answers, that are from people with, experience in that particular matter.

Thanks for your time.

[Moonie]

the pid on the lyman 25 should allow you to set it to whatever temp you want. I have one but have not set it for anything other than 700F so far. It works just like the pid I built for my 4-20 however and I know I can set it for any temp I want as I used to use it for my DIY Sous Vide water oven.

[MostlyOnThePaper]

With a properly assembled pid any of the common furnaces will do whatever you tell it.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

[HangFireW8]

Lyman is not good in responding to emails. This is well known on this site, but people persist on trying anyway.

P.S. Try to give your comma key a break.

[MostlyOnThePaper]

Lyman is not good in responding to emails. This is well known on this site, but people persist on trying anyway.

P.S. Try to give your comma key a break.

I haven't ever heard a good thing about Lyman customer service. Sad really.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

[farmerjim]

They replaced my Mag 25 when it did not work.

[HangFireW8]

Lyman recalibrated my Mag 25 PID and replaced a bad brand-new casting thermometer. But, it took persistence and too many phone calls to make it all happen.

[Beagle333]

I'm gonna give the Mag25 a try. Midway has em on clearance for $201 and I figger I can fix most things that might be wrong with it, if there are any. And I sure could use a second pot. Changing out my alloy is annoying and I would love to be able to run my solids and HP's the same morning without a big changing of the lead. Fingers crossed!!!

[HangFireW8]

I'm gonna give the Mag25 a try. Midway has em on clearance for $201 and I figger I can fix most things that might be wrong with it, if there are any. And I sure could use a second pot. Changing out my alloy is annoying and I would love to be able to run my solids and HP's the same morning without a big changing of the lead. Fingers crossed!!!

Closeout? Interesting. Either Lyman is dropping it (still on their site), or Midway is just tired of Lyman's inability to consistently supply the product.

I think you'll be happy with your new Mag 25. There was really nothing wrong with mine, it just disagreed with two dial thermometers, both of which were wrong, the Mag 25 temps were OK all along.

[Beagle333]

Mine was shipped within two hours of ordering. I'll let you know!