Hot plates WORK!!!! Had the best night casting

[ghh3rd]

Didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find one at Goodwill etc, or a decent cheap one somewhere like Walmart that didn’t have tons of negative reviews.

[toallmy]

One day I am going to thank bangerjim for posting to use a hot plate preheating your molds every time there was a thread with mold fill out problems .

[Mike W1]

Didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find one at Goodwill etc, or a decent cheap one somewhere like Walmart that didn’t have tons of negative reviews.

Had that same problem but a little looking on evilbay got me a dandy for $12 shipped I believe.

[Mal Paso]

I got a silver/black hot plate a few years ago that was some sort of plastic, didn't stand up to heat and started breaking apart. Stamped steel is better. I got a 1000W proctor silex this time, works well.

Might be me but I've spent more on gas looking for hot plates in thrift stores than I spent buying 2 of them new. LOL

[mold maker]

Local goodwill has raised prices to compete with Wally World. Their shelves are now a pile of tangled cords. The final USA sales are by the lb, and better stocked.

[ghh3rd]

Ordered a $6 hot plate from Walmart today. Pick it up in the store two miles away in a week. If it doesn’t work out I’ve wasted the price of two cheap cigars and it will wind up on a Goodwill shelf . If it does work Ok it sounds like I will have added an invaluable piece of equipment to my casting equipment. I will post the results and model number.

[kevin c]

For future reference to other thread viewers, I got mine at my local Ace Hardware.

[ghh3rd]

Now to dig out that dull plywood cutoff blade to cover the element for even heating.

[rcslotcar]

I found a "Nemco" hot plate at a flee mkt for $10. I use it to heat lead ingots to reduce down time.

[Mal Paso]

I found a "Nemco" hot plate at a flee mkt for $10. I use it to heat lead ingots to reduce down time.

I don't preheat lead. I need the down time. LOL

[Rizzo]

For those using a PID for controlling the hot plate temperature, what temperature setting are you using?

I found that if the mold was preheated too hot I was getting very frosted bullets.
I backed off on the hotplate knob for a cooler temp and that stopped the frosting.
The PID sounds good but at what temp?
Thanks

[Mike W1]

For those using a PID for controlling the hot plate temperature, what temperature setting are you using?

I found that if the mold was preheated too hot I was getting very frosted bullets.
I backed off on the hotplate knob for a cooler temp and that stopped the frosting.
The PID sounds good but at what temp?
Thanks

400° F works just fine with a Lyman DC. I have run it at 390° which also seemed fine, probably not that important but wanted the ingots a hair hotter.

[Dragonheart]

A hot plate works the best when it is converted into an oven. I cut a hole in the side of an old stainless pot with a clad bottom then bent some sheetmetal to better confine the area around the molds. I can heat multiple molds and can read the temperature with a thermocouple if I want. Cookware as well as hot plats can be found at Goodwill stores for just a few bucks. I don't bother with preheating metal as I need a rest and can do other things with the time like powder coating.