What Bottom Pour Furnace Do You Use?

[Shooter6br]

Got a Lee pro. So far love it $63 at midsouth or midway

[blikseme300]

Check this out, maybe some help...........Creeker

http://www.sixshootercommunity.com/a...placement.html

Creeker,

I feel like an idiot. I get a lot of stuff from McMaster every week and never knew they had bendable elements. aargh! I spent many hours finding affordable band heaters for my pots.

Thanks

Bliksem

[Shooter6br]

Do yourself a favor Get a Lee Pro 4. I was not happy with the HP small caliber bullets I was making with the lee Production pot. I heated the lead hotter than the hinges of Hell. I pre warmed the mold hot. The problem was the low flow of the Lee pot. if you plan to make HP's or just like a good looking solid GET A LEE PRO. Well worth the price $63 at Midsouth or Midway...Rick

[Ken77539]

Lee Pro 4-20.

Not too many issues so far (I'm a newbie). Did have one problem with it dripping though. Wrote Lee with my evaluation, I suspected insufficient weight to keep the valve rod seated in the pour spout, and gave them a possible solution. What I got back was the steel knob from their Production Pot IV to add weight to the valve assembly. Installed it on my pot and promptly burnt the @$#! out of my finger, (did I mention I was a newbie at this?) but it did provide the additional weight to keep the valve seated. I just finished modifying the valve assembly - I drilled two new holes in the valve arm and remounted the steel knob towards the bottom of the arm and took a 4" long piece of wood closet rod and fasioned me a new handle to operate the valve with, and mounted it towards the top. Had to go to work, so I'll be testing this thing out in the morning to see how it does.

11/16/10
Tested it out yesterday morning and it worked just fine. Had 1 small drip, about the size of a dime, but that was adjusted out with a twist of the valve rod.

[jecjec13]

have a lee 10# over 15 years old, and a lee 20# about 10 years old. never had any trouble with them. price wise guess I will stay with lee.

[cigarman454]

My first buy was Lee, but I do like my RCBS

[Tom R]

I just bought my first it is a lee bp 10 pound I think they call it a production pot. I have not taken it out of the box yet but it was 49.00 at Cabelas.

[rockrat]

Still use my almost 40 yr old Saeco and Rcbs x 2 pots.

[340six]

Well for the last 12-13 months i was with the lyman 8 pound dipper pot that comes with the 4500 sizer kit {also the dipper and ingot mold}
We were casting 600-800 and more with it in a day
Just ordered a lyman mag 20 BP and i am down to my last 50 pounds of lead but have 5 or 6 ingot molds and do all the smelting in a large cast iron pot

[Cowboy T]

Lee Pro 4-20.

Now THAT's a thermometer!

How much did that thing cost? I've got its much smaller brother.

[Ken77539]

Now THAT's a thermometer!

How much did that thing cost? I've got its much smaller brother.

Actually, I salvaged it out of an old (very large) BBQ pit being scrapped out. Took quite a bit of cleaning, but still seems to work good. Works good for my old eyes.

[Texasflyboy]

I've just finished updating my homemade pot to v1.1.
It worked just fine although it is a bit underpowered with only a 700w heater.

Does anyone use a foot operated bottom pour?
I'm thinking this would be the improvement left for me to try if this don't do the trick, and if so, would it be better (safer) to make it so the pedal should be lifted to open the valve? Or would that be hard on the leg?

Link to Page for Pot

Total Capacity: 150+ lbs.
Normal working capacity: ~80lbs
4.5Kw heat (3x 1500 Watt elements)
220V @ 18A
Time from cold start to cast: 19 minutes on average.
Bottom Pour
Foot Activated

All parts were purchased locally except for the Lee 20lb spout and the eBay PID controller.

I have been planning to make a V 2.0 model with a single 1500W stove element and a 6" opening vs. the 8".

Total cost to make was about $300. Been in use since I made it without a single failure.

[Ugluk]

That is an impressive pot!

I'm gonna try that footpedal thing eventually. Not that I need it, but it may be comfy.

[grubbylabs]

Just got my Lee 20# bottom pour

[home in oz]

Lee for cost and value...

[wingnut49b]

Lee Pro 4-20. But after I get done with the PID maybe I'll wish I bought the RCBS?

[CHD]

I run a Lee while casting boolits, but use an old Dutch Oven and turkey burner to alloy and melt down bulk lead to pour into ingots. For the money you cant go wrong. my 2 cents

[alamogunr]

Just in case any one is interested, Midway has their RCBS Pro-Melt 220v on sale. I think it is about the same price as I paid for mine. If you have access to 220v, all you have to do is change out the plug for one that is compatible.

http://tinyurl.com/28y3f37

John
W.TN

[Cimarron Red]

I'm considering buying an RCBS furnace. Is there any disadvantage to getting one in 220 volt; I already have the service in my work shop? Thanks.

[alamogunr]

I'm considering buying an RCBS furnace. Is there any disadvantage to getting one in 220 volt; I already have the service in my work shop? Thanks.

Mine works fine on 220v. In my case I can't use my table saw at the same time since that is the only 220v outlet in the shop, but I wouldn't anyway. I don't think you will see a difference in operation such as reduced melt time, etc.

John
W.TN