Done both. Go big or go home.
Done both. Go big or go home.
I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled
Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum
Glad to hear you are going with the big pot. If you don’t already know, it best to leave some lead in the pot when you shut it down. It will heat up faster and if you try to empty the pot, you risk having impurities in your last boolits.
And, "DON'T LEAVE IT UNATTENDED", it will leak. Learn how to use it properly.
You can thank me later.
Slim
JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS JOINT.
Good choice.
Over the years, as hard as it can be to save up for what you really want-
I've never known anyone that looked at their new item, and said, "Gosh. Now I wish I'd gotten that smaller and cheaper one".
Unlike a car, when you find it's kind of small for what you want to do--- there's no trade in allowance on it.
Last edited by Winger Ed.; 12-23-2022 at 05:23 PM.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
When casting conservatively I started with 15# in the pot and refilled it when it got down to 5#. That meant a 20# pot was really only good for 10#. I go a little more aggressively and and start closer to 18# and cast until there's about 2-3 in it. That means 15# between refills. That translates to about 1000 9mm bullets or 450 45ACP bullets between refills.
Get the 20 pound bottom pour pot.
If you use angle iron to make your ingots eight to ten inches or so long, you can preheat them by laying one or two across the top of the pot. As the level goes down, you can stand a fairly hot one in the liquid pool and keep casting as it more or less self feeds into the melt.
BruceB recommended ingots 10½" long, that being as long as will easily fit in a fifty cal ammo can for storage.
Robert
Many members here would go broke just buying ammo cans to store their lead, excluding myself of course.
JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS JOINT.
Text of e mail I received from Waage several years ago.
Hello Wills,
We manufacture a ~25 pound pot 115 volts temp ~820 degrees F. The model number is K4757 The price is $120.00 + 14.00 S&H to your location. a photograph is attached for your information. The estimated manufacturing time is 10-14 days.
Looking forward to answering your questions. visa/mc accepted for your convenience
Best Regards,
Marc Waage
This was not listed on the website.
Last edited by wills; 12-27-2022 at 10:58 PM.
Have mercy.
A haw, haw, haw, haw, a haw.
A haw, haw, haw
10# will work if you use a double cavity mold, but if you go 5/6 cavity, especially with larger bullets you will appreciate a 20# pot very quickly.
There is a lot of alloy at the bottom of a 10 pound pot you cant get out with a dipper. Easier to save yourself the aggravation and get a 20.
Have mercy.
A haw, haw, haw, haw, a haw.
A haw, haw, haw
Or you can use one pot mounted over the other with the top pot feeding already-up-to-casting-temp alloy into the lower. I do this, having stolen the idea from Ausglock, because I like to cast a lot of slugs per session with little downtime, and I get to find a good use for my drippy Lee 4-20 while casting with my preferred ProMelt.
Do be sure to build a really solid and secure mount; you’ll have 15+# of molten lead hovering over 18# below, and don’t want anything tipping over.
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/att...1&d=1578113781
Glad, I found this site. I am in the same boat(just starting out). I also was debating what pot to get but looks like it will be the Lee Pro 4 20lb pot.
That’s what I’m using to melt down wheel weights.
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 |