Ok, what is the trick to Lee temp control?

[*Paladin*]

Ok, so I have a new Lee 4-20 and the temp adjustment is a bit frustrating. I plug it in on high, and once I get my lead molten, I turn it down to 4 or 5 area but the dang temp keeps climbing until dang near 900*, so I turn it down to lo and then it eventually cools. Any tricks to getting the pot to go to and stay in the 700* range?
PS: I should mention its probably 30~ degrees or so in my garage. I know this is likely part of the problem, but is there anything I'm missing?

Thanks!

[Mr Peabody]

I just got a Lee 20lb pot. It's the one for ladle users. I plugged it in set at 5. It took 20 minutes to get 10lbs of WW to 700. I plugged it in again today and it took 15 minutes to get melted and 25 minutes to hit 700. It stayed there for better than half an hour and I unplugged it. How long does yours' take to melt at the 5 setting?

[onondaga]

Check if your adjustment knob has been removed and replaced incorrectly with the unit unplugged. Turn to maximum and to minimum. The knob should stop just short of each by an equal amount at each end of movement. It may have been damaged, if so, it will not do this correctly. Contact Lee for help if your knob is not centered correctly.

Also review owners manual, It says to turn dial to 7 in the newest manual till metal melts, about 20 minutes for full pot. When melt is just complete turn down to 4-5 immediately, flux , for casting and note bullet quality after casting 10 times to evaluate resetting dial position by bullet appearance. Letting the metal heat soak after it has melted will easily bring it up to 900 degrees with the dial at max. 7 won't let it go that high. As soon as the whole pot can be stirred , turn it down immediately. Do not leave the pot unattended and you will know when the melt is just complete by stirring and you can turn it down immediately per instructions.

In either case Lee will be very helpful when you contact them but perform these tests first so you can explain better to them what is going on if you cannot get the melter operating correctly per their instructions and the knob is not centered correctly.

Turning it up all the way and leaving there should bring your temp up to 900 easily. Don't do that. start on 7 and as soon as metal is melted turn to 4-5. Cooling a pot of metal from 900 to to 650 takes a very long time, don't do that and you won't have to wait so long while the metal takes so long to cool.

Gary

[rtracy2001]

I just looked at the Lee website and confirmed my suspicion. the 20 lb thermostat is the same type as the 10 lb. The thermostat is a bi-metalic strip type and it is located in the case directly below the adjustment knob, not in contact with the lead. It depends on heat coming from the outside of the pot to heat up the case and subsequently heat up the thermostat and cut power to the heater. It is NOT the electrical current flowing through the thermostat that causes the bi-metalic strip to heat up and turn off the power, so don't let people fool you into thinking that.

What does this mean? It means ambient temperature, occasional drafts, heavy breathing etc. will all affect the melt temperature. It also means that the thermostat response is significantly delayed as compared to the temperature change of the lead (the lead temperature changes, but the thermostat does not realise this until the heat transfers into the case.) If you are lucky enough to cast in a temperature controled environment, that is free of drafts, then once adjusted, the thermostat will keep the melt at a constant temperature. Whenever you add lead, or take a lot out by casting or whatever, you will need to wait for your thermostat to catch up before adjusting it.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not in any way knocking the Lee melters, I love my 10 lb pot. Lee just chose a different technology that requires a little more user input and skill to use. That is how they can make a 20 lb lead pot and sell it for <$100 when RCBS and Lyman can't.

[jmsj]

Steve,
+1 on onondaga's post. Also I find that if I put plain kitty litter/ oil absorbant on the top of the melt, it helps insulate the melted lead. This has seemed to help slow the tempature swings for me. You say it was 30* in the garage, was breezy also? If so putting something like the kitty litter/ oil absorbant on top will help, it also helps w/oxidation if the temp gets high.
good luck,jmsj

[thegreatdane]

Set it and forget it. Each dial change takes a few min to materialize. leave it.

[Frozone]

See the stickies about PID controllers.

[shotman]

take a 5 gal plastic bucket --or something like it-- I cut it in half length and cut bottom out It will set around the back side and keep drafts and helps keep temp uniform If you could find a metal one you could leave bottom on

[Cowboy T]

My method is to wait till it hits the right temperature, then turn it down until I hear that low 60Hz "buzz" turn off. Keep an eye on the temp, and if it keeps going up, just turn it down until it stays steady. Generally, for me at 700 deg. F., that's about 3 or 4, once it's already heated.

[onondaga]

That works for me too, but only when I have my hearing aid in!!!!!



P.S. The true Liberals in the House of Representatives objected and balked at the Constitution being read in the House today. Please PM me if you understand that, I just can't get a grip on why Liberals would do that.

Gary

[*Paladin*]

Ok, thanks for the advice! Yeah, I was turning it all the way on until melted and then turning it down. I am not overly patient and so I probably wasn't waiting long enough for the temp to stabilize. I'll try the shield idea as well to try to block the breeze and contain some of the heat.

[Jim]

Paladin,
Forgive me for adding to your frustration, but a head's up on another issue. As you take lead out of the pot, the temp. will increase. You'll notice it takes longer for the sprue to cool. That's a sure sign your heat is increasing. When the level of the lead is about an inch or so down, add some more alloy. You'll have to wait for the temp. to come back up to continue casting.
I pig my alloy in small cup cornbread trays. Each pig is about a pound and a half. I find it makes handling the pigs easier and they consume less heat when added. When the level in my pot drops about a half inch, I add a pig, do a visual on my boolits, sort and continue casting.

[sargenv]

What I tend to do is to set the pot on 7, and then forget about it for about 20 mins.. I then return after 20 mins and it is usually just starting to melt.. I set a 5 min timer and then return to it again. Usually it has mostly made the lead in the pot liquid.. I then set it to about 6 and insert my thermometer. I'm looking at a 725 degree casting temp. I use 725 for two reasons. It casts a nice bullet and it recovers nicely back to that temp since I leave two "cobs" of lead on top of the pot warming up. At 725, I can insert a single warmed up "cob" and it will drop to about 675, still within lead flow temp. It will then recover back to 725 in a couple minutes, just long enough for me to cast a few bullets, and drop another cob in.. this cycle continues until I am done, and the pot never actually empties. I tend to flux it on the initial melt but don't bother to flux at all during the casting process unless it appears I need to. I do this with my berm lead when casting cores and also with WW lead when casting boolits I intend to size and shoot. Without a thermometer, I would be lost.

[Maven]

"Without a thermometer, I would be lost."

Amen to what sarge said! Also, there's an outside chance that the bimetallic strip contacts (theromostat) are dirty and/or need adjustment (slight bending: search for this). However, that is a last resort if all the other suggestions don't cure the problem.

[1Shirt]

I cast hot, like frosted blts, so on my lee (which is my secondary pot), I turn it on high, leave it on high and just cast. Works for me!
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[zomby woof]

Seems to me when I turn up the pot all the way to melt and turn down to cast, it still runs away. when i start on low, it stays stable.

[mooman76]

Whats a thermometer?

[GP100man]

I had a 10#er the thing drove me nutttts , I replaced the thermostat & it is alot better now , my 20#er runs 725f at 2 1/2 on the dial ,but I cast outside so the low temp has to affect this !

[lwknight]

The pot is hard to regulate without a thermometer. I found through trial and temper tantrums that I cast at a certain rate and drop in ingots at a certain rate.
It just happens to work for me that setting my particular control on a 7 and keeping the level at 1/2 keeps a pretty constant temperature.

All that is a thing of the past because I use a PID controller now and would hate to be without it.

[*Paladin*]

Thanks all! I think I got 'er now. I melt on 7 and once melted I turn it down to 2 or 3 and it stays pretty consistently around 700 or so...

[cajun shooter]

That rheostat is just one of the huge problems with the Lee equipment. First I want to say "WELCOME HOME AND THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE". It is priced low for a reason and will keep you in a pi---d off state as long as you use it. We used a acronym when I was in service during the sixties. It was SNAFU and that is what your days will be. Use a case iron pot and propane burner for your smelting and try to find a used RCBS,Lyman or Saeco from which to do your mold pouring. The RCBS and the others all have real thermostats. The old Lyman 61 was a good pot. When I put my RCBS on 750, I never have to touch it again. It makes casting fun and not the PITA that LEE does. Lee is like some of the issue we would receive, it will work but not always as expected.

[old turtle]

After 40+ years of casting I broke down and bought a thermometer and am now glad I did. I try to keep my 10 pound Lee pot at about 700 degrees.

[Jailer]

I run mine at about 1/4 past the three mark. Keeps the pot right about 750 to 780.

Don't add sprues back into the melt while you are casting either or it will drop the temp drastically. Wait until you are taking a break or are done casting.

[sargenv]

Odd, I drop the sprues back in after every cast.. at 725 ish, the melt never has an issue.. and the sprue is from a Lee 6 banger..

[mooman76]

I dump the sprues in too while they are still hot. It keeps the pot level up longer before I have to add a big chunk.

[*Paladin*]

That rheostat is just one of the huge problems with the Lee equipment. First I want to say "WELCOME HOME AND THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE". It is priced low for a reason and will keep you in a pi---d off state as long as you use it. We used a acronym when I was in service during the sixties. It was SNAFU and that is what your days will be. Use a case iron pot and propane burner for your smelting and try to find a used RCBS,Lyman or Saeco from which to do your mold pouring. The RCBS and the others all have real thermostats. The old Lyman 61 was a good pot. When I put my RCBS on 750, I never have to touch it again. It makes casting fun and not the PITA that LEE does. Lee is like some of the issue we would receive, it will work but not always as expected.

Thanks for the thanks cajun! And thanks all for the advice! I'm gonna save up and eventually get one of the RCBS pots, but that'll be down the road a ways, unfortunately. I am a firm believer in buying quality, but when I first started this I wans't sure if I was going to like it or not. Well, I like it... :lovebooli

[Jailer]

Odd, I drop the sprues back in after every cast.. at 725 ish, the melt never has an issue.. and the sprue is from a Lee 6 banger..

I should have added that I am casting with a Lee 2 cavity and I have to keep the pace "brisk" to keep the mold up to temp. Stopping to add sprues lowers the melt and mold temp too much for me.

This is what works for me and the OP will just have to experiment a bit to find out what works for him.