any good bottom poor electric furnaces under $100?

[LEADLUBBER]

Ok,

Here's the deal,

I have to be as absolutely frugal with my equipment as possible, but, I am handy with electronics and electrical things... so If I need to mod it, that is ok

I want to buy a good bottom poor with a 10lb capacity that will cast quite a few bullets without wasting much lead....


I don't really have a need for a super high capacity furnace, but, if a 20 lb works better, so be it....


Reliable, cheap, easy to fix, easy to mod, easy to use, etc.


looking at the Lee bottom pours now.... any other cheap alternatives?

[mooman76]

Lee is pretty much it in the under $100 range for a bottom pour unless you luck out and get a good used one of something else. Nothing wrong with Lee though and I'd go with the 20#. Just a little more and has more versatility.

[onondaga]

I have the Lee 20LB bottom pour and have enjoyed it for over 10 years. I believe the Lee haters have problems with the spout valve by not following the instructions. Turn it frequently, use clean alloy and thoroughly understand the instructions for the valve and the flow screw adjustment. I wish they made one in a 40 LB model. Besides big rifle bullets, I cast 12 GA. slugs that weigh 1 oz and a pot goes fast.

Gary

[Three44s]

Other than Lee in new lead pots ..... I'd say yard sales or craigslist.

Three 44s

[LEADLUBBER]

I have the Lee 20LB bottom pour and have enjoyed it for over 10 years. I believe the Lee haters have problems with the spout valve by not following the instructions. Turn it frequently, use clean alloy and thoroughly understand the instructions for the valve and the flow screw adjustment. I wish they made one in a 40 LB model. Besides big rifle bullets, I cast 12 GA. slugs that weigh 1 oz and a pot goes fast.

Gary


Great info all!


I especially appreciate the tips on operation onondaga!

It is the little things that hang us all up....

[LEADLUBBER]

about how many 180 grain bullets will a 10lb furnace throw including waste and spillage on average?

[lwknight]

I can't answer about the 10 pounder but the 20 pound pot actually holds 16 pounds running over full and works best keeping the level from 1/3 to 2/3 so you get about 5 pounds of working room without havint to adjust the spout settings.

With the 20 pound , you could make about 100-125 bullets without doing anything like putting the spru back in or adjusting for more flow of lowering the temp setting as the level gets lower.

[warf73]

about how many 180 grain bullets will a 10lb furnace throw including waste and spillage on average?


I would say 150 ~ 170 boolits, this figure is based on not letting the pot get below half (my personal preference). Once the pot gets below half the temp will start to rise pretty fast. If the pot gets half way and you add alloy the recovery time to pouring temp is shortend. Less time waiting on alloy to get to proper temp the more time you can spend maken boolits.

I'm guessing your calling waste (the spurs)?

Spillage I really hope that never happens to you or anyone as 700* molten lead does nasty things to you really fast.

With my numbers above you will be ready to add alloy in about 40 mins or so. This is based on two pours a min with a 2 cavity mold. Put a 4 cavity mold into play that drops down to around 20 min time frame.

If you have $100 to play with get the Lee 20lb pot it will be a great investment.

[cajun shooter]

Finding a old Lyman 61 or similar bottom pour like a RCBS would be great but probably impossible to find. If you wanted to learn ladle casting then the Wagge 4757 is the best made for about $160. Maybe you would have luck with a Lee pot but I have never had one work with out problems. Your 10 lb request is not a real world pot as it will never allow you to cast for very long with out stopping to melt more lead. With any mold larger than a one cavity you will become very tired of casting at a fast speed.

[John Guedry]

I have a 10# Lee bottom pour that was given to me about 15 years ago. Its been used,abused,dropped and altho a little bent still works fine. When using it I keep an ingot on the part of the rim that is still flat. Sure it leaks but just put that back in the pot and keep on goin'. As you use the preheated ingot set another up there.

[onondaga]

There is 7000 grains per pound. 10 pounds = 70,000 grains
70,000 grains divided by 180 grains =388 bullets with no waste. A good skilled bullet caster will have very little waste. Typically, for 10 pounds of lead, less than an ounce is lost to dross, everything else is used and reused.

Gary

[lathesmith]

Er,...mmm...actually, 70K divided by 180 = 389, and if you include sprue waste--at least, if you are pouring decent bullets, you will have a fair amount of it--you can cut this down to well under 300. Besides, my 10lb Lee pot never held more than 8-9 lbs without overflowing anyway, and like cajun shooter says, unless you are using single- or double- cavity molds and only casting occasionally you will be much happier with a 20lb + pot. Been there, done that.

lathesmith

[jsizemore]

If your trying to be frugal, then don't have to buy something twice. A lee 10lb bottom pour costs $56 and the 20lber costs $65 (Graf's prices). That's $9 to cast twice as long at a more consistent temp and produce consistent boolits without having to wait to refill and bring everything back to temp with the 10lber. After you make this discovery the hard way, It costs you the price of both minus what you can get for the 10lber plus shipping.

It ain't worth a moments thought if you'll cast any volume, like 700 - 200 grain boolits without having to refill your pot.

Save your money and buy it once.

[Cowboy T]

Agreed. I'm still in the middle of a 105gr LSWC run, and Lee's 20lb pot does the job. Slight leakage sometimes, but not obtrusive.

[songdog53]

Have used a 10# pot for last 20 years and if or when gives up ghost will get a 20# lee...yes leaks some but because i don't remember to turn screw often enough till notice pile but it goes right back in pot and keep casting.

[45nut]

I have been using my Lee Pro 4-20 for about ten years and it has always surprised me how much of a bargain it is.

[Sully]

Midway has the Lee Pro 4 20 on sale right now for $57.99 Thats tuff to beat. I got mine a few weeks back....love it!

[roaddog1m]

I have a Lee 20# bottom pour and love it!!! I also wish they made a 40# pot!

[Boolseye]

Lee–and get the 20#. You won't be sorry.

[Patrick L]

Can't add much to what's already been said. I used a Lee 10# pot from 1989 until just a few years ago when I bought the 20#er. They didn't make the 20# pot when I started, but nowadays with such a small difference in price it makes no sense NOT to get the 20#er. Oh, and my 10#er still works great, I use it as a feeder pot for the big one.

Much as I like RCBS, and I do believe you generally get what you pay for, it doesn't add up in this case. If the Lee cost $55 and the RCBS $110 or so, then I'd think about it. But as good as it is, the RCBS is NOT six times the pot. Midway has it for $350.00.

[Shooter6br]

Lee 20lb Pro 4 great melter. $63 bucks Mid South or Midway

[dicko]

The Lee 20lb pot is the best value by far. At $350 the RCBS is so over priced its a joke. Somewhere else on this forum was a complaint that Magma increased its 90lb pot from $325 to $500. That's a lot, but Magma's 40lb pot must be a bit less. I've used one for years for commercial casting. For sheer durability and precise temperature control its unbeatable. If it could be had for $400 or even $450, it would be a bargain compared with RCBS. Magma is not cheap but is serious professional gear. Lee, RCBS, Lyman are amateur gear. Nothing wrong with that. The point is that Lee offers a good product at a dirt cheap price. RCBS offers a product not at all superior to Lee, at a price damn near that of the hugely superior Magma. Its ridiculous, and anyone who buys an RCBS melter has more money than sense. If you want to spend that much buy Magma. If not, buy Lee, its no contest.

[geargnasher]

Get the Lee Pro 4-20, did anyone mention that? :kidding:

You won't be sorry. It's a lot easier to keep the temp consistent the more lead you have in the pot. The five pounds on the bottom is just "seed" lead, keeps the temp consistent and the pressure going, plus it gives you some extra to play with. The top 5 lbs requires turning down the valve adjustment due to too much head pressure, and often you have to crank the heat up a little bit to keep a full 20-lb pot at the same temp that it would be with only ten pounds in it. Overall, even if you only cast five pounds a session, doing it with a 3/4 full 20 pounder is better than a full ten-pounder.

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