casting furnaces

[loader]

I was looking at a Lee 110 and 220 drop furnaces. They both only rise to 600 degrees. It's been said that between 700 and 800 is ideal. What say you? I don't mind the wait time, although I thought 220 would be quicker. I would also think that 220 would get hotter.

[Mk42gunner]

loader,

Welcome aboard.

The Lee melting pots will get to considerably over 600 degrees. I had my 4-20 to 800 degrees yesterday while casting some hollowpoints, that is a lot hotter than I normally run it.

Where are you located? The 110 volt ones are normally for North American usage, they can be run on normal household current. The 220 volt ones are normally meant to be used overseas, where the normal voltage is 220. You can use 220 in the states, but will have to have a special circuit ran.

RObert

[loader]

Thanks Robert.... I live in NJ.

Ok.. so they run hotter than advertised. Great. The 110v it is. Thanks.

[RKJ]

loader, I don't know what temp my Lee Pro 4 20 Lb 110 Volt gets to but it melts everything and keeps it well melted. I was just looking at Midway and they have them for $64.99. I know a lot of folks speak ill of Lee furnaces due to them leaking but I like mine. I just put a SS condiment cup (97 cents for 4 at Walmart) to catch the leaks and keep on.

[loader]

The Pot leaks?

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

Yep, they leak but the SS condiment cup works nicely

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[loader]

Yep, they leak but the SS condiment cup works nicely

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

Guess you get what you pay for. Sounds like Lee needs to get some feedback.

[Mk42gunner]

The Pot leaks?

It is more of a drip than a leak. I lapped the valve and stem of my 4-20 with 800 grit compund before I ever plugged it in. Mine drips a little bit, but no deluges. When I am using a ladle, the drips will build up to the spout and self limit.

For the difference in cost between the Lee and a Lyman or RCBS, I can put up with the occasional drip.

RObert

[loader]

I hear ya... not bad for the price.

[DrB]

So what folks didn't mention about the leak in the lee bottom pour pro pot, when I was reading the reviews at midway before ordering, is that every now and then the solidifying drips under the spout form a sharp enough cup that they launch droplets of molten lead out a surprising distance. I find catching this before getting bitten by a stray drop very very irritating.

+1 on the metal cup. Without the steep walls I find I get bitten occasionally.

[Mk42gunner]

Mine hasn't shot splatters at me, yet. It probably will next time I use it now. My drips end up about the size of a dime when they fall all the way to the aluminum shelf, if they start building offcenter I just move the stack of drip art.

If the drip art builds up too much while bottom pouring, I just put it back in the pot like sprues. Just another reason to wear gloves.

Robert

[DrB]

Mine hasn't shot splatters at me, yet. It probably will next time I use it now. My drips end up about the size of a dime when they fall all the way to the aluminum shelf, if they start building offcenter I just move the stack of drip art.

If the drip art builds up too much while bottom pouring, I just put it back in the pot like sprues. Just another reason to wear gloves.

Robert

Hm. Mine has launched about #9 size drips into my collar or at my face. A lower trajectory is more common, but not the rule.

Sometimes the drips build harmlessly, sometimes a steeper cup is formed that'll launch drops. Lot of factors, alloy, melt temp, drip rate... it was happening to me with regularity last night. I'm about po'ed enough to take the thing apart and try lapping it.

[cbrick]

There is a sound, logical reason they are called . . . Dripomatic.

Rick

[Mk42gunner]

Hm. Mine has launched about #9 size drips into my collar or at my face. A lower trajectory is more common, but not the rule.

Sometimes the drips build harmlessly, sometimes a steeper cup is formed that'll launch drops. Lot of factors, alloy, melt temp, drip rate... it was happening to me with regularity last night. I'm about po'ed enough to take the thing apart and try lapping it.

I would definately be lapping that valve and seat, hot #9 shot can do some damage. Fortunately the 4-20 is easy to lap since the rod is straight, I lapped mine until I had what looked like a good mating surface, but I don't have any extra weight on the handle either.


There is a sound, logical reason they are called . . . Dripomatic.

Rick

You are so right on that Rick, I think I would actually prefer a dipper pot, but the bottom pour gives more options. It is a trade off of occasional drips versus convenience.

I still like the electric pot better than using a Coleman stove though. If I ever win the lottery I will buy a Waage soldering pot and be done with it.

Robert

[jmsj]

loader,
A lot of guys find the Lee pot intolerable but I like the two I have. As long as I keep my pot and alloy clean they don't seem to leak very much if at all. If I keep everything clean, if it does drip a small twist with a screwdriver on the valve rod seems to make it stop. I do keep a Lee ingot mold under the spout to catch any drips. For what a RCBS cost I could buy 5 Lee 4-20's
Good luck, jmsj

[dromia]

Like most Lee products if your mindset allows you to look at their stuff as kits that will need finishing off to work properly and continuous fettling to keep working and you are prepared to keep doing these chores then the Lee stuff can be good value for money.

However if you want something to work out of the box as advertised with the minimum of fettling then you will need to look elsewhere.

I'm running two RCBS promelts one bought new and one bought second hand. A lot more dosh than the Lee but I have pots that work as advertised with minimum maintenance needs and better ergonomics and that suits me.

My last 20lb Lee dripomatic was passed on last year and it has had been retired by its current owner for the same reasons I passed it on.

You pays your money and you take your choice.

No doubt about it the Lee is cheap.

Hope the pot GB here will come off as its looking good, I'll be in for one of them if it happens. :D

[Crash_Corrigan]

My second Lee 4-20 is having some serious issues now. The drop rod to seal the exit hole at the bottom has come adrift and I will be only using this one as a pre melting pot and I will run the hot alloy thru a steel channel down to the new pot.

I finally gave up and spring the $300 (Midway Special with a $50 rebate) plus shipping for a Pro-Melt RCBS Casting Furnace.

I am doing so much casting recently that I really need a better furnace. I have little confidence in the Lee 4-20's as the whole alloy pouring procedure is a mess. It is hard to regulate, keep clean and it is always susceptible to major leaking so you cannot leave the pot alone in a room. It is a nasy suprise to find a major volocano cone under your pot and alloy all over the place.

I am getting heavily involved in BPCR shooting and the casting part is really important. Imperfect boolits do not get the job done after 400 yds. The electronic scale is very important to cull out the boolits with internal voids and the like. A well cast boolit is only the beginning of attaining good accuracy but it is a very important part and can be well controlled with decent equipment.

[DrB]

A group buy, huh? I'll look into that...

I wonder about the geometry of the mating surfaces. All lapping does is get more of a mated/concentric surface. Seems like there should be a more optimal geometry. How do the drip less pots valve surfaces mate that makes them more reliable?

[Black Wolf]

I have two Lee 110v pots. The don't leak, they drip a little. As mentioned, the Stainless Steel condiment cups sold at Walmart in the pots and pan section work good to catch the drips.

[MikeS]

What I don't understand is if somebody is going to only ladle cast, why would they buy a Lee 4-20 bottom pour pot? Lee also makes a 20lb pot specifically for ladle casting which doesn't leak, and is cheaper. With the price of the Lee pots, it's easy to have more than one pot, so even if you do both, you can have one for each style of casting! I ladle cast pure lead for ML boolits, and I bottom pour everything else. I have 2 pots, a Lee 4-20 and a Lyman 10# Big Dipper pot. Between the 2 of them I have less invested than a single RCBS pot!

[Nazgul]

I have used Lee pots for almost forty years. The first pot still works. Never found the need for anything fancier. Learned to deal with the leak, lapping works or just throw it back into the pot. Cast at least 10K a year.

Don

[mold maker]

I do like Crash Corrigan, with a LEE pot up top. It feeds a Lyman pot, that also occasionally leaks. No bottom pour pot is completely immune to occasionally dripping.
I bought 2 LEE pots at yard sales. Both had trash in the valve seat. After cleaning and lapping the seat fit, I have one for each alloy I use.
Last time I looked LEE had 2nds/remanf units on closeout, cheap. Now I have a new spare.

[loader]

I assume it leaks by the valve and not the pot case?

[DrB]

I assume it leaks by the valve and not the pot case?

Loader, the lee leaks (drips) from the spout you will pour from.

A drip is a leak... :)

Lee pots are very inexpensive. I think they are a logical choice if you have financial constraints and are just starting out... a lee can be used to get up the learning curve, and you can keep your eye out for a good deal on a better pot.

Besides the basics of casting, you can certainly learn more, and more quickly, about molten lead safety with a lee if you are someone who has to learn the hard way :) (synthetics are bad, eye protection, tight collared shirt with long sleeves, leather shoes good, leather gloves good). Maybe the drip was intended as a training feature. :)