Casting has become a chore

[heavyd]

I use to love casting. It is becoming increasingly harder to find the time to cast. My Lee Pro furnace is also frustrating as hell to say the least. Is it worth spending the cash on a decent furnace and will it speed up my production?

I shoot so much it seems I can't keep up, so production is key for me. Long-term I want equipment that will fit my needs of 200-500+ rounds per week without the headache. My Lee pot is just such a hassle I have not cast in several months.

[wills]

If you do not insist on a bottom drip furnace, you might consider using the search feature to search for waage.

[Moonman]

Waage pot is a great pot for dipping.

A Magma Engineering Master Caster Machine is really great for casting.

[heavyd]

What Waage pot do you like? I do not see the 4757 on their website. What is your production per hour with one of those pots? Thanks for your help.

[canyon-ghost]

Well, if a fella's furnace bothers him (completely out of casting?) then, I'd say to get yourself the set up you want. Get a system that will automatically fill your needs, if you got the bucks.

As the engine builders say, "how many dollars fast do you want to go?"

[Mal Paso]

You don't say what bothers you but if it's temperature control: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=115724

I just plug my pot in and the PID control keeps it exactly at temperature until I'm ready. Add a hot plate and you can start/stop at will when life happens.

[Roundnoser]

A Magma Engineering Master Caster Machine is really great for casting.

DING...DING...DING! We have a winner! -- I cast bullets in bulk. I have been doing for years with the Lee 6 bangers and a Lee 4-20 pot. I make lots of bullets, but after 1 hour of casting, I feel like just dug a 4 ft. ditch!

I recently caughed up the cash for a new Master Caster. Boy, what a difference. With help and advice from members here (Hello Fred!), I'm casting like a madman without the aches and pains. -- My hourly production rate for 9mm is 700 - 750.

The MC cannot keep up with hand casting in the short run, but over days and weeks, it is 10X more efficient.....AND NO DRIPS!!!!

[wills]

What Waage pot do you like? I do not see the 4757 on their website. What is your production per hour with one of those pots? Thanks for your help.

It is not on the website. You have to send them an e mail.

[cajun shooter]

I have been casting since 1970 and it is no different than any other hobby that attracts men to have in the "MAN CAVE". You may play golf with one club and a putter but will quickly tire of the hassle and frustration it brings . You buy all the better clubs and the game becomes to where it's fun and relaxing and something you look forward to.
This also applies to casting. Although I pan lubed at one time and still do on my larger rifle bullets, nothing beats a good Star set up with the shovel handle and air cylinder.
The casting is fun when you invest enough dollars to get away from the Lee equipment. I know I will have several who swear by them but show me a caster who shoots 500 or more bullets a month that has the money for better equipment and he most likely will be using a different brand than Lee.
I'm stating fact and I don't intend to start the Lee against the world 1000th battle if not more. This is my opinion and you are free to have yours. If yo0u use Lee and are happy then more power to you. I have had nothing but problems from the first day I ever used the stuff for casting including 5 special order moulds that were over $100 each. I ended up sending back for refund on every one.
Now back to helping the OP. If you have the funds and want a care free bottom pour furnace then buy a RCBS.
I only have to put my thermostat on 750 and feed it alloy for years of carefree casting with out one single break down or stoppage. I can't say that about the Lee pots.
You may e-mail or call Wagge for the order of the 4757 and I also have one of those. It is not as fast as a RCBS bottom pour as it is a ladle style of casting but it is as carefree with no problems.
The type of mould you use may also cause you problems and if you choose Lee because of price and it's aluminum alloy then it requires a learning curve for the aluminum material and some quality control on Lee's part to build a good mould .
You may purchase a brass mould from accurate moulds that will beat any Lee mould hands down , no contest.
So in the short of it you may continue to fight with Lee or spend some money to make things easier.
Allow me to say this and that is no matter how good your equipment if you don't slug your guns for proper size, use the proper alloy or spend some time on learning the correct way to cast then it is all for naught.
I will also add that Lee does make some very good equipment that is worth having although it is the reloading tools and none of the casting tools.
I sold my Dillon 550 because of financial reasons and load on a Lee classic Turret which is the best $100 press made.
The book that is on this forum for free downloading is a must read for all who cast.
It is by Fryxell and Applegate and is found in the sticky section. It is called From Ingot to Target and if you plan on staying in the hobby then a download and printout so that it maybe stored in a three ring binder for reference is a must.

[bobthenailer]

A+ on better equipment use at least a 4 cavity mould or larger, if done right you should get between 6 to 7 hundred bullets per hour , have your alloy allready in 1 lb ingots and a Star/magnma lub sizer .
I use a RCBS pot and preheat my ingots & mould, to about 350 degrees, use a low speed fan to cool the sprues , water drop from the mould , and a Saeco 8 cavity mould . I made 2,044 in 1 1/2 hours casting time and spent another 2 hours lubing/sizing them with my Star.

Is that the kind of production your looking for ?
I do the casting in Febuary for the whole years bullet supply and then some , its to cold to do anything else ,
Ive allready cast /lubed/sized 10,500 since the 1st of Febuary 2012

[VHoward]

I had a Lee Production pot 4. It was difficult to get the thing to maintain a temperature from the get go. On top of that, it dripped incessantly no matter what I did. I guess you get what you pay for.

I recently bought the RCBS 22lb capacity bottom pour pot. Finally able to enjoy casting without having to fiddle with temp control and no dripping.

I have it set up on a metal rolling cart. I can move it close to the garage door.

[dale2242]

One reality of life.
It only takes more money to have the best things in life.
You have to decide what it is worth to you.
There are always plated and jacketed bullets if you don`t want to cast....dale

[GLL]

The Waage K-4757 is not a catalog item. They build them especially for ladle casters on a "custom" basis. I own several. The price has gone up a lot in the past few years but they are worth it to me !

Jerry

K-4757
http://www.fototime.com/DF1271887CEBA67/orig.jpg

[Freightman]

I do use a LEE pot and it doesn't drip, my son has one that drips a lot so I guess I am lucky wouldn't do a lot of good as at the present I can't pay attention much less for anything else. I would love to have a "better set up" but not until my financial situation improves. I never cast over an hour or two as it hurts, but it is getting to where shooting hurts so this is the price of approaching eight decades, not a lot of fun but the alternative is not ether.

[heavyd]

A+ on better equipment use at least a 4 cavity mould or larger, if done right you should get between 6 to 7 hundred bullets per hour , have your alloy allready in 1 lb ingots and a Star/magnma lub sizer .
I use a RCBS pot and preheat my ingots & mould, to about 350 degrees, use a low speed fan to cool the sprues , water drop from the mould , and a Saeco 8 cavity mould . I made 2,044 in 1 1/2 hours casting time and spent another 2 hours lubing/sizing them with my Star.

Is that the kind of production your looking for ?
I do the casting in Febuary for the whole years bullet supply and then some , its to cold to do anything else ,
Ive allready cast /lubed/sized 10,500 since the 1st of Febuary 2012

8 cavity mold!? I didn't even know they made them. That sounds right up my alley.

[Dickenscpa]

I've only been casting around a year, but ladle into a two-hole mould has gotten a little old for me too. I have the Lyman ladle and wind up leaving a good portion of lead in the pot that I can't get to. My ladle was nasty/rusty like by my second casting session. I keep cleaning it and boring out the spout, but it looks awful.

A bottom pour and six-banger is in my future. I recently bought a progressive and now can't keep up with it. LOL!

Brad

[Chicken Thief]

If shooting is a joy, then casting has to be foreplay?
It only gets you down if you let it!
Think of the good times you'll have shooting, while you cast, and add an ice cold beer;-)

On the other hand if you have never had to work hard for something then the pleasure of having it is ilusive!

[heavyd]

If shooting is a joy, then casting has to be foreplay?
On the other hand if you have never had to work hard for something then the pleasure of having it is ilusive!

I completely agree with you on this. I am working my tail off and that is why casting has become a chore, because I have so little time. It looks like I should get an RCBS so save on time and frustration.

[Ed in North Texas]

If shooting is a joy, then casting has to be foreplay?
It only gets you down if you let it!
Think of the good times you'll have shooting, while you cast, and add an ice cold beer;-)

On the other hand if you have never had to work hard for something then the pleasure of having it is ilusive!

Good analogies, but I suggest the beer be left for the finish. It tastes better without lead. :kidding:

[GLL]

I've only been casting around a year, but ladle into a two-hole mould has gotten a little old for me too. I have the Lyman ladle and wind up leaving a good portion of lead in the pot that I can't get to. My ladle was nasty/rusty like by my second casting session. I keep cleaning it and boring out the spout, but it looks awful.

A bottom pour and six-banger is in my future. I recently bought a progressive and now can't keep up with it. LOL!

Brad

I ladle cast into two 6-cavity molds with a shortened & reamed out RCBS ladle.
The production rate is almost as fast as a bottom-pour Pro-Melt ! I try for three cycles per minute for a nice comfortable pace with a short break every 15 minutes. That produces a lot of bullets in an hour. Where is the rust on your ladle coming from? A gentle tap of the HOT ladle on the casting bench and the spout is self cleaning.

Jerry

[bobthenailer]

The Saeco 8 cavity moulds have been disconued for some time! I bought my last one sometime in the early 1990s and paid $175.00 for that mould . my first 8 cavity Saeco i paid $133.00 for.
I was somehow smart enough to buy them when they were avalible. and have 5 all togeather
And they are cast bullet making machines! with a rate of between 1200 to 1400 bullets per hour, useing only one mould .

[williamwaco]

I shoot so much it seems I can't keep up, so production is key for me. Long-term I want equipment that will fit my needs of 200-500+ rounds per week without the headache. My Lee pot is just such a hassle I have not cast in several months.



I have the Lee 20 pound production pot. It piddles. I spend about two to three minutes per hour with a screw driver and a paper clip keeping the spout clean and the piddling to a minimum. It never stops. It never will. I don't expect it to. I have owned four "big name" pots. They all piddle. I place an aluminum pan under the spout so the slope of the sidewall is under the spout and causes the piddles to splash away from me. I am told that for only $380.00 I can get an RCBS Pro Melt that never drips a drop. I am a big fan of RCBS equipment always have been. I am a bigger fan of $George$.

That said, With my piddling Lee Production pot and one Lee six cavity mold. I can net about 500 bullets per hour. ( Net of the three minutes lost to cleaning the spout.) The biggest obstacle to production is keeping the mold cool. With two 6 cavity molds, I can push that to around 700 bullets per hour. It is not nearly twice as fast because with two molds there is additional wait time for new metal to melt.

In one Saturday afternoon I can produce enough bullets to shoot 500 rounds per week for seven weeks. Since I average about 200 per week, that quantity will last me four months.

Many years ago, I used two pots and let one heat while I cast from the other and then when the first was empty, refill it and switch to the other pot. With the Lee 20 pound pots and two six cavity molds, you should be able to approach 1000 bullets per hour.

Short of that, you need a higher paying job so you can buy your bullets, or perhaps an apprentice, to cast them for you. I wonder if anyone here is adept at picking lottery numbers?


Cheers,
Getting enough bullets to feed your habit is a problem that is not going to go away.

[imashooter2]

You have unrealistic expectations. The only way to shoot 500 a week without the headache is to buy the ammunition.

Assuming that isn't in the cards, the easiest time saver for pistol shooting is to shoot them as cast and film lubed.

After that, speed costs. How fast do you want to go? Buy virgin alloy to save the gathering and cleaning time. Get a semi or automatic casting machine. Get an automatic sizing machine. Hire a guy to do the casting and loading...

[largom]

Sounds to me like you should be buying your boolits. I handload and cast boolits for the challenge and the FUN. Also because I can say that I MADE THAT. I spent 4 hr. this past Sunday casting three different calibers with four different molds. All of my molds are single or double cavity. After 4 hrs. I had approx. 500 nice shiney boolits. Now I get to inspect them, sort them by weight [+ or - .1 grain] and after they age harden for 4 weeks I will lube/size and shoot them.

Larry

[Circuit Rider]

GLL, do you have any idea how much the K-4757 cost? Guess I could email them and find out. Thanks, CR

[waksupi]

Some fluxes are known rust causers.

[Rockchucker]

I switched over from the the Lee Pro 4-20 awhile back to the Pro Melt and it made a world of difference to me. I think the Lee deffinately (sp) has it place as it did for me starting out casting. You'll know when it's time to make a change. Money seems to be the biggest factor when purchasing equipment. Quality equipment will last you the rest of your life (if you don't sell any of it anyway. Good luck in your decision.

[GLL]

Circuit Rider:

The last one was about $170.00. Pricey but worth every penny to me!
Talk to the young lady @ 908 / 245-9363.

Jerry

[Dickenscpa]

I ladle cast into two 6-cavity molds with a shortened & reamed out RCBS ladle.
The production rate is almost as fast as a bottom-pour Pro-Melt ! I try for three cycles per minute for a nice comfortable pace with a short break every 15 minutes. That produces a lot of bullets in an hour. Where is the rust on your ladle coming from? A gentle tap of the HOT ladle on the casting bench and the spout is self cleaning.

Jerry

I said rust, it's rust colored. More than likely the oxidized lead that gets that rusty color if it gets too hot then cools. I take a wire brush to it or else the next casting session it will get into my new batch for me to skim out.

I made a HUGE mistake last night. All this talk of bottom pour got me wanting one. I bought the Pro 4-20 on the way home. I have one of those roller garage chairs the perfect heighth for working on my Harley. When I built my reload bench, I made it with an adjustable heighth. I can stand or sit in that chair.

When I casted, I would sit in that chair and ladle and pour then drop the bullets. The pot was on the garage floor. Well, I sat this new bottom pour on the floor and sat in that low chair last night. That spout is hard to get to bent over that low like that. It took me forever to get the hang of it and not get wrinkled bullets.

When I finished casting 4 hours later, I couldn't move. My knees and back were locked up. It was 1AM and everybody was in bed. I couldn't make it up the stairs.

I'm gonna have to build me a table to get that up off the floor.

Brad

[GLL]

Brad:

Casting can get to be expensive !
New melting pot = $80.00 !
Physical therapy for bad back =$4000.00
New padded seat for Harley = $350
Tequila pain killer = $32.00
Ask me how I know !! :) :)

Congratulations on the new purchase ! Transitioning back and forth between a ladle and the bottom pour will take some practice !

Jerry

[heavyd]

Circuit Rider:

The last one was about $170.00. Pricey but worth every penny to me!
Talk to the young lady @ 908 / 245-9363.

Jerry

Spoke with Marc and he is a great guy. Quoted me $162 on the pot and $25 shipping and handling.

[Suo Gan]

I use to love casting. It is becoming increasingly harder to find the time to cast. My Lee Pro furnace is also frustrating as hell to say the least. Is it worth spending the cash on a decent furnace and will it speed up my production?

I shoot so much it seems I can't keep up, so production is key for me. Long-term I want equipment that will fit my needs of 200-500+ rounds per week without the headache. My Lee pot is just such a hassle I have not cast in several months.

Yes, a couple RCBS or Lyman pots, a few 4+ cavity molds, a couple of star sizers set up for your various calibers, and a few Dillon Progressives or Hornady LNL presses set up for your particular calibers, and a couple odds and ends would be real helpful to you I think. It's only money! $2,500-$3,000 should about do it. Should all pay for itself in 3 or 4 months.

[heavyd]

Yes, a couple RCBS or Lyman pots, a few 4+ cavity molds, a couple of star sizers set up for your various calibers, and a few Dillon Progressives or Hornady LNL presses set up for your particular calibers, and a couple odds and ends would be real helpful to you I think. It's only money! $2,500-$3,000 should about do it. Should all pay for itself in 3 or 4 months.

I have the Dillon 550 and Star sizer. Looks like I need to grab a pro melt and another mold and I will be doing much better. I guess I can run the Lee pot and the Pro melt at the same time to speed production.

[cajun shooter]

I have used the Pro -Melt for years along with my Wagge for ladle pouring of my large 500 grains and above bullets as it does better than the RCBS for this type of casting. When I 'm in a hurry to cast a large amount of SASS bullets I also use the Wagge pot.
I set it on 750 to have a full pot of alloy to refill the RCBS when it is empty. This allows me to keep going instead of waiting for the RCBS to be back to pour status.
Refill the Wagge and it will have another pot full waiting. This style of casting will tire out my 65 year old body a lot faster than 30 yeras ago. Ha !! Ha!!

[Sonnypie]

Funny, but I run out of lead, before the ambition to cast, generally.
All I need do is look at the catalog (online) prices for bullets.
SUCH and Inspiration to spend time casting! :)

My Lee Pro VI pot behaves for me. I run it a lot like Gearnasher does, keeping it towards the fuller side. And the few times it has "misbehaved", I do some quick giggles with the valve to clear it and it stops the dripping.
I keep a SS condiment cup under it because sometimes I spill lead filling my molds
I do run clean alloys in it. And flux regularly during secessions.

I just looked, (I was in my captive think tank) and 1000 cast bullets from one place was ~$175.
Dawge Gone! A Fella could get a chunk of a furnace for that. 2K would be the price of an RCBS.

Halleluiah! I think I fell back in love with my $67 Lee Pro VI!

I'm retired, so generally I have more time than money. :mrgreen: :violin:
Want to hire me? I could have fun, and you could throw money at me. Such A Deal! :lol:

[Suo Gan]

I have the Dillon 550 and Star sizer. Looks like I need to grab a pro melt and another mold and I will be doing much better. I guess I can run the Lee pot and the Pro melt at the same time to speed production.

To be honest I have not used a Lee pot. I guess there is a procedure to lap them so they do not drip. The Lyman Mag 20 is also an excellent pot.

[Bullet Caster]

Well, I enjoy casting even more than shooting. I still use my Coleman camp stove and cast iron pot for all my casting needs. It goes fast enough without considering any other type of set up. I've never used a bottom pour pot so prob. don't know too much about that. I've only got two cavity moulds and I can cast about 500 - 700 during one casting session. I am a disabled Vet and only have time on my hands. Anyone wanting boolits cast I'd gladly do it with a supply of lead provided. Casting is the most fun of this hobby. BC

[Dickenscpa]

I found an old desk my parents bought me for my dorm when I was in college. I put my new bottom pour up on it and sat it my chair. For grins and giggles I ran 5lb thru it and it went faster, quality boolits and more usable lead than any cast I've done.

The only drips I get is if I pull my mould away just before returning the handle to rest. Maybe 4 drips a session. No big deal really I just stick 'em back in the pot.

I know my back feels WAY better. With a ladle and my pot on the floor, I did 10lbs once and usually had to stop at 8lbs. Sometimes less. I would just lock up. For some reason I thought that bottom plate was hot and I had to be on concrete. I could go for a long time sitting in a chair and the pot eye level.

Brad