My Ballisti-Cast Mark IV Arrived Today

[6bg6ga]

My Mark IV Arrived today



I received a call today from Derek from Ballisti-Cast letting me know that they were going to be in the neighborhood on the way home from some business in Florida and would it be possible to meet with them. I was able to manage a yes I will make time. They arrived later Mike, Derek, and Chuck and I was able to finally connect a face with a voice. They wasted no time backing their truck into my driveway to unload what seemed to be a very large crate containing my Mark IV. They tore the crate apart and I was able to manage a wow that is one massive machine.



They set the Mark IV on my bench and set forth to install the mold sets and explain the operation. The workmanship on the Mark IV is second to none. As a former plant inspector my eyes were examining every aspect and detail of the machine looking for possible flaws in this completely hand made machine. No shipped in castings in this Mark IV because the frame and guts are hand made. It would seem that quality is a commodity that is still available at least at Ballisti-Cast anyway.



The huge lead pot sits upon an engineered hand built sturdy frame that is designed to bolt easily on your bench. The pot is designed to provide a precise alignment to any of the molds that you care to bolt in. I do suggest that you perform a visual before trying to move a fully loaded hot pot of lead. Once I remembered to remove the oil residue from machining work on the molds it cast absolutely perfect bullets in about 7 cycles of operation.



I always had to view parts in terms of form, fit, and function in addition to the tolerances given me on a print. I'm simply in awe with this machine because of the thought in terms of engineering and engineering simplicity that have gone into this machine. Anything needed to provide precise alignment and operation is there and its just plain simple to grasp immediately looking at it. I mentioned pot alignment already and add to that individual pour adjustment for each bullet cavity well as an adjustable stop for the pour rod movement.



I found that the machine can melt 45 lbs of lead faster than my 10 lb pot does. With shoulders hurting from the onset of arthritis I can still easily cycle this machine a lot easier than holding my 4 cavity mold under my 10lb pot trying to cast bullets. I found myself running thru a pot of lead without one bullet sticking in my molds. Its as simple as depressing the lead fill lever and filling the molds and moving the handle and having sprue material on one side of the press and finished bullets on the other side. Mike was kind enough to program their secret temperature into the PID control center and let me tell you it works flawlessly. I had always cast at a hotter temperature and the temp I use now works great. With an hour into the Mark IV and 1500 or so bullets on the table I have no buyers regret at all.



With scarcely an hour of operation into the machine I look at it wondering if I would change anything. To be honest here I would make several minor changes. Being into the electronics side of things now I would have a PC board made for the electrical wiring to help streamline the work needed in the machine control portion of things. Being picky I would make a stainless steel bullet shoot simply because I like shinny things...LOL. Since I started the bullet counter post several years ago I have already envisioned a bullet counter scheme for this machine.



Good things have come about at Ballisti-Cast since they were purchased by the Sand's less than 2 years ago. Basically he purchased the name and a few on the shelf parts. They have been plagued by machine malfunctions and the need to re-design parts that to be blunt simply weren't designed to provide the functionality that Mike has in mind for the company. Its been a long haul for the Ballisti-Cast crew to basically go from nothing to full speed making machining operations actually work and function for them.



As a Ballisti-Cast owner ( I own a Mark VI ) I knew the quality that they are capable of and the quality of their finished products. Mike and Derek simply demand the best for their customers or it doesn't go out the door. In terms of the customer it can mean delays but on the brighter side it also means you are not calling for parts that break or questions because something isn't working correctly. Stick in there guys if your lucky enough to be on the list because very soon you will receive your machine if you already haven't.



In closing I have to say that I'm a very satisfied Ballisti-Cast owner and repeat customer and yes it was worth the wait.

[6bg6ga]

681886818968190

[rodsvet]

Those guys are first rate and their products are second to none! Wish I could have hung in there. Joe, leave it to me in your will!!! Rod

[6bg6ga]

Rod,

I called my son on the phone and asked him to come over and see it and he was just amazed with the functionality and smoothness of the Mark IV. His comment was "That is plain awesome" now we will have to build a nice bench to go with the bullet caster that will hold the Mark VI also. He nicknamed it "The Green Mark IV Machine" I went thru the pile of ingots that I had in plain sight and went into my reserve supply under my steel bench on the other side of the garage. I'm down to buckets of wheel weights now to melt down to make ingots. Mike and Derek weren't kidding about the production rate of this machine. There is only one thing that would have made me happier and would be to have purchased the Mark X machine.

As I mentioned above I wouldn't change much on it. They have done their homework on this series of machines. I'm going to take Thursday and Friday off this week to play with my new machine. My son has Thursday off also and he is going to bring a friend over so between the three of us we should be able to get some lead melted and ready to process in the Mark IV.

To those that haven't recieved their Mark IV's or Mark X's yet I will tell you to get your lead supply ready to process in your machine because its addictive as once you start you do not want to quit. Running the Mark IV is better than sex. [smilie=w:

[SpotHound]

Did they say how long til they are taking orders again?

[jroc]

Sweet

[Tab812]

I am happy for you!!! Congrats!!!
It has been a long road, but I'm sure well worth the wait....
Did they say anything to you about the others on the list?
How long it will be before they get the remaining 10 out?
I live in indiana, wish I was on their route to somewhere...lol

I have about 1800 lbs stacked waiting for ours to arrive.
The guy who went in with me has somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 lbs.
I think we are ready.....lol

[6bg6ga]

QUOTE=Tab812;2184893]I am happy for you!!! Congrats!!!
It has been a long road, but I'm sure well worth the wait....
Did they say anything to you about the others on the list?
How long it will be before they get the remaining 10 out?
I live in indiana, wish I was on their route to somewhere...lol

I have about 1800 lbs stacked waiting for the MarkIV and Mark X to arrive.
The guy who went in with me has somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 lbs.
I think we are ready.....lol[/QUOTE]

It doesn't take much time to go thru the pot full of lead. Like I said in an above post...its really addictive. Time goes by so fast when running the machine and you don't get tired running it. Casting by hand with a 4 cavity mold really got tiring after 2 hours at the most. With my old 10 lb pot I could never get the temp correct and I was always adding ingots and having to wait for the temp to catch up.

I can't speak for Mike or Derek but after reading their post a while back in the group buy I am assuming the machines are in the process of shipping. This is a question for them to answer. As to the wait..... my comments on their products is true and you will get to experience their quality when you receive your machines. Yes, I was impatient also. Like I said its worth the wait. Anytime I can purchase a product that has been designed correctly and designed to last and built by hand I will purchase that product even if it means I have to wait a while to get the finished product.

What was your address again? I believe I need to borrow 1800 lbs of lead :lovebooli

[ssnow]

It's my understanding that the Mark IV's are ready to ship, mine should be here later this week. I'm getting pretty excited :)

I'd guess the Mark X's to still be out a couple of weeks. I know that the Ballisti-Cast guys had to go down south to take care of a commercial customer, that always jacks with your schedule.

[6bg6ga]

It's my understanding that the Mark IV's are ready to ship, mine should be here later this week. I'm getting pretty excited :)

I'd guess the Mark X's to still be out a couple of weeks. I know that the Ballisti-Cast guys had to go down south to take care of a commercial customer, that always jacks with your schedule.

I would rather deal with a company that is swamped with orders and is always busy. My dealings with Derek and Mike at Ballisti-Cast has always been positive because they have never failed to return my emails and or phone calls. The fact that they are swamped is a very positive sign in my opinion as it tells me they have plenty of business as a result of doing things right. Sure.. I waited for my Mark VI and it showed up. The result of my wait was an extremely well built excellent performing machine that I don't think could ever be broken. I waited for my Mark IV and the result is a fantastic machine that might end up with my wife making a bed in the garage for me next to the machine because I send more time with it than I do her. I do come in for meals.

I have one slight problem and that is I simply cannot find enough lead so I would be more than happy to take donations if offered.

[Chilmonty]

That looks like a piece of junk and you should get rid of it.............I'll take it! :)

[6bg6ga]

I decided to do a time study on my Mark IV yesterday. The results are interesting to say the least. With a 9 mm 125 gr and a 95 gr 380 mold setup in the Mark IV I am managing 30 bullets a minute which with my math equates to 1800 an hour. I find the blower attachment a necessary and wish I had opted for a second blower which would speed me up even further. I find that thanks to the individual lead drop tube adjustments I can provide an even smooth feed of lead to the mold. In playing with the larger bullets molds of 225 and 200 gr I can play with the individual tubes stop travel adjustment and fill the large molds quicker. The Mark IV is no slouch by any means but I sure envy you guys getting the Mark X's as the extra stations at the 1/4 turn will only increase your production and your appreciation of this fine machine even more.

The regret I have is paying for the Mark IV with the cash I had instead of purchasing a Mark X and putting the difference on a credit card.

[ssnow]

The regret I have is paying for the Mark IV with the cash I had instead of purchasing a Mark X and putting the difference on a credit card.

Yeah, but you knew it would be that way :)

But, I think you could still do that if you really wanted. You could sell it for full price and put the money towards a Mark X. It would be a good deal for someone, no waiting :) Besides, they are not making any more Mark IV's, dropping them for the Mark X's. Somebody would want it.

Personally, I think making the Mark IV is good business, as a good competitor to the MasterCaster. Some guys will opt for the MasterCaster if there is no Mark IV, rather than making the price leap to the Mark X. But, on the other hand, they only have so much time and production ability..... so they have to find the right balance for their capabilities and business needs.

I ordered both :)

[6bg6ga]

Yeah, but you knew it would be that way :)

But, I think you could still do that if you really wanted. You could sell it for full price and put the money towards a Mark X. It would be a good deal for someone, no waiting :) Besides, they are not making any more Mark IV's, dropping them for the Mark X's. Somebody would want it.

Personally, I think making the Mark IV is good business, as a good competitor to the MasterCaster. Some guys will opt for the MasterCaster if there is no Mark IV, rather than making the price leap to the Mark X. But, on the other hand, they only have so much time and production ability..... so they have to find the right balance for their capabilities and business needs.

I ordered both :)

I'm not complaining by any means.. when I cast now it is so effortless that its just amazing. I guess you simply cannot take the factory experience out of me and I simply desire to be more efficient and more productive. The machine is flawless in its engineering and simplicity of operation. I have had zero problems with bullet sticking or malfunction. I've had people over to the house wanting to be my best friend so that I will let them cast some bullets on the Mark IV. None have offered their 21 year old virgin daughter yet for the use of my machine and that is probably good because the wife may not understand that.

I would be interested to read your impressions of the Mark IV and Mark X when you get them.

In respect to the Mastercaster...... its probably a good machine for what it is. I personally don't like the frame that is made of a simple casting as I prefer a hand built frame. The Mastercaster might be easier to get right now but one needs to realize what they are purchasing. The Mastercaster has provisions for one bullet mold only and while it lends itself to automation so does the Mark IV. One bullet mold verses two or four.....its a no brainer.

[ssnow]

I think the MasterCaster is a fine machine, I have nothing bad to say about it. Just saying that at the price point, the Mark IV is a tough competitor for the MasterCaster to beat. But, the Mark X will lose sales to the MasterCaster that the Mark IV would have won, simply on the price.

Of course, it's not really a fair comparison, but that's what's available.......It is what it is.

I'd bet we will see more Mark IV's produced, after Ballisti-Cast has time to catch up with all their current orders. I think the demand will be high, once all the current units are out there in use, and everyone begins to hear all the positive reports, like yours :)

[6bg6ga]

I think the MasterCaster is a fine machine, I have nothing bad to say about it. Just saying that at the price point, the Mark IV is a tough competitor for the MasterCaster to beat. But, the Mark X will lose sales to the MasterCaster that the Mark IV would have won, simply on the price.

Of course, it's not really a fair comparison, but that's what's available.......It is what it is.

I'd bet we will see more Mark IV's produced, after Ballisti-Cast has time to catch up with all their current orders. I think the demand will be high, once all the current units are out there in use, and everyone begins to hear all the positive reports, like yours :)

I didn't mean to sound like I was throwing mud at the MasterCaster as that wasn't my intention. I was trying to state that for not that much more money the production capability could be increased considerably by the purchase of the Mark IV and as my observations point out it is a better purchase because of the construction and performance. I'm not going to try to speculate on Ballisti-Casts intentions for what models they wish to carry. I'm sure they have a handle on costs and man hours when manufacturing their machines. Maybe the real test of what any company does is in the feedback the receive from their customers and the percentage of satisfied customers. I'd be willing to bet the feedback is going to be very good on both machines.

[TES]

Man I'm jealous.

[6bg6ga]

Man I'm jealous.

Absolutely nothing to be jealous about. All you have to do is contact the good people at Ballisti-Cast and ask them if they will put you on a waiting list. Like I said its worth the wait and I would do it again in a heart beat.

[Fathersalt]

A fully loaded and automated Mark X ~ $6500 vs. Mark 8 Master Caster ~ $11,500. Roughly the same production capability. But thats almost two Mark Xs for the price of one Mark 8. Take into account engineering and quality. I dont see that Ballisticast has any competition after their production catches up.
Bear in mind I own neither one. Just my perspective as a consumer who wants the highest quality affordable for my hard earned buck.
Buy once and buy right, I confirmed this principle after buying my first Accurate Mold a few months back. Work of Art.

[6bg6ga]

A fully loaded and automated Mark X ~ $6500 vs. Mark 8 Master Caster ~ $11,500. Roughly the same production capability. But thats almost two Mark Xs for the price of one Mark 8. Take into account engineering and quality. I dont see that Ballisticast has any competition after their production catches up.
Bear in mind I own neither one. Just my perspective as a consumer who wants the highest quality affordable for my hard earned buck.
Buy once and buy right, I confirmed this principle after buying my first Accurate Mold a few months back. Work of Art.

I couldn't have said it better.

My father who is no longer with us taught me one thing by his example of what not to do when purchasing equipment. As a young one growing up I watched him purchase something that was less than what he really wanted in terms of quality and features. He never would wait if needed to purchase what he wanted but instead purchased what was available despite the fact the item either didn't have the features that he wanted or possibly the engineering it really needed. I watched things break or watched him break something because it didn't function and or quit functioning correctly. As a result I learned for the most part patience and the ability to say I can wait if it takes waiting in order to purchase what I really want the first time around. Yes, my father spent far more by purchasing the lower priced item and then either breaking it or having it break and then he would purchase the next item in the product line that was a step better in terms of engineering and features and finally he would purchase what he should have purchased and would have been happy with in the beginning. So.. you can buy it once and maybe spend a little more and obtain something that will work for a lifetime or you can do as I have seen done so many times when I was growing up as a child.

In my mind Ballisti-Cast has no competition. When they get ahead there will be no stopping them. Ballisti-Cast has people with the foresight to listen to their customers and look at the market and arrive at the market place with products that will satisfy the most discriminating tastes.

[6bg6ga]

69995

Its addictive.... I find myself coming home from work turning on the Mark IV changing clothes and doing some casting. Picture of about an hours worth of casting.

[6bg6ga]

Ten coffee cans full of cast bullets instead of ingots and I'm out of lead for the week.

Donations will be cheerfully accepted :kidding:

[daniel lawecki]

Looking good nice stash.

[6bg6ga]

I received an email asking a number of questions that I had not addressed earlier in this thread so I will try to answer so that all can read.

I generally feed the Mark IV a diet of wheel weights but I have also fed it commercially made cast bullets and scrap lead flashing. I generally flux the pot two times if needed during a 45 lb load of lead. I generally flux when the pot is loaded and I start out casting and then re-check the pot about 1/2 hr into casting or pot about 1/2 full. I will point out that I had run out of play money and had to go the less expensive route from the Mark X to the Mark IV machine. The Mark IV works flawlessly but I regret not purchasing the Mark X simply because it is a more productive machine with the extra stations and the larger pot. With respect to the molds...... unfortunately I did not purchase the Ballisti-Cast bullet molds and purchased used Magma molds. Now, there was nothing wrong with the Magma molds and they work fine in the Mark IV after the machine work was done on them and the correct sprew plates were installed on them.

With respect to cleaning the pot...... I've never cleaned a pot in my life simply because your never going to get one clean once you put lead into it and start casting and I do leave 1 1/2" - 2" of lead in the bottom of the pot so that it can heat up quickly for the next cycle.

Lubing the dies.... been asked if I lube the dies and no I don't. I have cast a few thousand pounds of lead thru the Mark IV at this time and have not lubed the dies. I do set a slight drag on the sprew plate as instructed by Mike.

[6bg6ga]

I will add more....The machine is bolted to a commercial table that I dug out of a dumpster at a job site and it is arranged so that the handle clearly misses the side of the table. I use a junk amplifier top cover as a method of keeping the bullets on the table and not on the floor. All the bullets drop on that side with 95% of the sprew on the operator side and I will point out that when everything is at operational temperature and molds hot all the sprew drops where it is supposed to but timing by the operator is necessary for the machine to function as designed. When your timing is correct the sprew goes on one side and the bullets on the other but to be honest it makes absolutely no difference to me because I am so happy to have a machine that functions as flawlessly as this one does.

Am I satisfied....... damn straight I'm satisfied but I wish I had that Mark X just for grins. I wish I had matching molds also that were Ballisti-Cast. I have heard comments in the past that questioned the mounting system of the Ballisti-Cast machines and I am completely satisfied with the mounting setup because it drops the bullets and the sprew without having to tap or cycle it several times and the molds are extremely easy to change even when they are at operational temperature when wearing gloves. I find the individual lead drop adjustments a godsend and the adjustment for the lead handle is absolutely a work of art because it allows for lead to drop at the speed it needs it fill different sized molds. When I cast I use two different molds and thus have to sort the bullets by type but that is my problem for not purchasing my molds from Ballisti-Cast.

[SpotHound]

Durn, that makes me want one even more. Ballisticast has had CNC problems pushing delivery dates back.

[6bg6ga]

Durn, that makes me want one even more. Ballisticast has had CNC problems pushing delivery dates back.
If I'm not mistaken Ballisti-Cast has a machine that is going to be delivered this week and set up. This machine will make the wait time go down.

I guess when it comes to anything that deals with reloading there is a waiting list. My suggestion is to get on the list so that your ahead of others that haven't made their minds up yet......and yes its worth the wait.