Melting Pots

[leadmonkey]

I see a big variety of used casting equipment listed in the swappin & sellin section. One would think that there would be casting pots too, but in looking back several weeks, I haven't seen but one or two.

What makes them so rare? Is that the sort of thing that people hang onto? Just wonderin'.

[Vinne]

I've been using mine for over 30 years. I picked up another 8 years ago and each will hold about 75#. I started out small and worked my way up over the years. Like most here you have to be lucky enough to run acress one or catch someone getting out of casting. Either way keep your eyes open and don't give up...you'll catch a deal one of these days. Until then don't be shy about starting small and living the good life.

[BPShooter]

My Dad has a 20lb flat bottom cast iron pot, that he won't part with. I've been doing all the casting for several years, can't remember the last time he lit a fire under it. He's probably had it for 50 years, just can't part with it yet. Really good pots are rare, his is the only one I've ever seen that I really wanted.

[CastingFool]

I use a helium tank (off one of those party packs where you get like 100 balloons and a tank of helium) cut in half to do my smelting. Sure it's thin, but it didn't cost me anything. It'll hold 30 lbs of lead easily.

[pworley1]

Sometimes you find them when you don't expect to. I once found a 50# pot at the scrap metal yard while looking for lead. I got it for the price of scrap cast.

[country gent]

I use a cast iron dutch oven for most casting and have a 30 lb pot for smaller batches. Any heavy steel pot or cast iron pan or pot will work. Most that have a pot are using it and wont give it up. Even when they upgrade to a bigger pot the old one is saved for other alloys or testing.

[bangerjim]

For CASTING.........buy a Lee 4-20 bottom pour. You do not need more than 15# of alloy at a time!! That is the only way to go for CASTING. They are on all the on-line sales houses in stock.

For SMELTING........buy a big iron pot or steel tank bottom. Size depending on size of your heat source (turkey fryer) and amount you want to smelt at at time.

banger

[dikman]

Once someone gets a pot that works - casting or (s)melting - they're not likely to let go of it, simply because it works.

[leadmonkey]

What I meant to say was a casting pot. I already have a melting/smelting pot. By the time I realized my error, the software wouldn't let me change the thread title.

I would guess there has to be tens of thousands of Lee 10 and 20# pots out there. Yet it's rare to see a used one for sale.

[cbrick]

For CASTING.........buy a Lee 4-20 bottom pour. You do not need more than 15# of alloy at a time!! That is the only way to go for CASTING. banger

The ONLY WAY! 15 pounds is more than enough! Really? Wow, learn something new everyday.

Obviously those two statements are only accurate if that's what your willing to settle for.

Rick

[bangerjim]

The ONLY WAY! 15 pounds is more than enough! Really? Wow, learn something new everyday.

Obviously those two statements are only accurate if that's what your willing to settle for.

Rick

Well...... your are pouring no more than, maybe maximum, 300gn of lead at a time. That's around 350 boolits from 15#. All you do is keep feeding your bottom pour pot when it gets down to about 1/2 way, as I do. My arms get tired after casting 3-400 slugs, so my statement IS fact.........for me and many others that enjoy this hobby.

If you cast thousands and thousands at a time non-stop in one session........more power to you! Just when do you find time to shoot them??????? You are always too busy casting!

banger

[dragon813gt]

The ONLY WAY! 15 pounds is more than enough! Really? Wow, learn something new everyday.

Obviously those two statements are only accurate if that's what your willing to settle for.

Rick

I'm along these lines. The Lee pot is small for my current needs. Once I get rolling I don't want to stop. I can drain a pot quickly when pouring 230 grain 45 bullets. But this is my opinion and only applies to me.

[376Steyr]

As to why few people sell spare melters, it is really handy to have a pot dedicated to each alloy you use. Plus a high volume caster can keep "on-deck" alloy melting and add it to the casting pot as needed. Somebody posted a set up with a modified Lee 20 lb pot mounted above a Lyman (IIRC). Put a ingot in the Lee, get it up to temperature, open the spout and pour it into the Lyman.

[OuchHot!]

I've found the utility of having multiple pots with different alloys (I shoot cartridge bp, muzzleloaders, pistol and rifle at several intensity levels....same alloy isn't optimum for each) far outweighs the small amount I would recover in selling a pot. I have lots of arthritis and don't like long sessions but surely want more than 15# capacity.

[cbrick]

. All you do is keep feeding your bottom pour pot when it gets down to about 1/2 way, as I do. My arms get tired after casting 3-400 slugs, so my statement IS fact.........for me and many others that enjoy this hobby. banger

Ah, now that's accurate, but you didn't say that before. The way you wrote it the first time you basically said it's good enough for me so that's all you need. Not so. Each should do it the way they are most comfortable, for me that's not 15 pounds of alloy and certainly not a dripomatic.

As a side note there are other reasons besides casting thousands of boolits at a time for more than 15 pounds of alloy.

Rick

[EdZ KG6UTS]

Once someone gets a pot that works - casting or (s)melting - they're not likely to let go of it, simply because it works.

My old SAECO bottom dump is back on line after reworking the temp control/thermostat. Not just for muzzle loader and BCPR bullets it is great for fishing weights we use in Baja. Friends have other melters/furnaces and we swap back and forth as needed.

EdZ KG6UTS

[country gent]

When I start casting the big 45s Up to 550grns each I can run thru 15-20 lbs of lead pretty quickly. I also like the bigger pot for consistency of the batch of alloy and temp spikes drops are much slower in a bigger pot. I also have several friends that come over and cast with me. We sit around my big pot ladling out bullets and discussing the projects were working on. Also being older and in my case disabled the added people give some security if an accident should happen. My frame weed burner and dutch oven work great for me and what we do. Total for the 3 of us is around 1200 of these bigger bullets 400-550 grains total. Thats around 85lbs of alloy. I have considered a new lyman 25lb pot but they arent available yet and what I have works.
A small shallow steel pot or pan will get you started and with experience make a choice how you want to improve.