lead pots

[subsonic]

I've been using a borrowed, bottom pour 10lb Lee Production pot.

It works OK, except that by the time I get the mould hot enough that it's casting right with wheel weights, the pot has started to run low. Then I play the refill, wait, heat the mould again game. This gets old, as I don't have a ton of free time, eventhough I enjoy casting. I've heard of pre-heating the mould with the pot rim or even dipping it in the lead. Pre-heating on the rim doesn't seem to be really effective, and I couldn't dip the mould if I wanted to, because the bottom pour needle is in the way.

I cast mostly heavy handgun bullets (250gr and more, which is probably why the pot runs dry that quickly) and some rifle bullets in the 160gr range. I use mostly 2 cavity moulds, although I have some Lyman and an NEI 4 cavity moulds that I haven't really played with, and I've been looking at the Lee 6 cavity moulds. I figure these will be even MORE difficult to heat up without running out of lead.

My friend is going to be wanting his little pot back before long. I'm looking at a larger pot, maybe one of the 20lb pots. How do the Lee, Lyman, and RCBS compare? I've never tried ladle casting, but it seems like it would allow dipping the mould to pre-heat it better, and pouring more hot lead on the mould. Is it a lot slower than a bottom pour pot? Or would the quicker pre-heat make up for the slower pouring?

[Swamprat1052]

I have the 20# Lee pot and have no complaints with it. I mainly cast 255 and larger 45 bullets and its all I need. Plus I have never had the problems with it leaking like I hear about the 10 lb. pot.

Swamprat

[454PB]

You're on the right track, you need a bigger pot. I have two of the Lee 10 pound bottom pours and one Pro-4-20. If I need more melt available, I use one of the 10 pounders to help pre-melt and feed the 20 pounder.

Without getting into the quality versus price arguement, you can buy 3 or 4 of the Lee 20 pound bottom pour pots for what some of the other more expensive pots sell for. The 20 pounder also will allow dipper casting and preheating by dunking the mould.

[Scrounger]

I have an old decrepit-looking Lee 10 pounder (NOT bottom pour) that works. It was full of (some kind of) lead when I got it and I melted the lead yesterday to verify it still works. It does. You can have it for $15 plus shipping, with or without lead.

[VTDW]

I use a cheap hot plate to heat my molds.

Dave

[Steelbanger]

None of those expensive Lee pots for me. I use a cast iron burner from an old gas water heater, the burner being mounted on an inverted jack stand which is in turn welded to a 10" square base plate of 1/2" steel. My pot is a cast iron frying pan that holds approx 35 pounds of alloy. This rig has been going strong since 1971 and was produced by a good friend of mine.
Some of my earlier, productive years saw 50 to 100 thousand bullets a year being cast, most of which I traded for whatever I needed. I have a back-up burner in storage for about 25 years but don't forsee any need to break it out yet.

[crabo]

I asked the same question and read a lot before I bought my pot. I bought the 22 pound RCBS Promelt. It was expensive, $300. If you cast a lot of pistol bullets, it is the way to go. It will keep up with a 6 cavity 200 grain mold with no problems. It just works well with no problems, doesn't leak and keeps the lead plenty hot. It will absorb a 3# ingot without cooling down the melt. Read BruceB's speed casting article.

This was the #1 recommended pot for large quantity of pistol bullets. Preheat your molds on a hotplate while your pot comes up to temp, and it shouldn't take but a couple of casts to have good bullets coming out of the mold. I usually just dump the first 5 casts back in the sprue pot.

If you can afford the RCBS, I don't think you will regret it. Then you have to think about lubrisizers and ask about the Star. That is another that costs a little more money, but really kicks up the production.

Crabo

[Cayoot]

I also have very little time to spend at my casting bench, especially at this time of the year when we are so extreamely busy at work.

I would like to make a suggestion to "tweek" your casting a bit.

While casting with my Lee, I pkke a couple ingots pre-heating on the rim of the pot al the time. As soon as there is room in the pot, I add another ingot. I never, ever let the pot get low. The reason I don't let it get low is that I want to keep the ratio of hot melt to new added ingot high. As long as there is always lots of hot melt in my pot, then adding a single fresh ingot (pre heated on the rim of the pot) to the mix does not cool the melt enough to slow down my casting.

If I'm casting at a high production rate (I sometimes am running 3 6 hole moulds at once), then I have 2 Lee pots running. They are cheap enough that I was able to easily afford 2 Lees as opposed to one RCBS.

I must admit,it sometimes seems that I'm spending almost as much time putting fresh ingots in the pot, and then new ingots on the pot rim, as I am spending filling moulds! However, my production rate stays high and I don't waste time waiting for the melt to heat up again.

[Blackhawk Convertable]

Get a hot plate. I've got a double that I use. One for the mold to sit on at times to keep warm, and the other to heat up 3 or 4 muffin ingots at a time. I've got a 20lb (220v) Lee that doesn't even slow down when casting with a 6 cavity mold.

[subsonic]

If I'm casting at a high production rate (I sometimes am running 3 6 hole moulds at once), then I have 2 Lee pots running. They are cheap enough that I was able to easily afford 2 Lees as opposed to one RCBS.



Are your pots 20lb bottom pours?

Thanks to eveyrone for all of the tips. I read the "speed casting" thing a while back, but wasn't quite "ready" for it yet. I'm going to read it again.

[Cayoot]

Are your pots 20lb bottom pours?


Yes, they are both 20 pounders.

A 40 would be nice, but I picked these bothup used (at different times).

As long as I have my ingots on the bench ahead of time and keep putting them on the rim of the pot (two on the rim at all times so that one is always hot), then I don't get slowed down at all.

If I'm just running a couple double cavity moulds, then a single pot will keep up with me.

[EDK]

I've been casting since 1970.

Briefly used a Coleman camp stove and a 4 pound pot--with a 2 cavity mould.

Bought a 20 lb SAECO in 1972 and used it for 20 years. It was rebuilt once and then died after the basement flooded. (I need to investigate a guy in Kansas City area who supposedly rebuilds them, but the parts are buried somewhere.)

I have a LYMAN bottom pour that I use for dipping--another 20 pounder. Other than the bottom pour that is tempermental at best, it's a good unit.

Lately I have an interest in getting the LEE Magnum Melter. For $50 at GRAFS in Mexico MO or MIDWAYUSA, it will do nicely. LEE isn't a Cadillac, but good solid stuff.

If you had some money to burn, investigate the WAAGE over on shiloh rifle forums; or the big MAGMA. Bill Ferguson sells one that looks like the WAAGE.

I have used LEE, LYMAN, HENSLEY & GIBBS, and LEAD BULLET TECHNOLOGY moulds. Unless it is something specialized, I go with 4 or 6 cavity moulds.

Something that will help is to acquire "welders cloth" that is used to catch sparks on industrial welding situations. I work in a power plant and they use it all over the place. I have asked for some gently used pieces of the cloth and use it for covering the floor, the table and the lead pot. Fold a piece one or twice and then cover the pot AND the mould pre-warming on it...it will stop most of the heat loss...and really speeds up the melting process...and the clean up. Also slows down "visits from the tinsel fairy"..... you can tell a boolit caster from the little bits of tinsel on his work boots!

I ought to try the hot plate trick, but I just load the pot and do other things. It melts a lot faster if I'm not watching! And after casting 20 pounds, it's time to wash my hands, get a drink, get a smoke, drain my tank...

Catch you later and Happy Holidays to all,

EDK aka Blue Roan on other forums :castmine: :redneck:

[TAWILDCATT]

SUBSONIC:get the Lee 20 lb pot you have been didling around to long.I have been casting since the late 30s and have used many pots.gilbert toy caster/potter/lyman/saeco and now lee. midsouthshooters has the #20 for about $58.

[VTDW]

I cast a lot of boolits today. I turned on the Lee 10# bottom pour which was full of alloy and also placed the mold on the hot plate and turned it on.

When the alloy reached 700 degrees I reached over and grabbed the mold and began casting excellent boolits from the very first cast. This is typical.

Dave