Lyman Big Dipper furnace

[Laredo]

I have been using my Coleman 2 burner stove over the past couple of years for both smelting and casting. It worked just fine other than being a little un-economical. So I just recently bought a Lyman Big Dipper furnace to use for casting. The problem is I have to keep it set on maxine to keep my ladle/metal hot enough. I honestly thought it would have more reserve BTUs. Mt father-n-laws Lee 10# bottom drip does.
Was wondering if anyone else has this same issue or is mine just defective in that regard?

I actually had far less issues making boolits with the Coleman gas burner.
Thats what happens when one gets a little knowledge I suppose.

[imashooter2]

I got one and had the same issue. It cycled on and off way too quickly and there wasn't enough "on" time to really heat anything. I took it apart and bent the contacts so it stays on a lot longer on a cycle. It is much better now, but I won't say that I'm happy with it.

[revwitha9]

I've been using a Lyman Big Dipper for a couple of years now. The temperature adjustment seems to work fine on mine. I'm wanting to graduate to a bottom pour furnace soon, however. I like the new Lyman Mag 25 digital furnace, but really didn't want to go digital with my boolit casting yet! Any recommendations on a bottom pour pot?

[Ed_Shot]

I've been using a Big Dipper for 3 yrs with no problems. I have a "scratch" mark right at the 8th tick mark on the dial where mine holds 700 degrees according to my Tel-Tru thermometer.

[Laredo]

I got one and had the same issue. It cycled on and off way too quickly and there wasn't enough "on" time to really heat anything. I took it apart and bent the contacts so it stays on a lot longer on a cycle. It is much better now, but I won't say that I'm happy with it.

ImaS2,
I'll give that try.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I've been using a Lyman Big Dipper for a couple of years now. The temperature adjustment seems to work fine on mine. I'm wanting to graduate to a bottom pour furnace soon, however. I like the new Lyman Mag 25 digital furnace, but really didn't want to go digital with my boolit casting yet! Any recommendations on a bottom pour pot?

Considering Lyman's crappy customer service, my recommendation would be to go RCBS.

[revwitha9]

Thanks Dave! I'll give the RCBS a good look. I've never had to deal with Lyman's customer service department so I appreciate knowing about the potential problem that exists in the event I needed to return something.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Thanks Dave! I'll give the RCBS a good look. I've never had to deal with Lyman's customer service department so I appreciate knowing about the potential problem that exists in the event I needed to return something.

In the past few years of reading about casting and reloading on multiple forums, their service consistently shows up as being the absolute worst out there. I'm the kind of guy that likes/prefers to source equipment from as many vendors as possible, but seeing how they treat their paying customers, I hate to spend a nickel with them. And since I want/need some M-dies for rifle reloading various milsurps, this puts me in a tough spot: Have a tall and short M-die .30 caliber custom made or pay for a Lyman. To be honest, my leanings right now are to have the dies custom made.

[imashooter2]

And since I want/need some M-dies for rifle reloading various milsurps, this puts me in a tough spot: Have a tall and short M-die .30 caliber custom made or pay for a Lyman. To be honest, my leanings right now are to have the dies custom made.

Look at RCBS Neck Expanding dies if you don't want to buy Lyman. Many sizes available and you can get away with a single die for long and short.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/743845/rcbs-neck-expander-die-309?cm_vc=ProductFinding

[cbrick]

since I want/need some M-dies for rifle reloading various milsurps, this puts me in a tough spot: Have a tall and short M-die .30 caliber custom made or pay for a Lyman. To be honest, my leanings right now are to have the dies custom made.

The recommendation for the RCBS dies are spot on. Here's a recent thread on this topic.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?235574-Are-you-a-fan-of-the-M-die

Rick

[Laredo]

Like one Colorado-an said to another Colorado-an: "Oh what a difference your pot makes!"

After 3 casting sessions with the Lyman Big Dipper, I quickly realized that it wasn't going to cut the butter. So I bit the lead boolit, so to speak, and ordered a Lee 4-20 bottom pour from MidSouth Shooters Supply. Got it in yesterday and starting playing with it last night. Incredible difference between it and the Big Dipper. The Lee gets much hotter much faster and has a lot more reserve BTUs. Only needed to run at the 6 setting on the dial vs. the Maxine setting on the Lyman.

I think I am going to like the bottom pour thingy also. When I get a drip, just turn the screw valve just a tad, no more drip.

Will try the bending of the contacts thing tonight on the Lyman and see if it would make a spare fondue pot or, with any luck, a mould warmer.

[imashooter2]

There is plenty of wattage available on the thing. It is just their implementation of the "thermostat" is somewhat less than optimal.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

There is plenty of wattage available on the thing. It is just their implementation of the "thermostat" is somewhat less than optimal.

In this case, some sort of simple thermocouple control of the heating element would be the best way to implement a permanent fix of the "thermostat" and do a major temperature control improvement at the same time. But the fact remains it shouldn't need to be so.

What bugs me about this the most is people constantly rip on Lee, whose products are very inexpensive compared to anyone else's, whose customer service is generally very good and who does seem to be improving their product line/offerings, but no one seems to really rip on Lyman for stuff that's been crappy for years and years.

What's the deal? I just don't understand. Lyman offers several substandard products or products with defects that shouldn't even be there, has poor customer service for the most part and often charges for things that ought to be covered under warranty.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Look at RCBS Neck Expanding dies if you don't want to buy Lyman. Many sizes available and you can get away with a single die for long and short.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/743845/rcbs-neck-expander-die-309?cm_vc=ProductFinding


The recommendation for the RCBS dies are spot on. Here's a recent thread on this topic.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?235574-Are-you-a-fan-of-the-M-die

Rick

Gentlemen, thank you for the links and the information. Looks like a good alternative to the Lyman M-dies with much less hassle. Looks like I'm going to need to do a post with the calibers I want to reload lead for and get some recommendations on which RCBs dies to buy.

My apologies to the original poster, I had no desire to start a thread within your thread.:/

[Laredo]

Gentlemen, thank you for the links and the information. Looks like a good alternative to the Lyman M-dies with much less hassle. Looks like I'm going to need to do a post with the calibers I want to reload lead for and get some recommendations on which RCBs dies to buy.

My apologies to the original poster, I had no desire to start a thread within your thread.:/

No problem. I've done that myself before.

[dikman]

Sounds like that Lyman pot is a perfect candidate for a PID control, and bypass the built-in controller completely. Yeah, I know, not everyone wants a PID (fair enough, too) but in this case it's probably the only way to make it into a usable unit.

[Laredo]

I got one and had the same issue. It cycled on and off way too quickly and there wasn't enough "on" time to really heat anything. I took it apart and bent the contacts so it stays on a lot longer on a cycle. It is much better now, but I won't say that I'm happy with it.

Well Imas2, I tried your suggestion and it was a good one.
It helped a bunch and seems to work great with my one Lyman cast iron mold.
However it still leaves a lot to be desired with my Lee C285-130-R mould.
Thanks for the suggestion, it was a good one!

[Trinidad Bill]

Great! I just ordered one of those dogs from Brownells.

[imashooter2]

I wonder if swapping in one of the "thermostats" from a Lee pot would help? I'll have to take mine apart and look at the connections again.

[goofyoldfart]

can someone clarify was does PID stand for? thank you and God Bless to all and theirs.
Goofy

[imashooter2]

can someone clarify was does PID stand for? thank you and God Bless to all and theirs.
Goofy

Proportional-integral-derivative. It is an electronic control device that maintains a much more accurate pot temperature than the simple bimetal "thermostats" used in inexpensive pots.

[goofyoldfart]

Imashooter: Thank you for that clarification. old fart like me has some problems keeping up with this new fangled stuff sometimes. thanks again. God Bless to you and yours.

Goofy aka Godfrey or Goofyoldfart

[Laredo]

I wish the Castboolit forum had a dictionary defining ALL the acronyms used on this website.

[rondog]

I wish the Castboolit forum had a dictionary defining ALL the acronyms used on this website.

Acronyms should be outlawed, in my opinion. They make me crazy.

Although I haven't started casting (I still have thousands of assorted cast handgun bullets, and thousands of jacketed rifle bullets), I traded some brass to a feller for a bunch of casting stuff - ingots, ingot mold, dipper, molds, finished bullets, etc., and a furnace. Yes, it's a Big Dipper.

I haven't fired it up to check performance, but needless to say this thread is discouraging.

So, any details on this "bending the contacts"? Exactly what do you do?

And this PID controller - where do you get these and how do you install them?

FWIW, I just took the control panel off and looked the wiring over, but only briefly. Just for a looky.

[imashooter2]

When you remove the thermostat you will find 3 metal leaves. 2 of these have contacts on them and one is a bimetal that bends when heated to open the contacts. Bend the bimetal leaf away from the contacts. A very small change in the bimetal position makes a big difference in the thermostat properties

[rbertalotto]

Check your line voltage.......If you are running below 115V you will have issues with any heating element.

[rbertalotto]

BTW, isn't there some plumbing supply company that make a fantastic pot for reasonable $$