I need help with what to use to repair my lyman pot-there is a non conductive board

[tallpaul]

there is a nonconductive board that holds the power cord leads where the power cord plugs into the leads. My board is crumbling and I need something that will not melt or be conductive- what do I need and where do I get some?

see pictures

[Pipefitter]

Check with your local electrical supply house for a high temperature grommet of the proper size to fit the hole and the power cord.

[tallpaul]

I guess it does not self explain... the two prongs that the power chord plug into are mounted to the small board and that then mounts to the shroud... its more like a baklite board but I do not think baklite is heat resistant... I heard lyman does not support these old furnaces but may be wrong.

[Silver Hand]

If you can find an old piece of asbestos cement shingle, siding or board about 1/8'' thickness, cut out the appropriate size piece, drill two holes in it - Wire it and put it back in the deal. It will work fine as I have done this twice.
Unfortunately when I was a young man in the late 1960 early 1970s I dry cut many thousands of 4'x8' x 3/8'' sheets of this same cement asbestos board and they knew!
So keep it wet control the debris and dispose of it properly.
Silver Hand

[Silver Hand]

I should have said it is junk I will take it. Kidding- Good luck.
Silver Hand

[jimkim]

Google high temp mica sheet, or call a plumbing and electrical supply store and see if they have any mica paper. That's what was originally used. You'll have to make the part. You can also use any high temp non-conductive material. Here's a short video on how to cut it, and punch holes in it. My XX furnace used mica and paper laminate for that piece.

https://youtu.be/1aGzz_G07KY

[Silver Hand]

Like free asbestos - cement board
Silver Hand

[tallpaul]

I should have said it is junk I will take it.

Thats what I told the guy I got it from :) actually I did buy it cheap from a guy at the gun club. I did not know she was broke until I go her home... she may have broke riding in my trunk for a week or so- I did not realize there was a fragile part on them :p

[Minerat]

Check with Scott and see if he has something http://www.scottrestoresit.weebly.com/
Or these threads might give some help too http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?211124-Lyman-Mold-Master-XX-Need-fix (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?211124-Lyman-Mold-Master-XX-Need-fix) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?29672-Rebuilding-Old-Lyman-Mould-Master-pot
They used to call that stuff eisenglass so you might search of that too.
Good luck.

[old cobra]

I got my piece of insulating material from welder repair shop red insulating material not asbestos more like bakalite very stiff and will withstand high temperature about 3/32 of an inch thick.

[jimkim]

Mica is brittle anyway. I made a peice for mine using a piece of plastic between two pieces of cardboard, wrapped in hightemp silicone tape. It worked pretty good. I think I put a little fiberglass insulation on the back side facing the elements and thermostat.

[wv109323]

That is a problem area with this pot. I went through three boards and gave up. The heating and cooling of the terminals make for loose connections. The loose connections make for more heat. The heat will burn up the wiring and the thermostat with time. A source for the mica board is an electrical motor repair shop. They are quite common here in the coalfields.
After rebuilding the wiring three times I went with a PID. I hooked one wire to both sides of the heating element and ran them out to a female plug. These wires I insulated with round wire insulation near the element. It use to be asbestos but nowdays I don't know what it is made of. The PID output has a male plug that hooks up externally to the female plug. The only wiring near the heat is two wires going to the element.
By the time I bought a thermostat and other needed items I was at half the price of the PID. The PID is the best thing I ever did for casting my bullets. You can control lead temperature +or - 10 degrees and know your lead temp. One problem that I did not realize was the time it took to get the lead back to proper temp. after adding ingots for more casting. The Cadillac PID is $80.00.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

I just went through the same thing with my Lyman pot. Fixed this problem, but it has other problems now.
I went to a store that sells repair parts for home appliances, stoves, microwaves etc., I asked for mica in sheet form. He sold me enough to replace the mica and have some left over for $3.50. It is only .010 thick so I made four (4) pieces to give it some strength. It is easy to cut and drill holes in and I didn't have any problems making the parts. If I thought I could get the piece to you without crushing it, I would gladly give it to you. It is very fragile. There is enough to make several pieces.

[tallpaul]

Thanks for the information guys... I will check my weld shop first... I have two of these. The first one dad got forty some odd years back and was the first I used. I bought a rcbs pro melt as my first purchase and they did and do fine. I stumbled over this one when an old friend from the club offered it to me for 20.00 - spares are never a bag thing are they? :) I want to build or buy a larger pot eventually.

[Bruntson]

I'm a hoarder and still have a stack of new asbestos green shingles. Pay the shipping and I'll send you a chunk to fix your furnace. PM me. Asbestos is only dangerous if you breath its dust. I use it to solder on and set newly welded parts on.

[Silver Hand]

I was a dry cutter of asbestos board used for fire proofing the outside walls of large buildings in NYC back in the late 1960-1970s. We had no protection from the dust and wile cutting with a dry saw we walked around in the dust and scraps all day, at times pieces would hit me in the shin or knee wile forcing the saw down the bench. If we as a team could not cut and install 45 sheets in seven hours we would be replaced.

You have nothing to fear if you keep it wet and do not inhale the dust. Just keep it clean and dispose of the waist properly, don't leave the dry drill dust on your garage floor for a child to inhale.

It is a great Material and weather we like it or not everything in our environment was full of the stuff until 1976. Including sheet rock, Joint compound, ceiling applications, brakes and so on. It is still used in heavy equipment and tractor brakes some flooring. There are really not many good substitutes.

Try it You will like it. The board you will receive from Buntson is a majority of cement and will work well for what you are doing. I have used it on two different pots, so far no problems.
Silver Hand