RCBS Pro Melt 2 - And the Sale That Never Was...

[Jager]

Like some others here, I've been awaiting the arrival of the RCBS Pro Melt 2. My morning routine for the last couple of months, after putting fresh splits in the woodstove and putting the makings on for coffee... has been to wander over to the tab in my browser sitting on Midway's site.

A quick refresh of the page... and the pretty, green picture of the yet-to-be-seen Pro Melt 2 stares back at me, along with the Coming Soon and Est. In-Stock: Overdue teaser tags.

A couple weeks ago there was a further tease. Midway suddenly displayed a sale price, knocking forty-odd bucks off the normal $269.99. You still couldn't order it, the Add to Cart button being grayed-out. But at least it prompted a thought that not only might we be getting close, but we'd be getting a bargain, to boot. For two weeks that tease held.

Alas. This morning the sale-that-wasn't is no more.

One wonders what in the world Midway was possibly thinking. I'm less and less inclined towards the new RCBS Pro Melt. And even less inclined to buy it from a shop that plays such games.

[toallmy]

I gave up , I have a lee 4/20 that works fine , but with the little darlings approval I began looking for a new pro melt just to discover they were no longer available . Than I began waiting for the new pro melt 2 - still not available , so I picked up another 4/20 just so I wouldn't have to change my mix .

[solman]

I too gave up and ordered a Lee 4-20. I bought a thermometer as well and call it good.
Posted on another thread.http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?357777-New-Lee-pot-on-order-for-me

[Cue]

I talked to RCBS and they told me they had them there but had to do product testing on them, that was a month ago. You would think after all this time they would be able to get that done but nope. I bought the Lyman 25 pot with the PID and it works great after making a new tray to fit my NOE and Lee molds.

[Cue]

I just checked and their sale price is now gone and its at $269, how can they have something on sale that they never "sold" makes no sense.

[Skooterr]

I like others have been doing the same, checking the Midway site, "Just For The PM2". Alas !!!, not to be !!!. Along with the departed Sale Price, RCBS's Rebate took a powder, also. My thoughts were get a PM2 for $230, add a couple of other RCBS items, kick it up to $300 and get the $100 Rebate, but Alas again, it was not to be !!!

[KenT7021]

I have the Lyman Mag25.It works.I like it.The mold rest works fine for me because I use Lyman,RCBS and Saeco molds.I also have a Lee 4-20 and a Lee 10 pound bottom pour.They work just fine as well.The RCBS melter will probably go thru the same problems the Mag25 had when it becomes available unless RCBS does a lot of testing before releasing it.

[winelover]

The RCBS Easy Melt has been released.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?337750-RCBS-Easy-Melt

Had mine for about a week. Don't know what's the hold up on the Pro-Melt 2.......just a bottom pour version of the Easy-Melt.

Winelover

[evoevil]

I stopped watching and built my own PID controller for the RCBS Pro Melt I have now.

[dikman]

Good move, you've now got the best of both worlds!

[Cue]

Looks like they are in stock now.

[shdwlkr]

amazon has them listed as in stock in both versions, the dipper model and the mold model

[Cue]

Yes, looks like that is Midway selling them on Amazon.



amazon has them listed as in stock in both versions, the dipper model and the mold model

[Echd]

My Lyman mag 25 pooped out last night. It probably won't be a hard fix, but I went ahead and ordered a PM2 from midway yesterday. If I did the Lyman I will have two nice pid equipped pots.

The Lyman was very consistent on temp and control but it was super drippy at times, and I never used anything but pre-smelted and fluxed lead in it.

Midway said it should be here on wednesday.

[Echd]

https://i.imgur.com/ZeqsSwo.jpg

Here it is as received, much lighter than anticipated. Despite advertising the same capacity as the mag 25, it was a good deal smaller.

https://i.imgur.com/eOYZ1z7.jpg

A very small amount of assembly was required, involving turning 3-4 screws. No Allen wrenches are included, but I'm sure you have a drawer if them like I do.

https://i.imgur.com/hsiUrLJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/y9kzydL.jpg

The controller is simple to operate. Press set, maneuver to the place value you want, and increment or decrement the counter. Press set again and you are done.

I do think it a bit odd that the controller faces away from the operator but I don't consider it that big of a deal either. The electronics have to be far away from the heat, so consider it a compromise to keep a reasonable profile.

https://i.imgur.com/R1maOhC.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ft8RYG6.jpg

As assembled, it is an attractive piece of equipment. Note the rotating lid that goes over the pot. This will increase safety considerably, as it will block anything from falling in. It will probably also make a passable heating shelf once up to temp. I would assume it will also help the system retain heat that would otherwise be lost as well, and possibly resist oxidation of your melt as air flow will be restricted.

https://i.imgur.com/5Ng5dki.jpg

The mold guide as pictured consists of two round stops that you adjust to accommodate your mold. I HIGHLY recommend you place your mold and pull it back towards you when filling instead of pushing it towards the wall, as the rcbs mold guide is more cooperative.

For comparison is the NOE guide, which I prefer. It is a major fatigue reducer. I pulled it off my lyman. Unfortunately it cannot be installed as is due to the shape of the rcbs guide rod. I have some ideas though.

https://i.imgur.com/5Ng5dki.jpg

About 12 pounds of lead. This took 32 minutes to melt. If that seems long, it is, but melting lead in a previously empty pot is much slower than when you start with some lead already in there. I suspect future melting will be much, much quicker.

I set the PID to 700 degrees, and once all the mixture was melted it read around 710 on my thermometer. Close enough to call it accurate.

I did not have a chance to cast tonight, but some observations off hand. Most are tempered by comparison to the Lyman mag25, this unit' s chief competition.

The handle feels cheap. it has over an inch of back and forth travel when wiggled. It does not have the same feel as the lyman, which is retained more snugly and uses a small spring to give a better "feel". It doesn't actually affect use, but for a unit this spendy it is a little disappointing. I might attach a spring to the handle to give it a better feel.

The unit overall is more attractive and saves space over the Lyman.

RCBS, even with tools like this that I can practically feel the chicomm slave labor on, has a much better warranty than Lyman. While the box says 2 year limited warranty, I bet rcbs will take care of me.

The fan that protects the PID is clearly beefier than the lyman. While by no means loud, more airflow can only help.

The mold guide is way better than the garbage Lyman guide. However it cannot use the excellent noe guide without modification. That should be easily overcome, though.

The top cover is a nice safety bonus. However unlike the Lyman the front of the unit heats up, whereas the Lyman is safe to the touch on the front of the unit due to the very large housing placing the pot further back.

The rod operating the pour mechanism on the PM2 is thinner and longer, with a longer tapered section than the Lyman. I think this will allow better fine control and prevent dripping when the pot is full.

Overall I think the RCBS seems to be the superior unit, so for the time being my Lyman will sit in pieces until I feel like rewrapping all that messy insulation...

[Taterhead]

That's a great report. Thank you so much for taking the time. Seems like I got one of the last of the original Pro Melts, purchased less than 2 years ago.

[Springfield]

But you can't see the PID while casting! That right there would keep me from buying one. I'll stick with my Pro-Melt with my home-built PID.

[winelover]

No need to see the PID, if keeps the temp you set it to, as the "Easy Melt"does. I suspect it will, since they both have the same PID. Placed in the back of the pot........it keeps the PID furthest away from the heat source. If you decide to ladle cast, less likely for it to get lead drips across the face of it, causing damage to the plastic readout.

Winelover

[Walter Laich]

looks good at first glance--they do look fantastic right out of the box, all clean and bright

my Pro-Melt (guess we call it "1" now) does hold more lead.

I flipped the handle in its guides so I can 'pull down' to get lead flow. Much easier on my shoulder. would be easy to do that on this one, too.

Went with the aftermarket shelf someone was selling on CB here and got his cover, too. No need for the cover as it comes with it. It will do a great job of holding in the heat, that's for sure.

[Echd]

Here is my "I don't have time to go to the hardware store so I'll clean out my junk bin" solution to mounting the NOE guide.

2 1/4"x2" eye bolts and a ubolt for vertical stabilization. I used the rcbs stops to stabilize it horizontally in addition to the set screws on the NOE guide itself.

A better fitting ubolt would improve this a bit but unless you hit it from below it is stable and will not move.

Obviously there are other (and more permanent and prettier) ways to do this, but this cost me $1.88 according to the receipt that was in the bag with these parts.

https://i.imgur.com/HphsGG0.jpg

[Pete P]

I can't tell from the pictures, is the pot stainless steel?

[desiko]

Very nice writeup, thanks for this

[desiko]

looks good at first glance--they do look fantastic right out of the box, all clean and bright

my Pro-Melt (guess we call it "1" now) does hold more lead.

I flipped the handle in its guides so I can 'pull down' to get lead flow. Much easier on my shoulder. would be easy to do that on this one, too.

Went with the aftermarket shelf someone was selling on CB here and got his cover, too. No need for the cover as it comes with it. It will do a great job of holding in the heat, that's for sure.

Hey Walter Laich, any chance you could post a pic of how you modified your handle for pull down operation?

[Echd]

I can't tell from the pictures, is the pot stainless steel?

I don't know. I assume so.

[Walter Laich]

Hey Walter Laich, any chance you could post a pic of how you modified your handle for pull down operation?

I basically flipped the handle from on side to the other and added a spring on top of the handle to keep it in closed position. Spring must be strong enough to hold handle 'up' and closed

the copper wire is the holder for the PID probe. there are two copper clips that keep the holder in position--they use the handle to keep the probe from moving.

Cover is an aftermarket one someone was selling on CB--can't remember now--he also sells a much better shelf for the molds

let's see if this works: https://www.flickr.com/photos/157294949@N03/albums/72157667763595628

can't figure out how to post pics so you have to cut and paste link

[desiko]

I basically flipped the handle from on side to the other and added a spring on top of the handle to keep it in closed position. Spring must be strong enough to hold handle 'up' and closed

the copper wire is the holder for the PID probe. there are two copper clips that keep the holder in position--they use the handle to keep the probe from moving.

Cover is an aftermarket one someone was selling on CB--can't remember now--he also sells a much better shelf for the molds

let's see if this works: https://www.flickr.com/photos/157294949@N03/albums/72157667763595628

can't figure out how to post pics so you have to cut and paste link

I get it. Thanks alot, Walter.

[Walter Laich]

two quick points:

I notched the handle on the top where the spring goes to keep it centered on the handle

note the long spring for pouring control. It also keeps the spring locked in place

[Echd]

I spent my first casting session with the PM2 last night. Zero drips, even when completely and totally full. That was nice since my mag 25 leaked when above 20 pounds or so.

It does seem to heat up a bit slower than the mag 25. Not by any huge margin, though.

Heat control was on point. I checked periodically but with no set schedule of the temperature against the PID with a thermometer. I cast at 700 degrees and the highest I recorded was 712 and the lowest was 690. I consider that deviation insignificant. That said the heat control in the mag25 was always pretty spot on too.

Overall I would recommend this over the mag 25 due to the lack of drips and the better OEM mold guide. I seriously consider the mag25 unusable without addressing the mold guide out of the box.

Personally I just enjoyed a casting session with no drips or splatter whatsoever.

If I had any complaint at all, maybe the lead flow is a little lower than the mag25, but that isn't surprising given the shape of the rod used to activate it. Call it muscle memory but I could probably just open it more without any issue.

[Walter Laich]

glad to hear it went well

having it not dripping is always great

[dikman]

Good writeup for anyone curious about them. My PM1 takes longer to heat up than the Lee, so no difference there by the look of it. My handle also has a lot of play in it but it's never caused me any problems. I removed the lock nut on the screw that adjusts the travel of the handle and fitted a stiffish spring, this lets me adjust the travel easily whenever I need to. I'm still glad I have an "original" with a separate PID, but I guess that's no longer an option. Looks like a good unit, though.

[aws1963]

Since it's been a couple of months since the last post, I'm wondering if everyone is still happy with their PM2? I'm considering a new pot and RCBS is about 45 miles north of me.

[jlag19]

Since it's been a couple of months since the last post, I'm wondering if everyone is still happy with their PM2? I'm considering a new pot and RCBS is about 45 miles north of me.

I just spoke with RCBS customer service as I inquired about the RCBS Pro Melt II availablility. I was told that it went through a redesign and will be available in one month. That is very good news as I will wait for, what I believe, to be the best under pour pot on the market. I figure they probably fixed the dripping issue that so many have talked about in the threads on this forum. Hopefully, a nice sale will be offered on the “homecoming” of this pot.

[dannyd]

This is RCBS's first pot on their own. The pro melt was designed and built by another company and RCBS brought them.

[jmort]

Thank God my Pro Melt 1 is made in USA

[skeet028]

I still have and use an original BLACK "pre RCBS" Promelt. Works just fine. I also use a Lee 4-20 and it works fine also. Polished the rod and hole and no drips. And for a dipper pot I have an OLD pot. It has a 3 position plug on it for low medium and high temps. Old(40s-50s) ugly. Probably weighs more than the amount of lead it holds. Made in the USA and still works. Hardly ever use it though. All the SAECO and Lyman pots I still have are going on ebay soon.

[Cue]

So my pro melt 2 was dripping worse than a Lee pot when it was full. I contacted RCBS and they sent me a new rod/pin with a redesigned tip on it that has stopped the dripping. So if yours drips then contact them and they will send you one free.

[Cue]

I would guess they do have it working properly now, I bought mine as soon as they were released, I imagine they ship now with the correct part.

[dannyd]

The Pro-Melt originally made by OHIO Thermal,Inc Columbus, Ohio

First ad in Handloader for RCBS May of 1979 before that its was the other company advertising.

[sw282]

l have wrestled with buying a new furnace the past couple years. Read this thread and bought a Pro melt 2 about a month ago.. Esp with upcoming tariffs l thought it was now or NEVER to buy.

[dragon813gt]

Lyman and RCBS are part of a large corporation. Lee is privately owned. This has a lot to do w/ it.

[Larry7293]

Midway has the RCBS pro melt 2 in stock.

[Mal Paso]

Wow. I checked a couple days ago, there was nothing in stock. I didn't think it would get to market. It's been 2 years I think. Good to see another choice.

[markmars]

$289 https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018681680

[Gunslinger1911]

Well, fingers crossed that RCBS got the bugs out !
I bought my PM2 Nov 2019, didn't work well at all, temp off by about 120 deg, PID read 750 deg when the lead was still solid, took over an hour to get to (real) 750.
I think they stopped selling in Jan 2020.
So, most of a year to get the bugs out.
I give RCBS credit, tech guy told me how to fool the PID temp.
I know some others with a PM2 of this vintage didn't have these same problems; so must have been a serious QC issue ?
The big thing is the temp probe must have been right next to the heating element - I hope they moved it.
Also, It's still a pain to keep the fan on till it cools to protect the PID - I keep meaning to move the electronics so I can just shut it off - but, procrastination is my super power !
Any one who buys a new one, please keep us in the loop on how the new one works.
Not really bashing RCBS, I think they just wanted to beat Lyman to selling a "PID pot" and poked the pooch.
The tech rep did say he would get me a new one as soon as they were available (back in Nov 2019) - not holding my breath. Haha
I have run in excess of 2000 lbs alloy through mine in the past year, band-aids, "fooling" PID, etc still working.
But sheesh, for an almost $300 pot ???????

[Mr_Sheesh]

Don't blame me, I didn't design it! :p

Considering getting one, have the original Pro Melt but a second pot could be very nice. (Fill one and cast with the other etc.)

[Eddie1971]

I just spoke to RCBS about the Pro-Melt 2. It is discontinued because as the guy told me, it wasn't working like they wanted it to. I asked him if they are making a Pro-Melt 3 and he said something is in the works.

[Mal Paso]

There and GONE AGAIN. I guess my PM2 is now RARE. LOL

[Gunslinger1911]

Well, to no surprise, Midway sez, "out of stock - no back order". 2 days ago it was full speed ahead.
I do believe RCBS put their foot in it again.
Anyone have the Lyman ? - It's on sale

[Larry7293]

I talked to a woman today at RCBS.
She said they are testing the revised pro melt 2 and it should be released sometime in December .

[Gunslinger1911]

"Revised" again ???? lol
I'm giving up, VERY disappointed in RCBS.
I ran literately a couple tons of alloy through my PM1, never an issue with it, finally gave up the ghost; so I buy a PM2, mine is junk !
I have read some don't have any issues, lucky them.
Mine takes over an hour to heat up, temp is off by 120 deg when it stabilizes, the PID reads 750 when the alloy is still solid and the Lyman dial reads 400.
I'm planning on getting a PID from HATCH, from what I've seen, he can tell me how to wire his in place of the original.
So my $300 pot turns into a ~$450 pot (maybe shoulda bought the Lyman pot !)
Oh well, I can use the new PID on my PC oven too, so I have that going for me.

[Larry7293]

Wow, sorry to hear this. When and where did you buy the PM2? The lady I talked to said they had them(revised PM2) in their shop and were testing them before they released them. She advised me to go on the RCBS website enter my email address to be notified when they are in stock.

[Gunslinger1911]

Hi Larry, got it from Midway over a year ago.
I have to say, I finally got hold of a good guy at RCBS and he told me how to "fool" the PID.
Still a pain, but I can cast with it now.
Over a year to fix it ? This isn't rocket surgery ! lol
It is my best hope they can get a working pot to the market, the PM1 was a gem !

[Gunslinger1911]

So, Super Mod HATCH is helping me with the PM2 (this guy is amazing !), I'm on RCBS site to scrounge some info, what do my wandering eyes see - "the new, improved PM2" ,in stock, only $318.11

Will it stay "available?"
Who's up to being a beta tester ???? ........ Again

[Dimner]

So, Super Mod HATCH is helping me with the PM2 (this guy is amazing !), I'm on RCBS site to scrounge some info, what do my wandering eyes see - "the new, improved PM2" ,in stock, only $318.11

Will it stay "available?"
Who's up to being a beta tester ???? ........ Again


I'll do it, just set me up a gofund me :)

But seriously considering this for after christmas.

[Gunslinger1911]

Dimner, that's a great idea !
I wonder how a gofund me would work for buying primers !!!!!!!

I truly hope they get it right this time, RCBS has been a premier vendor for reloading/casting for so long.
I considered them pricey, but you get quality gear. - usually

If you get one, let us know how it works, (I have a few "hacks" I hope you won't need)

[Larry7293]

Midway has the RCBS pro melt 2 on sale for $260, out of stock though. It will be interesting to see if they keep it at that price when they have it available again.

[thxmrgarand]

I have mentioned on here in the past that last spring my Lyman Mag 20 started throwing house circuit breakers consistently. Could well be the house wiring. I called Lyman and my 30 plus year-old unit is no longer supported, and they were not enthusiastic about fixing it during the Covid pandemic. I guess we decided on the call that sending it back to them wasn't worth the cost. But they offered me great discount on their latest, the Mag 25 (I believe it's called, too lazy to go look at it). The service was great and I have now loaded thousands of bullets with it and look upon the demise of the old unit as good luck because the new one works so well. It's much faster, keeps temperature right on what I select, and it's of a very high quality. I enjoyed casting anyway but enjoy it much more now. I hate to spend money but when I buy something that works very well as this does it takes me only a few minutes to get over the expenditure. So I recommend the Lyman product to anyone. I cast on a covered 40 foot deck across the front of the house, and at high tide I am only 60 or 70 feet from salt water (perhaps 200 hundred yards at a low tide) so everything electrical is challenged, which could be what led to the demise of my first Lyman furnace. I will say that the view is worth it. My view is obstructed by islands. Admiralty Island is about six miles directly in front. S. Shelter Island comes down from the north, and behind it the mountains of the Chilkat Peninsula, which is the mainland, rises above the island. Glacier Bay National Park is just beyond the Peninsula. On the other side of Admiralty is Chicagof Island, and beyond that is nothing until one hits Asia. To the south I see the north end of Douglas Island, which is seven miles away. There is a tiny, narrow island, Portland Island, about two miles long, that is about two miles off the front of the house. There is always something to see out there while I am casting. I'm at 58 degrees N. latitude.

[Taterhead]

I see that Midway has these in stock again as of 5 minutes ago. $261.

[Burnt Fingers]

Will miracles never cease?

[Larry7293]

I see that Midway has these in stock again as of 5 minutes ago. $261.
I wonder why Midway would have them in stock and the actual RCBS website shows them as being out of stock? One would think RCBS would have them in stock before a vendor?

[Mal Paso]

I wonder why Midway would have them in stock and the actual RCBS website shows them as being out of stock? One would think RCBS would have them in stock before a vendor?

RCBS does not undercut retail distributors. RCBS charges List Price on their site and likely stocks distributors first. Midway was $30 off if I remember right.

[Gunslinger1911]

"New and improved !!!"

Only took em a year to figure out how to set the defaults on the PID correctly and consistently.
I'm impressed - NOT

I still have the email from last Nov from cust serv, acknowledging that a "small number" of units had issues.
So this caused them to halt production for a year ???
Also promising me a "properly operating unit when in stock" - lol; I don't wanna buy a bridge from you either.
Kinda pegged my "BS" meter
I understand biz to a small extent - I'm an over educated redneck chemist working for a very large company, If I treated my customers like this- my company wouldn't be large for long !

As I have said before, I hope RCBS got the bugs worked out - they have been a great company for decades.

Time will tell, but I'd recommend a Lyman for $100+ more for now.

[Burnt Fingers]

"New and improved !!!"

Only took em a year to figure out how to set the defaults on the PID correctly and consistently.
I'm impressed - NOT

I still have the email from last Nov from cust serv, acknowledging that a "small number" of units had issues.
So this caused them to halt production for a year ???
Also promising me a "properly operating unit when in stock" - lol; I don't wanna buy a bridge from you either.
Kinda pegged my "BS" meter
I understand biz to a small extent - I'm an over educated redneck chemist working for a very large company, If I treated my customers like this- my company wouldn't be large for long !

As I have said before, I hope RCBS got the bugs worked out - they have been a great company for decades.

Time will tell, but I'd recommend a Lyman for $100+ more for now.

A year during which the Chinese Communist Party released the virus. It normally can take 4-6 months to get anything done in China. Add in the virus.....

[pacomdiver]

they are up to 289 from 269 2 days ago

[Beagle333]

Midway shows them in stock now (1/4/2021, 2:25pm Central)

[pacomdiver]

Today, they are up to 304.99

[Dimner]

So.... just an update....

I bought my pro melt 2 from brownells about 3 weeks ago when they had about 3 in stock.

Well wouldn't you know....it seems like I received one of the not improved PM2. Takes a very long time to heat up and get alloy to a usable temp, and the temp is no where near correct. I echo the statement that the temp sensor must be too near the heating element. My pot will jump from 75 degrees to 240 degrees within 1 minute of turning on. Of course the alloy isn't even above 100 in that time. But when I set it to 720, it will rise to that temp in about 10 minutes, but take at least another 15 to melt.

Then after being on for a whole 45 minutes and letting the whole thing try to sort itself out, I get readings that are around 75 degrees off from the temp probe of my Hatch PID.

Really not a satisfied customer. This rcbs quasi PID is a total pain in the rear. I would have bought a pro melt 1 if it had been available and used my own PID.

Now I have to figure out if I want to try and bypass the PID and use my external Hatch PID, or return it.....

Or maybe there is a workaround?

[Mr_Sheesh]

I am starting to think the thing to do would be to buy one, disassemble it to figure out the problems, figure out fixes, and document the fixes, but not everyone can do all that, plus it might void your warranty. Crazy-making, this. I'm in favor of the concept of "the dang thing should darned well work right, as delivered,, right out of the box!" for some reason; Call me picky, if you must! :)

[FLINTNFIRE]

Well as to taking them apart I can say mines fan started making noise and it has screws into nuts on inside which will fall inside when unscrewed , rest is riveted , these are not meant to be serviced .

I used air compressor to blow out dust bunnys on fan , I also have to run my temp higher to keep spout from freezing up , not sure my casting thermometer is reading accurate as it reads pretty low on other pot compared to melt , so I am still flying by the seat of my pants using dead reckoning for navigation as far as the internal PID on these .

I have a Lee 10 lb and a Lee 20 lb and a RCBS pro melt , this newer pro melt 2 looks more like a lee and when new started dripping like one , yes I got the newer rods and it still likes to drip a little now and then , I am not unsatisfied completely with it , But I am a little disappointed with it .

If I could justify the expense a Magma would be nice , as it is I continue to use the pro melt 2 for main pot and the lee 10 lb for pure lead and 2 cavity black powder casting . Other pots are waiting in case they are needed .

[Dimner]

I should mention that my pot has had no problems with drips in the 12-14 hours that I have cast with it. I have read that if your Pro Melt II is experiencing drips, RCBS will send you a new stem that takes care of the problem.

The only issue is the temperature. The pot has been worth the price if it were not for me trying to figure out how to get it to the temp I want to cast with. Fighting a PID that is using false temp readings as an input is just a lesson in agony.

Perhaps I should start a different thread with the problems I am having and we can deep dive into what could be done for a fix. The best option would be to re-route and mount the thermocouple from the top so it read the temperature from the alloy. That's probably something I'm capable of. The other option I would be open to would be to just bypass the entire RCBS temperature unit, PID, and thermocouple. I would then use my Hatch PID. However, I think that is something I would need help with figuring out. I would need to bypass the RCBS temp control in a manner of speaking. Probably more accurately I would need to be able to set the RCBS temp control at a static temperature and bypass the PID.


I'm not opposed to hacking/modding the pot, but I bought mine from Brownell's so I could return it with ease. But then what would I use for a pot? I don't want to goto a lee bottom pour. The lyman is too expensive. I have come up empty with finding a Pro Melt one on the swap and sell. I was previously ladle casting. My intent was to use the bottom pour to cast more consistent .225 bullets and allow me to use molds with more cavities with ease.

[onelight]

Well if worst come s to worse you can rig your new pot to run wide open and add an external PID and temp probe.

[Dimner]

Well if worst come s to worse you can rig your new pot to run wide open and add an external PID and temp probe.

you mean wide open like no thermostat or temp control at all other than my external PID using its logic to turn on and off the pot? Not sure I want to go that route. This pot seems powerful and I would be more comfortable in running it at a static 75% or something of the like, and then letting the PID take over.

[Mal Paso]

you mean wide open like no thermostat or temp control at all other than my external PID using its logic to turn on and off the pot? Not sure I want to go that route. This pot seems powerful and I would be more comfortable in running it at a static 75% or something of the like, and then letting the PID take over.

No good way to do that. Best to wire the plug direct to the heating element and put a big label on the pot to never run without PID. There are snap action high limit switches to prevent runaway but you would have to research which one.

None of the commercial pots even Magma have the thermocouple IN the alloy, they are all outside the pot. I have a Pro Melt 2 and have not had temperature issues just drips but the cooldown is irritating enough. If I have issues with the oh so delicate PID it will get removed, I'll use an external PID/SSR/ with the Probe directly in the lead. I had 2 Lee 4-20s with the thermocouple brazed through the bottom of the pots with 1/2" inside the pots. I haven't been able to duplicate that level of brazing with the new torches .... yet.

RCBS will take it back as well as Brownells. They both stand behind their products. Or you could let your Dr Frankenstein side lose ......

[onelight]

You could find a plug set that would plug only into the PID.

[Tortoise1]

I’m looking at getting into casting and was considering a PM2. A new old stock PM1 came up for sale and I stumbled on this thread trying to research if the old version was any good. I’m glad that I did and think that I will pick up the PM1.

[swamp]

I’m looking at getting into casting and was considering a PM2. A new old stock PM1 came up for sale and I stumbled on this thread trying to research if the old version was any good. I’m glad that I did and think that I will pick up the PM1.

My first one (bought when first came out) worked so well I got two more over the years.
swamp

[Dimner]

My pm2 is sitting unused as I continue to ladle cast. Not really because the temp being off, but I cannot get good results with 22cal bullets and a bottom pour pot.

[GRid.1569]

Today, they are up to 304.99

Lucky you... in the U.K ( if you can find one) £500+ ($700+)... it would be cheaper to get a return flight and collect one from a hotel delivery and stock up on t-shirts, jeans and training shoes... maybe even get some Linotype from rotometals at the same time ����

[John Wayne]

Who would have thought...RCBS and didn't properly test it before putting it on the market.
The best solution is to get Hatch to start building a Magma quality pot ;^) Yep!

[Renofish]

I have had most of the bottom pour furnaces. This is my second RCBS bottom pour furnace and my first Pro Melt 2. The PM2 is by far my fastest and smoothest running pot I have used. The PM2 I have was a used unit which I purchased from someone from this site. Even though it is used, it works like a new unit. I enjoy the drip free (no mess) spout and the PDI controller is great. It was about 40 percent faster than my Lee 4-20 and just faster than the old RCBS pot and the Lyman pot For the price, ease if use and the warranty I believe it is the best bottom pour pot for your cast bullet needs. I have contacted RCBS for couple of warranty related produces over a 50 year span and they have come through each and every time for me. So I recommend to go GREEN and support a company that supports it's customers.