Any Pro Melt 2 users or reviews?

[Skeeno]

Does anyone out there have hands on experience with the RCBS Pro Melt 2? I've read the previous thread where a member got one and reported decent results, but the 2 (I know limited) reviews on Midwayusa both say that it drips. I do currently have a Master Caster on order with Magma, but thought maybe I'd upgrade my bottom pour from the Lee Pro 4 20 as well. However, if the RCBS is a dripper, I might as well keep using the Lee.

Thanks, Skeeno

[Mal Paso]

I have #65 and used it for the first time last weekend. I had a couple drips which I attributed to the recycled alloy I was using but it wasn't persistent like a lee drool. The unit feels solid except for the pour valve hardware where the fit was loose. I redrilled the 2 handle holes 1/4" right of the originals to eliminate the slop. The valve adjustment screw is small and I will retap for a larger screw to tighten that up.

The extra 5 pounds in capacity is great. Temperature accuracy and consistency was good although there is a slight lag since the thermocouple is not in the alloy. I checked temp with a separate immersion probe. None of the manufacturers immerse the thermocouple but my last 3 pots did. There is no off switch. The off procedure is to set the PID temp to 0 and wait until it reached 160F to unplug. Clumsy but OK.

The pour spout is less visible than the original Pro Melt but better than Lyman and I like the smaller RCBS footprint. I will build a spout light like I had with my old Lee 4-20.

My Pro Melt 2 was a Black Friday special from Brownells Last Year, only took 6 months to get here. I rebuilt an old Pro Melt while I waited and have that to fall back on but I'm happy enough with the Pro Melt 2 that I'll run it 'till it drops. I've run about 30 lbs of alloy through it so far.

[Walter Laich]

good report Mal

my original Pro-Melt is still running fine with my DIY PID.

sounds like RCBS has kept the standards high for these pots

[9.3X62AL]

I can't help with info on the Pro-Melt II, but my own Pro-Melt is easily one of the most reliable and efficient of the many tools I use to create ammunition with. I recall from a visit some years back to Arthur Green's office in Beverly Hills to buy some casting alloy (he advertised in Handloader), and he had at least 5 Pro-Melts in his shop for blending metals with.

[Skeeno]

I would absolutely pick up an original pro melt if I could find one. I also already have a PID that I've been using on the Lee, so not concerned with that. I'm just concerned that the quality might not be there with the pro melt 2. Thanks for the report Mal Paso.

[dikman]

Seems like a pretty Mickey Mouse sort of way to turn it off! I'd be fitting a switch on if I had one.

[Skeeno]

Seems like a pretty Mickey Mouse sort of way to turn it off! I'd be fitting a switch on if I had one.

Kinda what I was thinking. It should be pretty simple to wire in a switch.

[Jack Stanley]

Why in the world would they make the shut down procedure more than just turning off a switch in the first place ?

Jack

[Mal Paso]

Seems like a pretty Mickey Mouse sort of way to turn it off! I'd be fitting a switch on if I had one.


Kinda what I was thinking. It should be pretty simple to wire in a switch.

The Lyman Mag 25 has no switch either but they located the electronics far enough away that there is no cool down period like RCBS. My thought now is to put the fan on a thermal switch to turn itself off after cooling and a separate switch on the PID/heating element. I am going to run it as is for now and think about it.

I have yet to open it up but the parts are recognizable, like the big Solid State Relay fixed inside the back vent. I could not identify the Mag 25 circuit board and really don't want a unit with "special parts" when PID temperature control is available off the shelf.

Mechanical thermostats are getting more expensive and less reliable. I didn't try to replace the old Pro Melt thermostat as I could buy 2 complete high quality PIDs for the same money.

[joebaja]

Mine dripped badly on the first batch. Really badly, like "forget this, I'm making ingots" badly. When the pot and I both cooled, I tore it down and cleaned it up and clamped a vice grip on the lifter bar. The next two batches were much smaller - maybe 5-10lbs. Both of them went well, with almost no drips. I suspect that I was not thorough enough in the pre-usage prep and may have gone too heavy at the start. I am working my way back up to a higher load, so we'll see. In the mean time, I am making sure the Lee 4-20 doesn't get packed away too far from the bench.

[Mal Paso]

Mine dripped badly on the first batch. Really badly, like "forget this, I'm making ingots" badly. When the pot and I both cooled, I tore it down and cleaned it up and clamped a vice grip on the lifter bar. The next two batches were much smaller - maybe 5-10lbs. Both of them went well, with almost no drips. I suspect that I was not thorough enough in the pre-usage prep and may have gone too heavy at the start. I am working my way back up to a higher load, so we'll see. In the mean time, I am making sure the Lee 4-20 doesn't get packed away too far from the bench.

I did no prep and got a drip of cosmoline as the unit first heated although the pot looked clean. They did change the valve. The tip of the new valve pin is smaller and had a protective tube over the end. Check to see that the right side of the handle isn't sitting on the hex screw or bottoming on the bracket slot when the valve is closed. The holes in my valve handle were way oversize for the supplied screws. I had just fixed an old beat up Pro Melt by drilling new holes 1/4" to the right of the existing holes, a couple thou over the screw size and did the same to the new one. I didn't try it "their way" first so I don't know that's the problem. The valve pin is lighter than lead and will float up against the handle. If the handle hangs on the bracket before the valve closes it will leak.

My local Ace Hardware has "Number" drills for sale individually that got me a tight fit.

[joebaja]

redrilling the holes is a great idea to take up some of the slop. I am also planning to add a little more weight to the handle assembly. I found a single 35 Whelen case on a recent range trip. I bet that that full of lead (or even steel shot) tied to the handle arm will add a little weight to the works.

I figured that there was some cosmoline burning off in that first batch, and some may have coked in the spout. Just some more tinkering and tuning left I guess, but if we didn't enjoy that sort of thing we probably wouldn't be casting.

[Mal Paso]

If the valve arm is not touching the screw or the bottom of the slot on the right side when the valve is closed I would call RCBS. The weight of the arm should be enough to close the valve as it's got leverage unlike the Lee which just slides. They might send you a new valve pin to try.

I had a couple drips separated by hours and don't count that as "dripping".

[Cardinal Bullet]

Let me say first that I am in no way a basher of RCBS equipment. It does certainly seem like some of the quality control is going downhill though. As long as it took the pro melt 2 to get to market it should be free of any defects. I just got done reading another thread where the guy bought a brand new LAM and it came full of metal shavings. I think I'll avoid any new products from them in the near future.

[Echd]

I posted some pictures of mine and a short review starting with post #25 in this thread.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?358118-RCBS-Pro-Melt-2-And-the-Sale-That-Never-Was/page2

It's easily better than the Lyman mag 25, which I also own. No drips so far.

[pcmacd]

I can't help with info on the Pro-Melt II, but my own Pro-Melt is easily one of the most reliable and efficient of the many tools I use to create ammunition with. I recall from a visit some years back to Arthur Green's office in Beverly Hills to buy some casting alloy (he advertised in Handloader), and he had at least 5 Pro-Melts in his shop for blending metals with.

I sure miss that old fart Green. I used to live in Orange County and would drive up to Beverly Hills to buy foundry type from him. Last time I talked to him his wife had walked out, and the guy was in his mid eighties then & coming unglued. Lost track of him, and his phone has been disconnected for a long time. I have since left The People's Socialist Republic, for Arizona, "Where Free Men Live."

He's the guy who taught me how to calculate the weights of various alloys for the desired final content. I used his formulae in my Visual Basic program I wrote to do the same thing in a flash.

As I wrote the program to begin to learn VB programming, it's fairly simple. It runs on everything from NT to W10. I posted links to it elsewhere, but here we are again:https://www.dropbox.com/sh/o0e80x6vs71vn2b/AAC6nFpxpwQzW03Q5DdGGioNa?dl=0

Be sure to read the two README files, and the installation instructions. No support from me!