RCBS Pro Melt II operating temps.

[Rickf1985]

Anyone else have a Pro Melt II and have problems with casting at anything less than 750 with it? I have found that if I go down to as little as 720 the spout starts to freeze and at 700 it is done. I called RCBS and I was told by the young lady in a very round about way that the Pro Melt II is a little different from the I and it does not have heating coils around the spout. That to me was a very vague and not very helpful answer. None of the pots that I know of have coils on the spout. The Lee replacement coils only go around the outside of the pot and yet I can pour from my Lee as low as 650 or 625. She asked someone there that has "Been casting lead for 50 years at RCBS" and his answer was basically to just cast at 750 and not worry about it. Well, the alloy I have used for 45 years I cast at 650 and it likes that temperature so I want to stay with it. I realize frosted bullets are not bad but I also know that frosted bullets in aluminum molds are not good. They pointed out to me that the directions say to cast at 750. I have never seen any other pot that specifies a certain temperature to cast at. It is also leaking, even after emptying it out and heating the spout to melt out the lead and blowing it out. It still drips. They will warranty that but I have to send it back on my dime and if I do I would like to see if there is anything that can be done about the temps.

[dannyd]

I run a Pro Melt 2 @700 to 720 without any problems. The biggest difference between the two pots is RCBS purchased the rights for the One from another company, the Two is their own design trying to use a PID. The next time I fire mine up will try to take it down to 650 and see what happens.

My Lyman 20 pound pot was like that under 750 on the thermometer and the spout froze, the Mag25 I replaced it with works at any temperature.

RCBS will send you an upgrade kit for the spout rod, I installed that and the drips stopped.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The ProMelt 2 has a design issue with Thermocouple location.
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?387211-So-I-bought-an-RCBS-ProMelt-2

You can just run it as is, or... Here is a fix for the problem.
https://www.artfulbullet.com/index.php?threads/modifying-the-rcbs-pro-melt-2-pid-thermocouple.8909/

[Rickf1985]

Mine is new enough that it came with the upgraded rod . I have also checked the temps with two manual thermometers and it does maintain exactly what it displays. Just no apparent heating on the base. I am sure there is nothing they will do about it so I am back to the dripomatic for my favorite casting. Or my 75 year old SAECO bottom pour that also drips but I figured out the design on that and I just need someone to machine me a new rod. Instead of a taper in a taper the SEACO has a sharp ridge around the rod that seals against the taper in the spout. That worked perfect until I got the brainstorm to do what someone said and use compound and "Seat it in". Yea, that was a bad idea since it took that lip off. Think about it, a sharp edge as the shut off point will not be held open by dirt unless it is right on the edge of that lip and a couple of jogs on the rod and the dirt is gone. Anything in the spout itself is taken care of with a bent paper clip. I just need someone to make me a new hardened rod with a lip.

[Land Owner]

...or, like so many of us with the Pro Melt-I and no PID, after melting, run the pot "cool" and use a propane torch to heat the spout "just enough". I have found that once it starts to pour, it continues to pour through the entire capacity of the pot. Probably not the most elegant solution, and a little bit of hassle, but it works.

[dannyd]

Do you clean the pot when you are done, that does help. I have twins both work good and I have own a Pro Melt one too.

315122

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Mine is new enough that it came with the upgraded rod . I have also checked the temps with two manual thermometers and it does maintain exactly what it displays. Just no apparent heating on the base.

>>>SNIP
did you place the tip of your manual thermometers deep inside the pot, near the spout?

When I designed the PID setup for my Lee pot, I made sure the tip of the thermocouple was within an inch of the spout. Now it's difficult for me to imagine a 50º to 100º difference, like you kinda indicate in your OP, but maybe?

[dannyd]

If you want to stop a Lee from dripping replace the spout rod with one from a Pro Melt One and a spring & washer.

315128

[Rickf1985]

did you place the tip of your manual thermometers deep inside the pot, near the spout?

When I designed the PID setup for my Lee pot, I made sure the tip of the thermocouple was within an inch of the spout. Now it's difficult for me to imagine a 50º to 100º difference, like you kinda indicate in your OP, but maybe?

I never said there was any temp difference. What I said was that I cannot go below 720 before the spout starts to freeze. And yes, I am checking the temps at the bottom close to the middle of the pot. The temps on both manual thermometers shows exactly the same as the display on the side of the unit. So the problem is the spout area is cold.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Rick,
I didn't say you said that. I said, "like you kinda indicate in your OP".
By comparing what temp you were able to pour in the Lee, compared to what freezes up in your RCBS, is kinda indicating a temp difference from where your manual thermometers are located to where the RCBS spout is. Hence my question of thermometer tip location.

[Rickf1985]

My Lee pots all run on PID's unless I have the PID's both in use elsewhere. But when using the PID I know exactly what the temps are in the Lee pots. In the bottom pour pot I have gone as low as 650 and was still able to pour with no problem. Looking at the Lee replacement heating coils it looks like there is nothing on the bottom of the pot so they must have something figured out to transfer heat to the spout area, I am using the same alloy in both pots so that is not a variable. Same temp at the same spot in the bottom of both pots. But, the RCBS will freeze the spout 100 degrees sooner (hotter) than the Lee or my old SAECO.