Brand new rcbs pro melt pawn shop find.

[THE_ANTIDOTE]

What a score! Looks to have never been used, plugged it in and heated right up. The bag of accessories is factory sealed still...even the instructions made that just opened crack. I now see why these first generation smelters work so great, the plunger is flat at the tip and unlike the pro melt II. I already see this furnace being so much better than the current model.

[MrWolf]

Congrats. You got a great deal. We never see anything like that out here.

[THE_ANTIDOTE]

Thank you. I never expected to find any lead pots let alone a pro melt in new condition. We were doing some work a couple blocks away from the shop and as we were driving back to our yard, I asked to stop just to look at whatever shotguns they had. There on the floor through a glass display case I saw it and well, I bought it. Today after work or tomorrow I will be breaking it in.

[DeuceTwo]

Lucky you! I've been on the lookout for one but don't expect to find a new one.

[THE_ANTIDOTE]

Honestly, I had forgotten everything about RCBS. Since I couldn't find one, I'd decided I had everything I could ever need from RCBS and moved on. I have gotten so accustomed to casting using my camp stove and cast iron pot that I never thought I would ever want an electric furnace. It feels good to have one...just hope it lasts as long as long as some of the ones I've read about. Nearly went and spent the money at Harbor Freight...so, so glad I wasn't near a Harbor Freight any day this past week lol

[DougGuy]

Wow that'a a SCORE! Want to break our hearts and tell us what you got it for? Has to be an insanely good price!

[THE_ANTIDOTE]

It cost me $300+ tax. Even though they have a sign that states they take offers, me offering $250 was most likely and insult so I kept my mouth shut, threw my bank card down, and tried not to show my excitement.

[tinsnips]

Go buy a lottery ticket!! I have never found anything close to that in a pawn shop . Good job

[THE_ANTIDOTE]

I am melting a batch of lead in it as I type these words and all looks great!

[DougGuy]

It cost me $300+ tax. Even though they have a sign that states they take offers, me offering $250 was most likely and insult so I kept my mouth shut, threw my bank card down, and tried not to show my excitement.

I love it when finding the impossible jumps right out at you and you have the $ in your pocket! That was a sweet deal!

[Winger Ed.]

Wow. Things like that don't come along very often.

Whenever I scored a home run and found something like that, my Dad would look at it,
ohh, & ahhh,,,,, then tell me, "That's too nice for you..... Take it back".

[gwpercle]

So Pretty ... all clean and shiney ... almost a sin to dirty it up !

Congratulations on an Awesome Score !
Time to ... Melt some lead and Make Boolits !
Gary

[murf205]

congrats brother. Don't worry about how much you did or didn't pay for it and be satisfied (as all of us are with you) that you bought a piece of equipment that can liberate you from the supply chain of un-obtainable boolits. As long as there is a scrap yard selling lead, you will never be a slave to the supply chain!!

[Nick Quick]

I bought one just like that a while back. Brand spanking new in it's original box. They are indeed unicorns nowadays.
I saw one brand new on ebay sold for over 800$ plus tax plus shipping. Is getting crazy with the prices but knowing that a first gen Pro Melt average life span is 25 years even 1000$ is worth no headache and flawless performance.

[Mk42gunner]

An electric casting pot is so much more comfortable than a cast iron pot on top of a camp stove it isn't even funny. I believe the old style RCBS Promelt is the cream of the crop, at least with bottom pours.

You done good.

Robert

[Walter Laich]

now's the time to start looking at accessories
https://www.opennrg.com/shop/p/rcbs-pro-melt-upgrade-kit

I also converted mine to "pull down to pour" easier on my twice operated-on shoulder
I run my PID prob in from the front center so I didn't have to modify the lid

https://www.flickr.com/photos/157294949@N03/albums/72157667763595628/

[jsizemore]

A friend wanted me to buy his customer's Littleton shotmaker so I could keep his store in birdshot. He said the fella wanted $400 for it which was the going price for new at the time. I started to say "NO" but figured it couldn't hurt to look. The "NO" could come later. I got to the address which was a back road in the woods. Fella had a workshop out back and the first room had a 55 gal drum and 2 30's and he pops the tops to show me the shot he had made. He shot skeet and all 3 drums were full of some of the nicest #8 shot I've ever seen. As he put the lids on with the seals and clamps he said he figured he had enough to last a lifetime.

We went to the next room with his woodwork tools for making cabinets.At the roll-up door was his shot setup. He had a metal stand with a copper catch basin for the shot as it dripped from the shelf under the drippers and the whole setup with circulation pump and and shot catch basin with screen baskets. Obviously setup for volume production.

On top of the stand was a 7 dripper Littleton with a RCBS Pro-Melt bolted to the top. He'd taken the Pro-Melt base off and bolted it directly to top so he could keep lead flowing. He said he hadn't found the base it was sold as is. I didn't say anything cuz I was a bit dumbfounded. I was figuring the price was going up and hadn't brought enough money and would have to leave the casting apparatus and Pro-Melt behind. He says I need to take the 250lbs of COWW ingots with it too. I handed him the $400 and lifted the stand with everything attached and carried it quickly to my truck. Second trip took care of the lead. The lady at RCBS wouldn't hear of me paying for the replacement base.

[murf205]

What you paid for the entire rig is the equal of about 8 22# bags of the economy shot at BPI. Ya' done well, brother.

[Arkansas Paul]

Until reading this thread I had no idea that the 1st gen RCBS pots were so desirable.
You learn something new every day.
When visiting antique shops and pawn shops I'll be on the lookout from now on. Though I'll never find a brand spanking new one like that though.

[THE_ANTIDOTE]

I apologize for the late response...been doctoring up one of our breeder bulls. Well, I broke it in...kinda wish I had kept it all new. It is everything I have read/heard about it...them. Only took about 35-40 minutes to get a pot of lead melted and into bullets. I foresee that I will run out of lead pretty quick. It's difficult to want to stop casting being that the lead flows so smoothly. Not once did the lead freeze on me which was one of my worries. That flat end on the plunger sure makes a world of a difference from the tapered pro melt II's. I usually am not this fortunate or lucky. I'm usually the guy that ends up losing out because I am dollars too short and minutes too late. I end up settling for the fixer uppers missing that one or two parts to make it work...just to find out said parts have been/are discontinued. Even when I got this one home and unboxed it...I was already fearing that I had made a bad decision since I didn't see a lid for it like the one on the Pro Melt II's. I must have looked at the image on the box about 4-5 times before I realized...it doesn't come with a lid. If this lasts me a good 5 years at least...I will be so grateful.

[Nick Quick]

It will last you way more than 5 years.

[murf205]

Oh yes, It will last more than yrs. I bought mine used in 2009 and it still works like a new one. RCBS just couldn't leave well enough alone and added the bells and whistles to the next generation ProMelt and those fancy add on's just don't live to well in a hot environment. The one you have is a grail find for that very reason.

[jsizemore]

I apologize for the late response...been doctoring up one of our breeder bulls. Well, I broke it in...kinda wish I had kept it all new. It is everything I have read/heard about it...them. Only took about 35-40 minutes to get a pot of lead melted and into bullets. I foresee that I will run out of lead pretty quick. It's difficult to want to stop casting being that the lead flows so smoothly. Not once did the lead freeze on me which was one of my worries. That flat end on the plunger sure makes a world of a difference from the tapered pro melt II's. I usually am not this fortunate or lucky. I'm usually the guy that ends up losing out because I am dollars too short and minutes too late. I end up settling for the fixer uppers missing that one or two parts to make it work...just to find out said parts have been/are discontinued. Even when I got this one home and unboxed it...I was already fearing that I had made a bad decision since I didn't see a lid for it like the one on the Pro Melt II's. I must have looked at the image on the box about 4-5 times before I realized...it doesn't come with a lid. If this lasts me a good 5 years at least...I will be so grateful.

Only one of mine was new. The other 2 are older variations. The newest is 15 years old.

[jsizemore]

Oh yes, It will last more than yrs. I bought mine used in 2009 and it still works like a new one. RCBS just couldn't leave well enough alone and added the bells and whistles to the next generation ProMelt and those fancy add on's just don't live to well in a hot environment. The one you have is a grail find for that very reason.

RCBS most likely wasn't moving enough of them and saw we were adding the PID for temperature control. The PID mounted in the rear sheetmetal comes at a cost. Poor ventilation and having to add the cooling fan. Most modern ovens have the same basic control and have a lot of air moving through them even though they operate at a lower temp. Screens get blocked on them and the PID control never acts the same even after you clean them. You should see what the digital control costs for them. If you separate the the PID from the heat source or compartment they fare much better and are more accurate. They just need to stay close to ambient temp.

[Mk42gunner]

... If this lasts me a good 5 years at least...I will be so grateful.
I bought mine used at an estate sale, so I have never seen the bottom of the valve rod.

But, if it is anything like mine; your grandkids will be using it long after you and your kids are gone.

Robert

[FISH4BUGS]

I used the same Lee 20 lb drip-o-matic pot for 30 years. I have to say dollar for dollar, they can't be beat. I finally decided to get the ProMelt and did so. The Lee has been mothballed and is backup just in case.
The ProMelt is worlds ahead of everyone. If you are a volume caster (I usually do runs of 1000 or so bullets) you will note a real difference in the flow, temp stability and just ease of use. I cast mostly with H&G 4 & 6 cavity moulds and yes, you will empty the pot rather quickly. Preheat your ingots and it helps.
HOWEVER, you need to let the whole thing cool down when you are done. That necessitates leaving it plugged in to run the fan. I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to go back and check on it 2 hours later. When I'm done I am done.
Get a timer that plugs in to the outlet, and plug the pot into the timer. When you are done, bring the temp indicator to zero, set the timer for 2 hours and it goes off for you. Cooled down and ready to go again.
This needs to be done otherwise you will eventually fry the controller....or so I was told.

[rcslotcar]

Lasting a few years should not be a problem. I have two "Ohio" pro melt pots. These were made before RCBS bought the rights to mfg them. You can set several ingots on top of the pot to preheat them. Enjoy the best lead pot made.