2 pot setup ?

[pt4u2nv]

Just ordered a 20lb lee pot and thought I read somewhere that someone used a 10 lb pot above thier 20lb to keep it refilled. I have an older 10lb lee and I was considering trying this to keep the lead flowing. I did a search but it did not find what I was looking for, can anyone either post pics or explain how this was setup and mounted. Thanks

[dragonrider]

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/0603/PaulGauthier/?action=view&current=IMG_0109.jpg

[pt4u2nv]

Thanks...Thats what I was looking for.

[Suo Gan]

It is handy to have two pots for putting your sprues into without lowering your melt temp in your primary pot. I just ladle it over with a 2 pounder. I have a ten and twenty pound pot. I start them up both full, when I am half through the pour I ladle over ten pounds fill the small pot up with sprues and culls. That way you can keep going for several cycles without having to recharge the pot with new alloy. I am sure there are more sophisticated ways, but this works for me. Usually by the time I am ready to start over with both pots, it is time sort the boolits and take a break while the new alloy gets up to temp.

I forgot to say that some guys just use two large pots. Once one is empty they fill it and start on the other pot. Whatever works.

[hammerhead357]

Here is what I use. Total of 4 RCBS pots.

[Suo Gan]

That's flipping awesome.

[StrawHat]

When I needed to cast a high volume of boolits (PPC competitor) I just used two pots. Cast from one while the other was melting, when empty, switch pots and repeat.

Now I would use one pot and enjoy the day.

[Bret4207]

Here is what I use. Total of 4 RCBS pots.

Bragger!:holysheep

[pt4u2nv]

Holy Sh## Batman !! What a setup.

[Suo Gan]

Hammerhead, do you think I would need to beef up my 1/8 inch piece of masonite, the one I have between my two sawhorses, to 1/4 for your setup? I would want to be safe, the extra heaviness of the 1/4 would probably be enough right?

[hammerhead357]

I wouldn't have a clue about masonite. Mine are sitting on a table made out of 1/4 in. aluminum plate. I have no problems like this and the pouring pots usually have only about 10 to 15 lbs of alloy in them and the preheat pots have about 18 or so each.
I don't always run both sets of pots. Just depends on what I am casting at the time. I used to use this setup when I was a commercial caster and so still have it. It will run 2, 8 or 10 cavity H & G moulds continous because I have 2 old lino ingot feeders that keep the top premelt pots full at all times. These are not shown in the pictures.....Wes

[Matt_G]

Here is what I use. Total of 4 RCBS pots.

You should take another pic of those pots setup with the ingot feeders and enter it in this months CastPic contest.
Theme this month is "Casting Benches".

[casterofboolits]

Cool setup Hammerhead. I use two RCBS pots side by side. cast from one while the other heats up. Works fine for running three eight cavity H&G #68 molds.

[Suo Gan]

I wouldn't have a clue about masonite. Mine are sitting on a table made out of 1/4 in. aluminum plate. I have no problems like this and the pouring pots usually have only about 10 to 15 lbs of alloy in them and the preheat pots have about 18 or so each.
I don't always run both sets of pots. Just depends on what I am casting at the time. I used to use this setup when I was a commercial caster and so still have it. It will run 2, 8 or 10 cavity H & G moulds continous because I have 2 old lino ingot feeders that keep the top premelt pots full at all times. These are not shown in the pictures.....Wes

I guess I was pulling your leg. You should enter a picture of your bench in the castpic of the month. Take care.

[Patrick L]

I think I'm the one that ran a thread about this most recently. I did it when I built my dedicated casting cabinet. I've posted extensive photos of this before, but here's just a few of my setup:

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/Casting%20cabinet/GunStuff038.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/Casting%20cabinet/GunStuff027.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/Casting%20cabinet/GunStuff026.jpg

These will give you the jist of things. If you want I can post some more, or give more detailed descriptions of the construction, etc.

Its definitely an advantage to top off the main pot with hot metal, as others said you don't lower the temp of your melt.

[rockrat]

I would worry about overloading your circuits and "throwing" your circuit breaker. Unless you run the pots on different circuits, that is

[Patrick L]

The circuit load question was one of many we discussed at length here when I was building the setup. In the end, we determined that my two pots were probably OK if there was not anything else drawing power off of that line. However, in the end I decided to run a dedicated 20 amp line with a heavy duty outlet just for the pots. In the photo it is the outlet higher and to the left of the other one. I plug the range hood into the other outlet, which is just one of the series of basement outlets. Better to err on the side of caution.

I have no idea how much draw that 4 RCBS pot setup pulls, so I can't comment on that.

[hammerhead357]

I wish I could take pictures of everything and post them but I am working in New Orleans, La. right now and won't be home for 2 or 3 weeks.
Each set of 2 pots is on a seperate circuit in my set up. At one shop I had I had each pot on a seperate circuit but that was overkill.
Mine are set up with a float in the pouring pot that controls the lever on the top/premelting pot that keeps the lead level pretty constant in the pouring pot. The top pots also have a float in them that controls the ingot feeders to keep the lead level nearly the same all the time also.....Wes

[HeavyMetal]

A little different than the others I welded up a stand for my two pots, a Lyman MoldMaster (10) and an original Lee.

Lee sits on top as a secondary feeder pot. I took the base of and reversed it so I could drill a couple mounting holes in it and get it positioned as I wanted it over the Lyman.

In use each pot is plugged into a seperate plug on a seperate circuit in the patio area.

Need to see what I can do to get a Pic of my casting set up on the thread for casting benchs this month!