bootsnthejeep
11-13-2010, 07:45 PM
Today was a fairly productive day in the experimental reloading room. Made my first batch of Speed Green today, and further tested my PID controller. Some things to note:
#1) That PID controller is outstanding. My productivity is way up, reject count way down. And the temperature stability is a godsend. I'll grant you, my Lee furnace is not one of the ones that's good at maintaining temperature on its own, hence the controller. But for me, this has been WAY too long coming.
HOWEVER:
#2) If you use a submersion probe as opposed to on of the physically attached thermocouples, pay attention to where you put it in the pot. Up to now I've had fine luck just resting it in the pot. Now I have to come up with some way to suspend it. I had a rapidly-compounding near-disaster today. Very full pot at 750 degrees, mould up to temp and casting nicely. Re-fill the mould, release the pour handle, and it continues to pour lead. Not full stream, but a VERY rapid dribble. Grab the screwdriver and give the rod a twist. Nothing. Worse, actually. Tap it with the sprue thumper. Nothing.
Flow of lead starting to overwhelm the block of 2x4 I use for a mould rest. Now its running onto the surface of my bench, which is a piece of common kitchen countertop. OSB with that fomica-like covering on it. So that immedietly starts to sizzle, and I hear the telltale sounds of steaming moisture. Ohhh, ****.
First pop, I duck and cover. Lead's still flowing. I grab for an ingot mould. Not there. None of them. Oh yeah, out on the deck where I was making ingots.
SECOND pop. Countertop covering is flying. Who knew there could be that much moisture in a 10 year old chunk of counterop? I'm really in overdrive now.
FINALLY, I check the pot and find the damn probe had slid UNDER the stem while I was filling the mould, and now was propping it open. Pulled the probe out, the deluge ceased.
What a mess.
SO.
#3) Suspend that probe!
#4) And don't be a bonehead, and put a sheet of steel under the melting pot. That should have been a no brainer.
#5) Speed Green is very cool. And my pan lubing technique is improving. But I need to find some of those silicone baking tins.
#6) With these new technological advancements, this 10 pound pot is NOT going to cut it much longer. With a gang mould and dead-steady lead temperature, it doesn't last long. I think the old Saeco I have is 20 pounder, have to get that on its feet next.
So yeah. Productive day. Cranking out 45 ACPs, with a target of filling a Cabelas dry box with 1000+ rounds. I like having ammo loaded ahead. Oh yeah, which brings me to
#7. Very handy to have the Dillon all set up for 45 ACPs so I can just turn around in the reloading room and crank out a few dozen rounds while I'm waiting for the pot to come up to temp or something. That's my kind of multitasking.
Boots
#1) That PID controller is outstanding. My productivity is way up, reject count way down. And the temperature stability is a godsend. I'll grant you, my Lee furnace is not one of the ones that's good at maintaining temperature on its own, hence the controller. But for me, this has been WAY too long coming.
HOWEVER:
#2) If you use a submersion probe as opposed to on of the physically attached thermocouples, pay attention to where you put it in the pot. Up to now I've had fine luck just resting it in the pot. Now I have to come up with some way to suspend it. I had a rapidly-compounding near-disaster today. Very full pot at 750 degrees, mould up to temp and casting nicely. Re-fill the mould, release the pour handle, and it continues to pour lead. Not full stream, but a VERY rapid dribble. Grab the screwdriver and give the rod a twist. Nothing. Worse, actually. Tap it with the sprue thumper. Nothing.
Flow of lead starting to overwhelm the block of 2x4 I use for a mould rest. Now its running onto the surface of my bench, which is a piece of common kitchen countertop. OSB with that fomica-like covering on it. So that immedietly starts to sizzle, and I hear the telltale sounds of steaming moisture. Ohhh, ****.
First pop, I duck and cover. Lead's still flowing. I grab for an ingot mould. Not there. None of them. Oh yeah, out on the deck where I was making ingots.
SECOND pop. Countertop covering is flying. Who knew there could be that much moisture in a 10 year old chunk of counterop? I'm really in overdrive now.
FINALLY, I check the pot and find the damn probe had slid UNDER the stem while I was filling the mould, and now was propping it open. Pulled the probe out, the deluge ceased.
What a mess.
SO.
#3) Suspend that probe!
#4) And don't be a bonehead, and put a sheet of steel under the melting pot. That should have been a no brainer.
#5) Speed Green is very cool. And my pan lubing technique is improving. But I need to find some of those silicone baking tins.
#6) With these new technological advancements, this 10 pound pot is NOT going to cut it much longer. With a gang mould and dead-steady lead temperature, it doesn't last long. I think the old Saeco I have is 20 pounder, have to get that on its feet next.
So yeah. Productive day. Cranking out 45 ACPs, with a target of filling a Cabelas dry box with 1000+ rounds. I like having ammo loaded ahead. Oh yeah, which brings me to
#7. Very handy to have the Dillon all set up for 45 ACPs so I can just turn around in the reloading room and crank out a few dozen rounds while I'm waiting for the pot to come up to temp or something. That's my kind of multitasking.
Boots