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Thread: 3 Used Lead Furnaces

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    3 Used Lead Furnaces

    Just getting started in casting lead bullets and just picked up the 3 furnaces shown below. All are powered by 120VAC except the RCBS Pro Melt which is 240VAC. Which one will serve me the best?
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  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    some people got all the luck. all 3 of them will get the job done. I guess you need to heat em up see if drip try each of them out and decide which you like best.
    I been casting bullets for a bunch of years and have not yet come across a used Lyman or rcbs bottom pour pot.

  3. #3
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    I picked up a very old well used lyman pot myself about two years ago. It's got a little drip probably from a worn seat but I really enjoy using it. But not as much as sitting under a shady tree with the Coleman stove, pot, and ladle.

    As beeser said give them all a try to decide which one you like. Or do what I would probably do if I had three working pots. Fill and fire them all up and go to town.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Well, the 110 ones will serve most folks the best as you can plug them up anywhere. The 220 one, maybe it could be rewired to 110 if you don't have a shop with 220. Personally, I'd use each for different alloys and can the lee if I was wanting to free up space or funds.

  5. #5
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    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    For what its worth, a ten pound Lee like you show is the only bottom pour pot I have ever had a runaway flow problem with. The valve rod is easy to dislodge from the wire bail, then oops. I now keep mine in one of the cheap aluminum turkey roasting pans, just in case it happens again.

    Never used a Lyman pot, so no advice here.

    The Promelt needs some parts, but I really like using mine for four to six cavity molds. 240 VAC isn't much harder to run than a 120 VAC circuit, I'd try it before getting rid of it.

    Like Bazoo says, multiple pots make keeping different alloys ready to cast easy.

    Robert

  6. #6
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    Way cool.
    They all will work, and do a good job, so I'd keep all 3.

    If one burns out, and you've gotten rid of the others-- the prices on the new ones is way up there now days.
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  7. #7
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    I'd start with the Lyman because of the spout thickness and handle/valve profile

  8. #8
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    How I use two pots at once

    Quote Originally Posted by Kylongrifle32 View Post
    I picked up a very old well used lyman pot myself about two years ago. It's got a little drip probably from a worn seat but I really enjoy using it. But not as much as sitting under a shady tree with the Coleman stove, pot, and ladle.

    As beeser said give them all a try to decide which one you like. Or do what I would probably do if I had three working pots. Fill and fire them all up and go to town.
    I use two pots, one to refill the one I am casting from. Keep the 110 volt pots . Maybe sell the 240 v and get another 20# Lee or convert the 240 v to 110v if feasible. Just a thought. afish4570

  9. #9
    Boolit Master Garyshome's Avatar
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    I would keep all 3. I use 2 whenever I cast. Saves a lot of waiting around time when getting to the end of the alloy supply in 1 pot.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I would keep the lyman and RCBS. become a speed caster and use one for melting one for casting, the only down time will be draining and refilling the pre melt pot.

    On a little more serious note, I would try all three to see if they all work then c couple sessions with each to see which you like. Is the Pro melt a US 249 ir European 240. Finding the European plug here in the states. may be tricky.

    See what works for you and use it

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    I would keep the lyman and RCBS. become a speed caster and use one for melting one for casting, the only down time will be draining and refilling the pre melt pot.

    On a little more serious note, I would try all three to see if they all work then c couple sessions with each to see which you like. Is the Pro melt a US 249 ir European 240. Finding the European plug here in the states. may be tricky.

    See what works for you and use it
    I don't know whether it's a US or European version but if you look closely at the nameplate it shows 240AC 800W. It didn't come with a plug. I put one (240V) on and it quickly melted a few small bars of lead. Actually I tried all three furnaces and they all work. I have a few more essentials to get and I'll be ready to cast my first bullets. I'm reading Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook in preparation for it.

  12. #12
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    I'm using a Lyman just like that one now. Fought with one of those Lee 10 pounders for way too long. More trouble than they're worth in my opinion. When I started using that Lyman, I couldn't believe how much easier it was to make good bullets.

  13. #13
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    Funny, I have all 3 of those, plus a Magma 40 lber. I like my RCBS, but I gotta say, that cast iron pot on the Lyman keeps a more constant temp due to it's mass. It does take more time to heat up, though.

  14. #14
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    Guess I have been lucky. Have picked up 3 used Pro-melts over the years, 2 in the last year. First one about 12 years ago. Replaced my 50 year old Saeco. Keep different alloys in each pot. Oldest one, IIRC is 36 years old, newest is 14 years old. All work great. Had to get a few parts for one, but RCBS shipped them out right away.

    Go for the pro-melt, holds a lot more lead.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy dimaprok's Avatar
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    I have Pro Melt, it leaks worse than my 20lb Lee but I like the pot. I tried to sand the plunger at an angle but it didn't stop.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy dimaprok's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Winger Ed. View Post
    Way cool.
    They all will work, and do a good job, so I'd keep all 3.

    If one burns out, and you've gotten rid of the others-- the prices on the new ones is way up there now days.
    The whole pot shouldn't burn out, just a heating element and those are not that expensive to replace, well at least with Lee that I tried.

  17. #17
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    One of my future projects is to mount a 20lb bottom pour pot above another 20lb pour pot. So the top pot can fill the bottom. Then reload the top and cast away while the top melts.

    Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
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  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rcmaveric View Post
    One of my future projects is to mount a 20lb bottom pour pot above another 20lb pour pot. So the top pot can fill the bottom. Then reload the top and cast away while the top melts.

    Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk
    I bought a 20 lb Lee to do that with my Lyman furnace, and never got around to it. Then found a used Master Caster (40 lb pot) so I have a new Lee sitting on the shelf. Should put it on EvilBay and sell it. LOL

    But your idea is a good one.
    Don Verna


  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    You're lucky, the Lyman has the mold guide. They have gotten all but impossible to find. Depending on the molds you use it may need a bit of modification for molds that are wider than Lyman. For some of my molds had to take a piece of flashing and make a cover that sits on top of the guide so it wasn't necessary to balance on the arm.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master

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    I need to find me one of those older cast iron lined pots too for my zinc casting curiosities.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check