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Thread: Generator for RCBS casting furnace.

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    GARD72977's Avatar
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    Generator for RCBS casting furnace.

    I need to buy a generator for my casting. What size do I need to run the pot, fan and a light.

    Im needing a generator anyway just in case.

  2. #2
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    You won't need a real big one if its just for that.

    I'd have to double check, but I think my old RCBS pro melt only draws 800 watts when the element is on.
    A light and fan won't be very much extra draw-- maybe 100 watts or so on top of that.

    If the decal is still on the front of yours, it should tell the watts it draws.
    Honda makes one that's 2,200 watts for about $100. It would do a good job for ya,
    and not be bogged down much trying to keep up with the draw.
    And, they're fairly quiet.
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    If you are going to run your house during power outages, then buy as much as your wallet will allow!! Personally, I made it ok during Hurricane Laura last year with a 9.7 kw gas or propane dual fuel generator! But.... no central ac, no dryer and no microwave. So.... this year, after pricing local generator companies, you know, standby permanent style generator, I gave up on waiting on the dealer, ( Let’s Go Brandon, for the delay in manufacturing), and shipping delays, and ordered, from all places, Amazon, a 26.7kw portable. Now, I can run the whole house, all the time! So, the reason for this long story, buy what you think you need, and be prepared. Just for casting? 5500 watts oughta do it fine! Just my opinion. Good luck.
    I firmly believe that you should only get treated by how you act, not by who or what you are!!

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    Boolit Master Boogieman's Avatar
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    The RCBS pot pulls 850 w your lights and fan shouldn't pull more than 1500w. For a back up genset I would go with a 4500/5000w unit they don't cost much more than a smaller one and will be much more useful when the power goes off.
    The 3 people a man must be able to trust completely are his gunsmith his doctor & his preacher ..,his gunsmith for his short term health ,his doctor for long term health ,and his preacher incase one of the others mess up.

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    Boolit Buddy Stewbaby's Avatar
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    Generator for RCBS casting furnace.

    As stated, a 2000w (with a 850 plus a fee hundred amp misc load plus starting amps) should work but if you want it for storm and other, go at least 4000 to 5500 and ideally dual fuel so you can run on gas and propane. You probably already have three or four propane bottles so they offer a easy fall back should gas be hard to come by at any point. It won’t handle the starting in rush on a central AC, but it’ll cover a window unit or a camper AC.

    What I use:
    Last edited by Stewbaby; 11-24-2021 at 10:00 PM.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy pcolapaddler's Avatar
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    We have a few generators around here.

    We have a 6250 watt that we purchased after Ivan in 2004, a really cheap unit that is supposed to carry 2000 watts, but I have some doubts about that and a Harbor Freight Honda clone that is treated at 2200 watts.

    The big one is a workhorse and can run fridge/freezer, small a/c and a few lights. It's loud and burns about 5 gallons of fuel in around 8 or so hours.

    The cheapo can run a fridge and a few lights and fan(s) - you just have to be more careful with loads. It isn't too loud and 5 gallons will last several days. I haven't used it that much, but have loaned it to my mom to keep a fridge cold after a hurricane.

    The Honda clone can run a small a/c, fans and some lights or a fridge and upright freezer and a fan or two. It is quiet and specs say it will run 12 hours on its 1 gallon tank at 25% load. My experience is probably 8 hours running a 500 or so btu window a/c and a few lights/fans.

    The small inverter generators like the Honda and Harbor Freight are very quiet and fuel efficient. Some of them can be daisy chained to combine two generators capacity. This usually requires a special cable. They are not terribly heavy to move or transport.



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    Quote Originally Posted by GARD72977 View Post
    I need to buy a generator for my casting. What size do I need to run the pot, fan and a light.

    Im needing a generator anyway just in case.

    My very first generator -- maybe 40 years back? -- was/is a McCulloch 2,000 watt unit. Primarily "just to use it" I plugged in a Lyman Mould Master pot, and not surprisingly the rpms of motor changed as the internal pot thermostat switch closed and opened -- this well before I "graduated" to inline PID controllers. One of my present generators is a Honda 2000-watt Inverter unit which is most quiet in operation; reliable; economical vis petrol use, and quite light in weight/portable. IF you do not need to run a 220V water well pump; run an electric range &/or clothes dryer; and/or have electric heat -- one of these might do you nicely. The current model adds 200 watts -- it is now 2,200 watt -- a photo is inserted.Click image for larger version. 

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    geo

  8. #8
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    The big generators are great if ya need one.
    However; they are thirsty. Plan on one using around a gallon an hour or more of fuel.

    The little ones will run 6-8 hours or so on a gallon of gas.
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    How long are you going to want to hear it running while casting? I have a Honda like the one pictured above and it has been super reliable and very, very quiet. Well worth the higher price in my opinion.

  10. #10
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    The smaller generator is more appealing right now. I would like it to be portable. I may buy a larger one later.....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stewbaby View Post
    ideally dual fuel so you can run on gas and propane.
    I've got a decent size dual fuel for our fairly frequent storms and power outages.
    I'd only run it on gasoline as a last resort if I run out of propane.

    The gasoline lets it put out more power, but as I get older-
    the less and less I want to mess with the storage issues of a gas engine and preventing stale fuel.

    With the propane, you can use it, then shut it down and store the thing almost as easy and maint. free as a electric motor.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
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    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
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    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

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    Boolit Buddy Stewbaby's Avatar
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    Feel the same way. With the camper, grill, griddle, fish cooker, and spares, I typically have ~50 gallons of propane on hand. About 100 hours at least of run time just on propane.

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    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Winger Ed. View Post
    You won't need a real big one if its just for that.

    I'd have to double check, but I think my old RCBS pro melt only draws 800 watts when the element is on.
    A light and fan won't be very much extra draw-- maybe 100 watts or so on top of that.

    If the decal is still on the front of yours, it should tell the watts it draws.
    Honda makes one that's 2,200 watts for about $100. It would do a good job for ya,
    and not be bogged down much trying to keep up with the draw.
    And, they're fairly quiet.
    Did you drop a zero there somewheres? I've never seen a Honda generator for $100. Maybe $1000? If you can tell me where to get one new for $100 I need a couple of them. Geo posted a photo of the Honda 2200W generator, and I did a quicky search, and found them listing for about $1200. The Harbor Freight Predator 2000W generator that's a copy of the Honda is $559 and in short supply at my local HF. Seems to be the way things go for me these days.

    Bill

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Last I checked, Honda does not make a dual fuel unit.

    The smaller gen sets (under 3500 watts or so) will NOT run 220V but you do not need that voltage for your use.

    The little Honda pictured above will run you $1200 so not cheap and it will put out 1800 watts which will be plenty. But seems overkill to cast bullets IMO.

    If you have 220V needs then buy something that will handle it for your "just in case" emergency needs and get a dual fuel model. It will be bigger than you need for casting but a better investment in the long run. If you do not have 220V needs, many of the smaller 2000 watt units come with kits that allow you to tether them together for more power when you need it. That is a nice feature as you can use one most of time and save fuel but add the second unit during an emergency.
    Don Verna


  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrounge View Post
    Did you drop a zero there somewheres?
    Yeah, my bad. I glanced at a page after a quick search without wearing my glasses.
    It seemed rather cheap, but I didn't think much about it.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrounge View Post
    Did you drop a zero there somewheres? I've never seen a Honda generator for $100. Maybe $1000? If you can tell me where to get one new for $100 I need a couple of them. Geo posted a photo of the Honda 2200W generator, and I did a quicky search, and found them listing for about $1200. The Harbor Freight Predator 2000W generator that's a copy of the Honda is $559 and in short supply at my local HF. Seems to be the way things go for me these days.

    Bill
    Scrounge (and others) -- I bought my Honda 2000 primarily for portability and to take/use at camp. I bought it online about eight years ago from a place called "the Generator Shop" or something similar -- and I paid $899.00 for mine. A "plus" for the vendor I selected was the free shipping and NO sales tax exacted. I believe mine is now kind of obsolete -- been updated to the 2,200 watt model. Mine runs and runs like the proverbial Energizer rabbit. My only complain is in their design you shut motor-electric and fuel valve simultaneously. Hence, you cannot readily run it out of petrol (my ideal) for storage. Three things I ALWAYS do is 1/ Use nothing but Ethanol-free petrol; mix 1 ounce of Sta-bil to 2 1/2 gallons of petrol; and, I add one ounce to each gallon of petrol, SeaFoam. These OCD's surely help -- but, after a few-month hiatus -- starting has been on occasion -- a challenge. However, I generally need just remove the spark plug, squirt in a bit of petrol from an oil can I use just for this purpose -- and it (knock wood) has always started and run quite well. An unbelievably quiet unit, too... If this one broke -- I'd not hesitate a millisecond before replacing it with a similar unit!

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    I bought a PowerSmart 2500w generater on a black friday deal. Its an inverter so I should get plenty of time from a gallon of gas. I n3d to run my convection toaster oven also. The unit weighs 43 pounds so it just might make some trips to the range this winter with the coffee maker!

    Thanks for the advice. The smaller unit is what I wanted for what im doing. I may buy a bigger generater this summer. Not sure if im going to wire my Shop (shipping container) or not. A bigger generator may run the shop and back up for the house. I dont get much time in the shop so cost is not a big factor.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Winger Ed. View Post
    The big generators are great if ya need one.
    However; they are thirsty. Plan on one using around a gallon an hour or more of fuel.

    The little ones will run 6-8 hours or so on a gallon of gas.
    I can't speak for big ones, but 6 hours a gallon is pretty good on any generator. Dad's Honda 2200 might get that, but I think 4 hours per gallon is more realistic. The tanks on them aren't very big, but they won't run more than about 4-5 hours on their tank. Dad now only runs his off of a 6 gallon boat tank with a special cap. With that tank it will last more than a day, but not a weekend.

    I have a cheap 2000w unit, I think called the Sportsman. Bought it for $120 on sale, it's been great. Mine has a slightly bigger tank than the Honda, but still won't last a whole night. Maybe 6-8 hours on the tank, which must be about 1 1/2 gallons. It's pretty similar to the Honda on gas. Where the cheap ones come up short is frequency. The Honda will run very consistently even under a full load, and still maintain 50+ Hertz. It will run a fridge and a furnace indefinitely without issue. By comparison my Sportsman slows down under full load. It would run 2000w worth of lights and casting furnaces just fine. Anything with a motor or otherwise needs consistent frequency it will not. It will run a chest freezer well enough, but a fridge, the Hertz drops into the 40's, and a fridge just won't run right on that. I'm guessing I could mess with the governor to get the engine to run at the speed it is supposed to, but I just don't run fridges off of mine anymore. Mine will run an AC unit, TV, and lights at the same time without missing a beat, and that's more than I need from it. Mine will cause a little more light flicker with certain bulbs, regular incandescent bulbs are best with generators. It doesn't seem like LED's work well with any generator. Noise is definitely louder with mine, but I was surprised how loud the Honda's are after all the big talk about them. The Honda is quiet, but you aren't going to have a conversation with one by you.

    To answer your question Gard, a cheap generator of at least 1200W will do you just fine. HF used to have a sweet little 1000W 2 stroke generator that started even at -20 F that I loved. Unfortunately their new green units are worse than garbage. I can fully recommend the Sportsman though, it's possibly from Runnings, if you can get it for cheap like I did. The only problem I ever had was the low oil sensor quit (kills ignition), and all I had to do was unplug it. I do run 0w-20 in mine in the winter though, as like all 4 stroke generators, you will not be able to pull start them once it gets below about 10 degrees if you run the recommended 10w-30 or SAE 30, or whatever it was. I wouldn't dare do that to a $1000 Honda. Winger Ed. You missed a 0, at least. Dad bought his 1 year old used for $600, and that's a steal of a friends price for what people ask for those.
    Last edited by megasupermagnum; 11-30-2021 at 01:06 AM.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master Jim22's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by georgerkahn View Post

    My very first generator -- maybe 40 years back? -- was/is a McCulloch 2,000 watt unit. Primarily "just to use it" I plugged in a Lyman Mould Master pot, and not surprisingly the rpms of motor changed as the internal pot thermostat switch closed and opened -- this well before I "graduated" to inline PID controllers. One of my present generators is a Honda 2000-watt Inverter unit which is most quiet in operation; reliable; economical vis petrol use, and quite light in weight/portable. IF you do not need to run a 220V water well pump; run an electric range &/or clothes dryer; and/or have electric heat -- one of these might do you nicely. The current model adds 200 watts -- it is now 2,200 watt -- a photo is inserted.Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Honda 2200 Gen.jpg 
Views:	28 
Size:	35.1 KB 
ID:	292172
    geo
    Don't ignore the quietness of the runnung generator. Both the Honda and the Yamaha generators are quiet. The Yamahas tend to cost a bit less than the Hondas. YMMV.

    Jim

  20. #20
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    You need at least 8KW to run your house 12KW would be better . I have an 8KW Generac that came with my house. We actually need a standby gen where we live as here is a lot of power outages. Sometimes they last all day in the summer time!

    I wouldn't recommend the Generac Line as our has had problems. go with Kohler or Onan. Most permanently installed units run on Natural Gas.

    I also have a Onan 6.5 KW RV Gas Generator I paid $100 for it and it will run forever I have it mounted on a wagon for portability. It will output either 110 or 220V. These are available lots of places and are some of the best gensets ever made. If you are going bigger than about 15 KW you need Diesel!

    Also those Honda E2200's can be stacked in parallel to increase output. They are excellent small gen sets probably the best out there.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

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