That rheostat is just one of the huge problems with the Lee equipment. First I want to say "WELCOME HOME AND THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE". It is priced low for a reason and will keep you in a pi---d off state as long as you use it. We used a acronym when I was in service during the sixties. It was SNAFU and that is what your days will be. Use a case iron pot and propane burner for your smelting and try to find a used RCBS,Lyman or Saeco from which to do your mold pouring. The RCBS and the others all have real thermostats. The old Lyman 61 was a good pot. When I put my RCBS on 750, I never have to touch it again. It makes casting fun and not the PITA that LEE does. Lee is like some of the issue we would receive, it will work but not always as expected.