Ladles ?

[Jack Stanley]

I don't often resort to a ladle but recently I got a mold that seems to prefer one . I use a Lyman when I just need to feed small molds and I have a much larger one for filling ten pound ingots . The Lyman is starting to develop a crack and here's the question , When I replace or get a spare for the Lyman . Should I consider the RCBS or just get another Lyman ?

Thanks for your input , Jack

[docone31]

I am a lefty, I do not like the ladles available.
Except, I do like the Lyman. When I am doing ingots, it keeps the metal hot and keeps the slag in the resevoir.
My vote would be the Lyman.
Why not braze the crack?

[FN in MT]

DO take a look at the smallest Rowell bottom pour ladle as well.

Holds a nice amount of alloy and any crap stays at the surface of the lead as one fills a cavity.

FN in MT

[Reddot]

What about a Rowell from Rotometals?

FN beat me to it.

[mooman76]

I've been using the Lee for years. It's left or right handed and $4.

[Jack Stanley]

I've been using the Lee for years. It's left or right handed and $4.

I have one of those and if the pot is full or nearly so it's fine . as the pot goes down it looses touch real quick for me . This Lyman will feed some four cavity molds with one fill which is a plus should I need it .

The only Rowells I've ever seen were huge beasts . I have a two inch bowl ( not a Rowell ) that is a beast to try and use in a Pro-melt . I do most things as a left hander but I did learn how to handle a five inch bowl and a very large die casting machine as a right hander so I am trainable .

Jack

[mooman76]

You are right, it is kind of small but it works for me when I do 2 cavity moulds. You said you only use it for small moulds so I thought it would work. I bent mine you it would dip down better plus I try to keep my pot fairly full. It maintains the heat better when adding lead I think because of more mass. I wish lee made a ladle one size bigger for bigger applications like the 6x's. I'm too cheap to buy a real good one.

[Sprue]

Ain't noth'n like a Rowell #3 or equivalent

[Leadforbrains]

I ladle pour for my hollowpoint molds. I use an RCBS for that. I use a rowell ladle for my ingot molds.

[30yrcaster]

Never really used a ladle until I casted some Postells last year. Bottom pour didn't work too well so got out the old RCBS ladle. Couldn't believe it but most sessions only had 1-5 visually bad ones out of 200. Never had that with the bottom pour.

The RCBS has the right angle on it to dip out of the bottom of the RCBS Promelt. Don't know how the angle is on the Lyman. I was able to dip as low as lead just covering the ladle.

[22lover]

I'm a cheap SOB but I bought a stainless steel ladle in the camping section of Academy Sports and it has worked great for me while pouring lead (at least making ingots). I've poured up a few hundred pounds of WW muffin ingots with it so far and no problem. I think it was $3.

Bill

[Jack Stanley]

I'm glad to hear some news about the RCBS offering . I'm pretty well covered on being able to get liquid lead from the pot to an ingot mold . For the most part , I can coax the bottom pour to do well without resorting to a ladle . I even tried the bigger ladle I had and getting the alloy into the mold . No...... this oddball mold likes to be turned on it's side and kissed with the hot snout of a ladle then turned upright . I hat it when a plan works out like this .

Jack

[Gee_Wizz01]

I am also a lefty and I tried the RCBS years ago, but it didn't work as well for me as the Lyman. The Lyman works well for me and one of my left handed friends. I have a Lee, but never use it for casting, the open top is too easy to spill and IHMO the ergonomics are bad. I am a bit cheap and I would get the old Lyman repaired.

G