stone knife
40 Cal.
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What electric melting pot will give me the best results for my dollar.
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Lead pot
- Thread starter stone knife
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well, i might be putting a "kick me" sign on my own forehead, but I've had good luck with the Lee bottom pours.
Some folks have had problems with them, though- I guess it sort of a Ford vs. Chevy thing.
I would probably go to an open small pot on an electric hot plate if I were to start over... still have that setup somewhere in my box of 'junk i don't use, but won't throw out,' about which SWMBO complains from time to time.
good luck with your upcoming project: i have always found running ball to be very relaxing, but by way of caveat, you want to do this outdoors, or at least with the garage door open, and wear long sleeved shirt and long pants, closed toe shoes, and a good pair of leather works gloves. of course, don't eat or drink anything while you're casting (you wouldn't have time, anyway) and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly when you're done. If it's hot outside, wear a hat or something to keep a drop of sweat from falling into the pot: the resultant explosion of splashing lead can be quite unpleasant. You'll want a towel of a bit of cloth: drop the ball on top of this and you won't dent them. Depending on the design of your mold, you might want a sprue nipper (i use a gadget i bought at the pet store for trimming dogs nails.
That's the end of the rant, for now.
Good luck, and make good smoke!
Some folks have had problems with them, though- I guess it sort of a Ford vs. Chevy thing.
I would probably go to an open small pot on an electric hot plate if I were to start over... still have that setup somewhere in my box of 'junk i don't use, but won't throw out,' about which SWMBO complains from time to time.
good luck with your upcoming project: i have always found running ball to be very relaxing, but by way of caveat, you want to do this outdoors, or at least with the garage door open, and wear long sleeved shirt and long pants, closed toe shoes, and a good pair of leather works gloves. of course, don't eat or drink anything while you're casting (you wouldn't have time, anyway) and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly when you're done. If it's hot outside, wear a hat or something to keep a drop of sweat from falling into the pot: the resultant explosion of splashing lead can be quite unpleasant. You'll want a towel of a bit of cloth: drop the ball on top of this and you won't dent them. Depending on the design of your mold, you might want a sprue nipper (i use a gadget i bought at the pet store for trimming dogs nails.
That's the end of the rant, for now.
Good luck, and make good smoke!
Kentuckywindage
62 Cal.
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www.trackofthewolf.com
Check out the Lee melting pot. I paid $45 to my door earlier this week, got it fedex in 2 days and its one heck of a deal!
Check out the Lee melting pot. I paid $45 to my door earlier this week, got it fedex in 2 days and its one heck of a deal!
Last edited by a moderator:
Stone Knife said:
That really depends on how much use you plan to give it and how long you intend to keep it.
Best would be the Lyman, either dip or bottom pour models. They are in the $350 to $400 price range.
Many (most?) of us end up buying the Lee models. Personally I cannot reccomend the bottom drip......er....I mean, pour model. I have one, bad news. I dip from it. Lees are well under $100.00.
ohio ramrod
75 Cal.
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Best quality- Lyman, Lowest cost and will work if kept clean_ Lee. I have two Lee bottom pour pots. One I bought and one was given to me. The one that was given to me has been "plugged and I use with a dipper. The one I bought works well but you must keep the bottom free of "crud". I get the best results keeping it at least half full, and every fourty lbs or so I empty the pot and clean the pour area well. A brown crud forms by the reaction of hot lead and steel and it will plug up your spout.Or partialy plug and prevent the steel closing rod from closing fully and cause the pot to drip,drip, drip. Kept clean the Lee will work!But that is my personal opinion and worth what you paid for it! :idunno:
jtmattison
70 Cal.
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I really like my Lee Production Pot IV.
HD
HD
Billnpatti
Cannon
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My personal preference is an open top pot that you dip lead from with a lead dipper. Of the electric pots on the market, you will get the best bang for your buck with a Lee pot. They make two different open top pots. One is a 10 pound pot and the other is called the Magnum pot. It holds 20 pounds of lead. The 10 pound pot works fine for me. I have my lead cast into 1 pound ingots and I just feed an ingot or two from time to time as I cast. When I drop an ingot into my pot, it cools the molten lead and it sets up until the temp is up to the melting point again. During this time, I set my mold and dipper in the pot to keep them hot so that as soon as the lead is molten again and you are ready to start casting again. This takes only a few minutes and can be a welcome rest and a chance to "hit the head" as we used to say in the Navy.
silly goose
45 Cal.
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Im another happy camper with the lee pot.
Billnpatti said:
You put your mold in the pot with the melting lead? Do you have a lee mold? I've been fighting wrinkles on my RB and I wonder if my mold isn't getting hot enough...
Kentuckywindage
62 Cal.
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Adui, I put my mold " Corner" in the molten lead as well, I use both lyman and Lee molds and if the balls or bullets are wrinkled, either the lead isn't hot enough or the mold is cool.
You only put the mold in the lead for about 30 seconds.
You only put the mold in the lead for about 30 seconds.
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My Lee has dripped only a little bit and I am very satisfied with it.
fyrfyter43
45 Cal.
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I started with a Lee Drip-O-Matic. It leaked right out of the box. I tried all the usual fixes such as polishing the rod and lapping it in to the pot. Finally I welded the spout shut and used it with a dipper. That worked OK but the mouth is a little too narrow, and it was hard to get more than 3 lbs or so out of it.
I broke down maybe a year ago and bought the 20 lb Lee Magnum Melter. It's a dipper type pot, so the mouth is a lot wider, and it works much better for casting with a dipper.
I broke down maybe a year ago and bought the 20 lb Lee Magnum Melter. It's a dipper type pot, so the mouth is a lot wider, and it works much better for casting with a dipper.
Adui said:
I put my mould into the pot but have to admit that does overheat it. The first few casts take a long time to harden. But, it gets the mould out of the way and does get it hot.
My old Lee bottom pour (30 years old) has probably poured close to 10,000 rounds over the years. Yes, you have to clean them out now and then but for the money it has served me well. I just ordered a new one and gave the old one to a newbie at the club.
jamesthomas
70 Cal.
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I too have a Lee Magnum Melter, the 20 pounder. When your mold is hot enough the lead will pour off of it. I stick about 1/3 of the ladle in the lead. If the lead sticks to it, put it back in until it just rolls right off of it. #60.00 or so from thier website.
Making round balls for competion in the 1990's here in New England durring the days of the First Congess shoots. I cast over 100,000 .500 balls using a bottom pour Lee furnace.
No problems with the furnace that I bought in 1978 for making pistol bullets.(paid $35 dollars for it at cost from an FFL who was in drill school for the firfighters academy with me)
Sure it dripped lead every now and then but cleaning the point of the rod curred that. :thumbsup:
No problems with the furnace that I bought in 1978 for making pistol bullets.(paid $35 dollars for it at cost from an FFL who was in drill school for the firfighters academy with me)
Sure it dripped lead every now and then but cleaning the point of the rod curred that. :thumbsup:
