New to me casting equipment

[1BadDart]

A couple months ago my 86 yo Uncle stopped by to pick up a little project I'd worked on for him. I had just finished cleaning my muzzleloader and was putting my stuff away when he arrived. He looked my rifle over and asking a few questions. He picked up a box of balls and I explained that I had cast them but was not very happy with my Lee pot and I was considering finding the stuff and starting ladle casting.

Fast forward a couple months and he stops by again and said he had some stuff for me. I go out to his van to find casting equipment. The Lyman hot pot belonged to his neighbor who passed away probably forty years ago. It heated up fine but didn't pour well so I emptied it out and gave it a good cleaning and it works fine, better than my Lee. I poured 225 .40 caliber balls with it yesterday afternoon.

He gave me everything but the Lyman hot pot, told me to keep it and if he ever needs it he knows where it is.

 

[Greg_E]

What don't you like about your Lee pot?

 

[TDM]

Better take your Uncle out to lunch for that!

 

[1BadDart]

What don't you like about your Lee pot?

it's impossible to stop it from leaking, also it seems the temperature is more stable with the Lyman.

 

[Archer 756]

NO problem fixing leaking just put a screw in bottom fill and use a ladle to pour lead That is what other casters have done and as has been noted use a thermometer Simple fixes

 

[1BadDart]

I don't see the need to waste my time fixing the lee . I'll use the Lyman for pouring balls and jigs and use the cast iron pot and ladle for making ingots.

 

[1BadDart]

I made a handle for the ladle.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Might want to replace the cord

 

[superkodiaksteiner]

I was thinking the same thing, replace that cord and it should service you well for many years!

 

[dave951]

I use 3 Lee pots. Yup, each will leak a bit from time to time but I've found using clean lead, keeping it hot, and keeping casting tempo high, it's not a problem. When they do leak a bit, just a twist or two on the pin usually puts a stop to it.

 

[waksupi]

I have a Lyman pot like that. I've had to re-wire it a couple times, and I let the smoke out again this past week casting some balls for a friend. It's never a good thing to let smoke out of anything electric. I got mine used, no idea how old it is, but I have owned it at least ten years, and have cast thousands of bullets with it. I decided to get a brand new pot with the built in PID controller.

 

[1BadDart]

I'm afraid the pot is going to be unusable, it appears it was wired direct, bypassing the thermostat. Most of the insulation was burned off the wires, luckily, I didn't get shocked or trip a breaker. Lyman doesn't support this pot any longer and I understand. What surprised me was that they only support (parts) for their "Mag 25 Digital Furnace". Their "Big Dipper" has no parts support, if it breaks after the warranty period, it's junk. A sign of the throwaway society we now live in I suppose.

 

[TDM]

That is a shame you can’t get parts for that.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Sure are a lot of pot users on the forum.

Had mine for years, smokem if ya gotem