Lead Melters
- Thread starter VAdoublegunner
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HEAD0001
Member
The only Lee reloading product I like are the Lee melting pots. Personally I do not like the bottom pour pots. I prefer to ladle pour my bullets. But that is just a matter of opinion. No way is right or wrong. And the bottom pour is proobably faster, I just like the ladle.
I also like the small Lyman 10# pots as well. I have a couple of the Lee pots and a couple of the Lyman pots. Both work very well. I just like the more compact Lyman, and only because of the smaller size.
IMO the most important part of casting is the sizer, not the pot. I would stay with a pot and the stove, and buy a sizer first for better bullets. But again that is just my opinion.
To me casting is a hobby that I really enjoy. I like to make my own bullets, and shoot game with the bullets I made. I just enjoy that. Tom.
I also like the small Lyman 10# pots as well. I have a couple of the Lee pots and a couple of the Lyman pots. Both work very well. I just like the more compact Lyman, and only because of the smaller size.
IMO the most important part of casting is the sizer, not the pot. I would stay with a pot and the stove, and buy a sizer first for better bullets. But again that is just my opinion.
To me casting is a hobby that I really enjoy. I like to make my own bullets, and shoot game with the bullets I made. I just enjoy that. Tom.
Order the WAAGE K-4757 by that number directly from the factory and save about $50 ! It is not a cataloged item. WAAGE makes very large industrial furnaces but do make this little one specifically for bullet casters. Great people. Just tell the very helpful lady what you want and they make it up for you. Usually takes a couple weeks.
http://www.waage.com/index.html
Jerry
http://www.waage.com/index.html
Jerry
I used to use a cast iron skillet & a ladle for bullet casting until the late 80's. I bought the small lee (#10?) furnace & have never looked back.
For small runs like what you're talking about, the lee is perfect your needs. For high volume casting the small lee pot has a hard time keeping up. It's ideal for 1 & 2 cavity molds & starts to struggle keeping up with 4 cavity molds. Especially the molds with bigger bullets.
I found for heavy production with the lee I need to use the old cast iron skillet again. I use a propane burner & heat/clean the scrap lead with it. I leave it molten in the skillet & just transfer it to the melting pot & the ingot molds as needed. I use nothing but 6 cavity molds anymore & can cast 100# of bullets & have a pile of ingots this way in 4 hours. After that I quit from a stiff back, bored, old age in general, ECT.
The lee pot has been an excellent investment for me, easily transforming 1000's of pounds of lead into bullets over the years.
For small runs like what you're talking about, the lee is perfect your needs. For high volume casting the small lee pot has a hard time keeping up. It's ideal for 1 & 2 cavity molds & starts to struggle keeping up with 4 cavity molds. Especially the molds with bigger bullets.
I found for heavy production with the lee I need to use the old cast iron skillet again. I use a propane burner & heat/clean the scrap lead with it. I leave it molten in the skillet & just transfer it to the melting pot & the ingot molds as needed. I use nothing but 6 cavity molds anymore & can cast 100# of bullets & have a pile of ingots this way in 4 hours. After that I quit from a stiff back, bored, old age in general, ECT.
The lee pot has been an excellent investment for me, easily transforming 1000's of pounds of lead into bullets over the years.
Maximumbob54
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I bought the Lee 20# bottom pour and didn't like it at all. Then I went to the 10# bottom pour and I love it. The handle has a weight on the end of it to help stop the flow. It stinks that it only holds ten pounds. But even with the few minutes of downtime to reheat I can cast a bucket of bullets in no time.
BruceM
Member
"but at 7X the cost of the most $$ Lee pot....I can put up with any drips I get from the Lee."
The determining factor wasn't the dripping but the Pro-Melt's adjustable flow rate. I had issues trying to get heavy .45 & .45 Keith SWC's to fill out fully with the Lee. Usually it was the top driving band. The bases, lower & middle driving bands were typically OK. To me, if the cast bullets I made aren't pretty good, they're culled and remelted. Frosted bullets and bullets not completely filled out don't get it done. When the time comes that no matter what you try, you have more rejects than shooters, it's time to do something different. There is also the "Maalox Factor" to take into account!
Bruce
The determining factor wasn't the dripping but the Pro-Melt's adjustable flow rate. I had issues trying to get heavy .45 & .45 Keith SWC's to fill out fully with the Lee. Usually it was the top driving band. The bases, lower & middle driving bands were typically OK. To me, if the cast bullets I made aren't pretty good, they're culled and remelted. Frosted bullets and bullets not completely filled out don't get it done. When the time comes that no matter what you try, you have more rejects than shooters, it's time to do something different. There is also the "Maalox Factor" to take into account!
Bruce
Last edited:
Skip Sackett
US Veteran
Malox? What is that for?
Bruce, have you ever tried to "pressure" cast the bigger boolits? Take the sprue plate and put the nozzle right tight to it and THEN open the valve.
I have had some trouble with bigger boolits like you said and this has helped a lot. Only difference with me is that frosted boolits are OK. Not filled out ones aren't.
The paper won't care!
Bruce, have you ever tried to "pressure" cast the bigger boolits? Take the sprue plate and put the nozzle right tight to it and THEN open the valve.
I have had some trouble with bigger boolits like you said and this has helped a lot. Only difference with me is that frosted boolits are OK. Not filled out ones aren't.
The paper won't care!
"The determining factor wasn't the dripping but the Pro-Melt's adjustable flow rate.
There is also the "Malox Factor" to take into account!
Bruce
I think we might be talking about different lee pots. I have a pro 4 20 and it has and adjustable flow. It is a screw that limits the travel of the needle pretty much like the RCBS I have. I only use clean ignots in both my pots and occasionally they both will drip. Nothing consistent from either, usually I will just hit the lever a couple times fast and that cures it. The lee can actually be set to flow faster than the RCBS.
What is the "Malox Factor"?
Maximumbob54
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I cast 255 grain .45 Colt bullets just fine with my Lee. You may need to keep your mold more hot. If it is cooling that fast as you pour hot lead into it then it doesn't sound like it was hot enough. I have read of guys using a hot plate to keep the mold up. I set mine on top of the melter sprue plate down and that helps. That and I think the aluminum casts better. It doesn't seem to need nearly as much heat. And while frosty bullets may not look pretty and shiny they still work just fine. They might even hold tumble lube better.
BruceM
Member
Yep, I'm familiar with the Pressure Casting technique. Been there and done that. Bullets with frosted driving bands are invariably undersized and out of round unless the as-cast diameter is way over the required as sized diameter in my experience. Then running them thru the correct sizing die get rid of the problem-not the optimim situation. This is echoed in many cast bullets manuals such as the older NRA's. If the nose if frosted-OK but not the driving bands.
Back in the day, the Lee furnaces were not adjustable for pour rate and the remedy "du jour" was to enlarge the spout with an electric drill & appropriate drill bit. That custom feature might or might not exacerbate the "drips". At the time, also, the largest Lee furnace was a 10 lb (I believe) as compared to the ProMelts 10 kilo (22 lb.) capacity and many folks would run two Lees' at the same time to cut down the lead time on reloads.
That should read "Maalox".
Anyway,
Bruce
Back in the day, the Lee furnaces were not adjustable for pour rate and the remedy "du jour" was to enlarge the spout with an electric drill & appropriate drill bit. That custom feature might or might not exacerbate the "drips". At the time, also, the largest Lee furnace was a 10 lb (I believe) as compared to the ProMelts 10 kilo (22 lb.) capacity and many folks would run two Lees' at the same time to cut down the lead time on reloads.
That should read "Maalox".
Anyway,
Bruce
Last edited:
Beans
Member
I started casting bullets in 1970 using Lee molds and a Old cast iron pot set on an electric hot plate.
Now days I use a Magma caster for volume bullets and a Lyman bottom pour 20 #er for small volume.
I purchased the Magma caster in 1984 It was much cheaper then.
I haven't used a Lee mold in over 30 years.
Now days I use a Magma caster for volume bullets and a Lyman bottom pour 20 #er for small volume.
I purchased the Magma caster in 1984 It was much cheaper then.
I haven't used a Lee mold in over 30 years.
