Lee casting furnace

[flash60601]

You guys with "drippy" bottom pour pots are missing something. Put a half-pound cast-iron weight on the end of your handle like the old Lyman pots had, and when you stop the pour, "drop" the handle.The weight will choke of the drip like it was intended to. The larger the pot, the less the temperature fluctuations will be, the better insulated the pot, likewise.

Pouring ain't black magic, just consistency and thinking the whole issue through.

 

[Bib]

Since we've moved I've been considering getting back into casting bullets. Unfortunately I gave my buddy my Lyman furnace, a lubricator/sizer, and miscellaneous other stuff, and sold my Saeco furnace. Now I'm pretty much starting over again. I need to replace it all. I was taught by a buddy to use a ladle. Tried a bottom pour but never got good results. Not to mention dribbling. Lee and Lyman both have pots for dipping but Lee's is a 20lb. cap. Which I'd prefer. Any hands on experience?
Next comes a luber/sizer.

What calibers will you be casting for? I haven't used my casting equipment for many years and I've been thinking about selling it all. Luber/sizer & various molds for 38/357 and 44.

 

[max503]

Next comes a luber/sizer.

I have a Lyman lube/sizer, but to tell you the truth, you can get by nicely without one just by using the Lee push-through sizers. They even work for gas checks.

Personally, I need to look into ladle casting. I have one but haven't really given it a chance.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I have a Lyman lube/sizer, but to tell you the truth, you can get by nicely without one just by using the Lee push-through sizers. They even work for gas checks.

Personally, I need to look into ladle casting. I have one but haven't really given it a chance.

You can run circles around an elec-pot ladle casting.

 

[mikld]

OP; as you can see most of the reasoning of which bottom pour pot or ladle vs. bottom pour is basically personal preference based on personal wants/needs/feelings. Each has reasons why they chose their equipment and they probably wouldn't fit your wants/needs. About the only thing I can suggest is to try and find some unbiased reviews on the equipment you are thinking about using. Good luck...

BTW; I have never purchased anything that I was locked in to keeping for the rest of my life, not reloading/casting equipment, guns, cars and even houses. If I acquired something and later decided I didn't like it, I have always been free to try another. I have been able to sell my unwanted items or donate to a worthy cause, never being made to use an item I didn't like, and it's all in the continuing education of life...

 

[fredj338]

Lee pots are cumbersome and slow. So are most other lead pots on the melt and remelt. They can't hold a candle to a pot on a burner and a good ladle. Many years ago I gave my pot away....Too Slow! I cast with 4 molds in rotation. Dumping into a segmented box.

Opinions vary but I have been using bottom pour pots for decades now & you can easily pour two 4-6cav molds & keep going. What you need are preheated ingots to replenish the pot or if you really want to go fast, get a 40# pot. it will take preheated 5# ingots all day & never slow down. It is how I run my Magma caster. I also know guys that run a bottom pour & then an open pot to transfer molten alloy instead of ingots. Not possible to cast faster than that.

 

[ACORN]

What calibers will you be casting for? I haven't used my casting equipment for many years and I've been thinking about selling it all. Luber/sizer & various molds for 38/357 and 44.

I'm planning on .38/.357, .44, .45 and possibly .312. But I just ordered a Lyman 45 off of Fleabay. If you want, shoot me an idea what you are looking to get out of it. My buddy is into casting so maybe between the 2 of us we could swing it.

 

[Bib]

I'm planning on .38/.357, .44, .45 and possibly .312. But I just ordered a Lyman 45 off of Fleabay. If you want, shoot me an idea what you are looking to get out of it. My buddy is into casting so maybe between the 2 of us we could swing it.

Ill get it all together and take some pictures...I'll try to come up with a deal for you. I've been thinking about selling for quite awhile but I hate packing and shipping. Being that you're local I could probably deliver

 

[Tex1001]

I have the old Lee Production Pot (Rebuilt 17 years ago for dribbles). Worked fine ever since. I now use the Lee 4/20 bottom pour with great results.
Ladle probably won't work with a 6 cavity aluminum mold. Heat soak and migration will deform bullets.
Lee pots all use an indirect type thermostat. It's their Achilles heel that doesn't maintain temp well.
Infrared thermometers will give bogus readings if there is any oxidation layer on top of the melt.
I bit the bullet and converted my temp controls to a 1/4 DIN solid state control using a K type thermocouple immersed in the melt. Thermostat on Lee unit is bypassed. Cost is dirt cheap but basic wiring experience is needed.

This setup can control temp for lead pot or sizer/lubricator with phenomenal accuracy.

https://smile.amazon.com/Temperature-Controller-All-Purpose-Fahrenheit-Centigrade/dp/B07QNQFRJY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=fahrenheit+digital+thermostat+type+k&qid=1570058311&s=industrial&sr=1-3

This is a fairly complete system:

https://smile.amazon.com/Universal-Temperature-Controller-thermocouple-Combinations/dp/B00X5EZXV4/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=fahrenheit+digital+thermostat+type+k&qid=1570058816&s=industrial&sr=1-6

 

[One Holer]

I get dibs if you decide to pass

 

[Tom Beavert]

A shooting buddy of mine had a tire shop with 5 gal. buckets of lead weights. So I did him a huge favor and bought him a lee pot and a bunch of molds. Worked great till he closed the shop.
TB

 

[fredj338]

I have the old Lee Production Pot (Rebuilt 17 years ago for dribbles). Worked fine ever since. I now use the Lee 4/20 bottom pour with great results.
Ladle probably won't work with a 6 cavity aluminum mold. Heat soak and migration will deform bullets.
Lee pots all use an indirect type thermostat. It's their Achilles heel that doesn't maintain temp well.
Infrared thermometers will give bogus readings if there is any oxidation layer on top of the melt.
I bit the bullet and converted my temp controls to a 1/4 DIN solid state control using a K type thermocouple immersed in the melt. Thermostat on Lee unit is bypassed. Cost is dirt cheap but basic wiring experience is needed.

This setup can control temp for lead pot or sizer/lubricator with phenomenal accuracy.

https://smile.amazon.com/Temperature-Controller-All-Purpose-Fahrenheit-Centigrade/dp/B07QNQFRJY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=fahrenheit+digital+thermostat+type+k&qid=1570058311&s=industrial&sr=1-3

This is a fairly complete system:

https://smile.amazon.com/Universal-Temperature-Controller-thermocouple-Combinations/dp/B00X5EZXV4/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=fahrenheit+digital+thermostat+type+k&qid=1570058816&s=industrial&sr=1-6

The way to go for the lee pot is a pid. If I buy another bottom pour, probably the new rcbs.

 

[ACORN]

Tex1001; I an intrigued by the complete setup you posted. I assume the wiring was pretty straightforward? If I am correct then all I would need is a fixture to hold the sensor

 

[mikld]

A bit of PID/Lee pot info; Project - PID on Lee Pro 4 20 furnace BTW, this site has info and answers on all aspects of cast bullets from plain lead to alloying, casting, casting equipment, sizing, lubing, loading and shooting cast bullets in all calibers/gauges...

 

[Patrick L]

For the money the 20# Lee pot can't be beat. True it's not an RCBS, but last I checked the RCBS cost about 4x what a Lee does. It is NOT 4x the pot.

 

[fredj338]

For the money the 20# Lee pot can't be beat. True it's not an RCBS, but last I checked the RCBS cost about 4x what a Lee does. It is NOT 4x the pot.

This is very true. For a lot less, you could buy two Lee Pro4 & put PID on both. Use one to cast & the other to fill the casting pot. I just wish they were insulated. It would help with the temp control as well as not being so hazardous to be around. I fo like the new RCBS though. On my list next time MIdway sends me a BD discount.

 

[ACORN]

I've thought of adding insulation to mine if needed. I'm thinking about rock wool around the exterior and cutting a hole in the bottom of a can the approximate diameter of the ID crucible on the Lee and sliding it over the insulation wrapped pot. If desired the can could be drilled to line up with the bolts already in the Lee.
I wish my buddy stilled worked in the sheet metal shop. They specialize in stainless. He could make a real first rate cover to fit.
Just thinking.

 

[old tanker]

I started with a cast iron pot and a Lyman ladle eons ago. When Lee came out with the 10 pound bottom pour I bought one. Output increased and it was OK for blasting bullets. Weight variation was greater than with the ladle but for pistol bullets weighing around 200-230 grains or less it was tolerable. When I got interested in big black powder rifle cartridges it proved woefully inadequate.

Casting big bullets, 500 grains and heavier, the ladle is slower, but more consistent with fewer rejects. Lee's 20 pound furnace is cheap and has a much needed increase in capacity. I use it for most of my casting.

 

[Duckford]

My Lee 20 pound bottom pour was OK. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't get more consistent results and better, faster melting with my RCBS Pro. I like casting higher quality bullets at a fast rate, and the better furnace just seems to do a better job of keeping temperatures exactly where you want them.

 

[reddog81]

I like my Lee 20 lbs bottom pour enough to buy a second one as a back up. I tried laddle casting once - worst half hour of my life...

I can get perfect bullets very consistently and can cast 400 bullets in half an hour. The pot drips a little but you can adjust the rod and get it to stop.