Need a new lead melting pot ... any suggestions?

[Rafter-S]

Gentlemen,

I just acquired a large amount of used wheel weights and decided to start back casting bullets again. I have everything needed except an electric melting pot. I will be casting bullets for my own use (no large quantities) so I was wondering which pot to get. I note several people sell them--I presume Lee and Lyman make acceptable stuff. So, does anyone have suggestions as to which I should consider?

Thank you in advance.

Rafter-S

 

[Doubless]

The first question I would ask is if the wheel weights are still in their original configuration, with the clips attached. If so, you will need to at least separate them prior to doing ANYTHING, because if I am a betting man, there will be quite a few that are steel and quite a few that are zinc. The steel won't melt, but that zinc surely will, and it will make a mess of your alloy. It doesn't take much.

IF you have to remove the clips, I would go buy a cast iron dutch oven and use that over an outdoor propane-powered fish fryer. Melt the weights, skim the clips and dirt, etc., then pour the ww metal into ingot moulds and once it freezes, dump it out.

Then, once you are ready to cast, I would say go to ebay and look for a Lyman #61 pot if you are going to bottom pour, and if you are going to ladle cast, buy the Lyman Pro Mag 20. Neither is particularly cheap, but they don't drip like the Lee pots do, either, especially if the alloy you put into the pot originally is CLEAN.

Personally, I have been using RCBS Pro-Melt pots for about the last 20 years and consider them the top of the line. But the Lyman pots are not bad, especially if you are just casting for yourself. When I get to the pot, typically if it is handgun projectiles it is 500 at a minimum, and sometimes three times that.

The main thing is to keep your alloy clean. It will help immensely with pots dripping alloy, and to me that is the biggest thing about a bottom pour pot. If it drips, it becomes a safety hazard, and it also makes a mess.

Just my honest $.02. Regardless of which way you go, have fun!

 

[Rafter-S]

The first question I would ask is if the wheel weights are still in their original configuration, with the clips attached. If so, you will need to at least separate them prior to doing ANYTHING, because if I am a betting man, there will be quite a few that are steel and quite a few that are zinc. The steel won't melt, but that zinc surely will, and it will make a mess of your alloy.

I presume I can separate the steel clip weights using a magnet.

What would be an efficient way to remove the zinc clips from the lead?

 

[fredj338]

I never reduce ww in my casting pot. A cheap cast iron pot or large skillet on a propane stove, melt at 700deg until the lead ww are melted. Steel & zinc, as well as the clips, float to the top. Add a small handfull of sawdust, stir then skim all crud off to show clean allow. Put the clean alloy up in manageable ingots, 2-3#. Then only clean alloy into your bottom pour casting pot.
I dont care for much of Lee gear, but their 20# bottom pour is really a bargain. Lyman is fine too, the Rcbs is great, but pricey.

 

[BUFF]

I bought a used Lee 10 pound bottom pour from a friend about 1976. I keep waiting for it to quit but it hasn't. I don't know how good their current production is.

 

[AzShooter]

My favorite casting pot is by Waage. They have a variety of sizes.

Best thing is they will keep the lead +,- 15 degrees. This makes for consistent bullets.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I started with a Lee 10 pound bottom pour pot, it only lasted for about a quarter million bullets! So I bought another. I also have a Lyman 5 pound "pot" that I use a casting ladle with. It has one specific alloy in it for Big Soft Bullets for Buffalo Rifles.

With my first Lee, I "refined" wheel weights in it as I went. Now days, I use a plumber pot outdoors. Keep a big metal can nearby for the clips and slag. Take the clips and slag to a real recycling company and give it to them, most of that slag is antimony with a little tin mixed in (which is hazardous waste if you throw it in the trash).

Tips

1) If using the Lee bottom pour pots, once and a while a accumulation of antimony may build up and clog the spout. Do not turn the pot off! Use a unfolded paper clip held with plyers to clean out the orifice. That can take up to 20 minutes.

2) leave an inch or two of allow in the bottom of the pot when finished. It will melt quicker than ingots in an empty pot next time you cast.

3) once you start casting for the day. Things can over heat, you can tell by the bullets have a "frosty" or matted finish. Keep your ingot mold under the pour spout. Bleed off 2 or 3 pounds and add a couple of room temperature ingots, and turn the temp adjusting knob down a small amount. The bigger the bullets you cast, your melted lead stays cooler and the knob need turned up. 45-70-500gr bullets consume ingots at an alarming rate. 46 grain, 218 Bee bullets, it seems that you cast for hours without using any lead.

4) Some sort of pan or can should be there to catch the spru, Just knocking it back into the pot will cause molten lead splatter.

5) depending on which brand of mold you are using, the blocks will over heat, sometimes pretty quick. Many casters have more than one set of molds out & in action. I always cast 2 or 3 completely different bullets in a session. That way it is easy to distinguish them apart. 125 grain RN and 158 Grain RN all look alike real quick! Try separating a couple thousand of each.


Lyman loading and Cast Bullet manuals have a section on casting and alloying. It is really worth the time to read it first!

Ivan

P.S. Now you get to think about sizing bullets.

 

[loc n load]

I use a 50 year old Coleman camp stove and a couple of cast iron pots to melt the lead, in whatever form it comes in. Then I pour it into ingots, I use the top half of the old GI mess kit, which produces two kidney shape 5lb ingots. If I am melting lead that is particularly soft, I will make smaller ingots using the commercially available ingot mould. I melt lead outside, because there is going to be all kinds of contaimanents that are going burn off and produce all kinds of noxious smoke. Also NEVER put anything into a pot of molten lead that has any trace of moisture on it.
I had a fiend of mine go to skim dross off one of the pots once and used a ladle that was wet.....there was a violent eruption of molten lead that splattered ina 5 foot radius of the pot. Trust me, you do not want molten lead splattered on you. Highly recommend eye protection.
I have several electric pots, two lee 10 lb pots and a Lyman mould master.....I have been using these since the 70's and 80's.....so they have provided good service. I concur with the above posts in that I do not melt wheel weights and "rough" lead in my electric pots. Only clean lead ingots go into the electric pot. Been using this procedure since the mid 70's and it works for me. I have several buckets of wheel weights to "convert", going to get the camp stove out of the attic today and set things up on the back patio so that I can have stacks of ingots ready to go when I can't work outside due the weather.

 

[Rafter-S]

This is some great information. Thank you so much for your replies. If I may ask another question: what are your views on Lee's molds designed specifically for Alox lube?...the molds that cast bullets with a series of small, shallow lube grooves?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Rafter-S

 

[Duckford]

I'm a bit new to casting lead alloys, but my short experience has confirmed what others have advised me before on this forum, Lee works, but a better pot is, indeed, better. I started with a 20 pound Lee production pot, and it worked kinda well, but I found that my biggest problem with my lead bullet rifle project was dialing in the correct temperature of alloy, then keeping it there, to make consistent bullets with whatever mold I was using. Lee also had parts get loose and come off mid production, which is a problem as well....

I too spent the big money and got a RCBS Pro Melt and have been extremely pleased. It gives me excellent temperature control, excellent temperature stability, better flow control. and is easily worth the extra money in the long run. My quality and production has increased, and i won't look back. Lee will work with Lee handgun gang molds for general handgun shooting, but I feel it might be worth your while to think about spending more if you do more.

 

[TAC]

So, does anyone have suggestions as to which I should consider?

Thank you in advance.

Rafter-S

Make sure you have good ventilation, if you're not doing this outdoors. Wash hands thoroughly after handling lead. Of course you probably already knew that.

 

[cowboy4evr]

I cast the Lee TL358-158 round nose for my fiance . She has shot a " buzillion " of those things in her S&W 586 4" . I load them over 4.5 grs of Ramshot Zip in a 38spl case . They shoot very accurately and her barrel is very clean at the end of a shooting session .
I cast / load and shot the Lee TL452-230 round nose in my 45 auto's . I have a S&W MP and Sig Sauer 1911 . Again , very accurate and no leading problems in either semi auto . Hope this helps .
My experience has been that the plain base tumble lube bullets lead my barrel some when shooting in a magnum revolver if going for the upper end magnum loads . If using a gas checked version that pretty much eliminates the problem .

 

[old tanker]

A cast iron Dutch oven and propane burner as described above for processing the raw wheel weights. Not sure a tire shop exists that still gives them away. Not sure who to blame, EPA or what, but my tire guy tells me he cannot hardly even buy lead weights anymore. In some states steel or zinc are all you can find.

I use a bottom pour 10 pound Lee I bought in the mid Eighties for handgun blasting bullets. The 20 Lee furnace is for ladle casting the big rifle bullets, e.g. .45-70 and .577 Snider.

 

[AzShooter]

This is some great information. Thank you so much for your replies. If I may ask another question: what are your views on Lee's molds designed specifically for Alox lube?...the molds that cast bullets with a series of small, shallow lube grooves?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Rafter-S

Lee molds work great. I especially like the 6 cavity molds. Smoke the mold and bullets drop right out.

I've gotten years of service from my Lee molds..

 

[Qc Pistolero]

I presume I can separate the steel clip weights using a magnet.

What would be an efficient way to remove the zinc clips from the lead?

The clips are steel wether the weelweight is made of zinc,lead or steel.The problem comes from the fact that zinc will melt just like lead(melting point of PB and ZN is pretty close)and zinc will contaminate the lead ingot.Density not being the same,your bullets will not be ''balanced'' correctly and fly erratically.
If you look closely,the ww made of steel will be marked FE and those of zinc will be marked ZN.Besides,when you knock them,FE and ZN will have a clear sharp sound while lead will have a dull sound.After sorting out a few pounds,you'll notice the difference!
BTW,to answer your first question,after using 2 ten#Lee pots,I treated myself with a RCBS 20# and never regretted it.I cast between 1000 and 2000bullets per session about once a month and even after aprox 10 years,it is still going strong!Like it a lot!
Qc

 

[oldman10mm]

Separating zinc weights from lead weights,for me,has been easy. MOST zinc weights are marked Zn. Zinc is harder than lead and I use a large pair of wire cutters to determine the metal softness. I don't cut them,just to see the impression the cutting edge leaves. After doing a few of each,it became habit which ones to toss for garbage.

 

[Vulcan Bob]

I vote for the RCBS PRO-Melt, mines over thirty years old and working just fine. RCBS has a great no questions guarantee. My on/off switch broke a few years ago and I gave em a call, no problem give us a shipping address and we will send you a new one no charge. You do not want any zink with your lead, it will ruin the whole batch! The Lee molds work well but follow their directions to the letter especially about what to lube on the mold. Also check the edges of the sprue plate and remove any burrs that will scratch the top of the mold. Check out CastBoolits.com a way good info source. Have fun and follow safety protocols, molten lead will leave a mark!

 

[flintsghost]

A large black iron skillet on a cheap electric hot plate. As the weights melt use a cheap pair of pliers to pick off the clips. Use a bit of wax lube to clean the solution and skim off the slag. Has worked for me for 40 years. With a hand ladle I also case bullets that way. Not expensive and you can melt around 50lbs of lead at one time.

 

[Doubless]

This is some great information. Thank you so much for your replies. If I may ask another question: what are your views on Lee's molds designed specifically for Alox lube?...the molds that cast bullets with a series of small, shallow lube grooves?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Rafter-S

In short, I do not like Lee moulds period. I use iron moulds when I can, and the few aluminum moulds I have are beefy enough to hold a bit of heat without warping. I have been corrected on this site before for saying this, but I have warped enough Lee moulds in my life to never buy another. I have NEVER warped another mould at all, be it iron, aluminum, or the wonderful meehanite. I have even used brass moulds and not warped them. But Lees: oh, yeah. Too frequently to even talk about. I have been told I cast too hot. But the bullets are never frosty, and I don't have that problem with any other aluminum moulds.

Makes me wonder...

 

[BruceM]

I too would go with the RCBS Pro-Melt. When I bought mine it was $100.00 including shipping.It still works without issue. That should tell you something. It's stainless steel bowl, excellent temp. controls, ability to control fill rate and built-in mold guide remove almost all of the Malox factor from bullet casting. For me, that overrode the cost factor. I started with a Lee 10 lb. bottom pour and I can state with authority that once you move up to a furnace like a ProMelt, you'll never understand why you fooled around with the Lee pot. Like I said, it's the Malox factor.

In short, I do not like Lee moulds period.

I have owned one singular Lee mold. It was a six cavity H&G #68 clone mold. It was enough to convince me I would never own two. It cast so far oversized with wheelweights that I had to actually reef of the handle of my RCBS Lubricator/Sizer in order to run the bullets thru a .452" sizing die. The discussion regarding this mold being defective went all the way up the food chain to Richard Lee himself. He told me that the cherries for cutting this mold were sized based on the user casting with pure lead. IMO, only an imbecile would do this but this was his justification for the way out of spec as-cast size which he claimed was within their spec. for that mold. Lee may have since gotten their act together but that was enough for me.

Anyway, something like a ProMelt is the way to go.

Bruce

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have several one & two cavity Lee molds (12), and the have served me well. I bought one Lee 6 cavity mold, it warped during the first session. Rather that fight over it, I considered it a lesson in "Penny wise and Pound foolish". I have half dozen Lyman 4 cavity molds and about 30 one & two cavity Lyman molds, some are so old the are Ideal molds.

I think a mold every caster should have is a 32-20 115/117 FN mold and I would suggest get the one for gas checks. I have found this mold will work for an amazing amount of cartridges in the 30 cal, 7.7 mm/303 cal. and 32 cal range. I have sizing dies for .308, .309, .311 & .314. It was designed for 32-20, but is the proper bullet for 32 Colt New Police (a heavy 32 S&W Long load). I have loaded 30 Mauser for my C-96, 30 Tark. for my CZ-52, 30 M-1 Carbine, 30-30 Win, 303 Savage, 308 Win & 30-06 (plinking loads). It will do several others, I just haven't tried!

On the subject of tumble lube bullets, I have 2 molds. One is a 32 SWC and the other is a .330 200 grain for the weird 8x56R Hungarian round (which is almost impossible to get a sizing die for). I find the lubed bullets to be messy and dirt clings to them. On warm to hot shooting days, the lube will eventually get on almost everything you handle. They are quick and cheap to lube, and on lower velocity loadings don't seem to hurt accuracy. I have only cast them with hard alloys, so I don't know about leading, but I would be suspicious.

I have 2 Lyman Lube/sizer presses (a 450 and a 4500), and an RCBS they use the same dies. I leave one set up with SPG Black Powder lube. I also have a Starr sizer with about 7 or 8 sizer dies. It is incredibly fast and a pain to set up and expensive! I only use it for runs of 5000 or more. I have a few of the Lee push through sizers you use on your loading press. You have to lube the bullets before sizing with them and Pan lubing take a great deal of time! but can be worth it for unusual sizes or things like Maxi-ball or other bullets with enormous lube grooves.

Ivan

 

[4barrel]

I presume I can separate the steel clip weights using a magnet.

What would be an efficient way to remove the zinc clips from the lead?

Try to get one with an adjustable thermostat. You can drop wheel weights on concrete & decide lead or zinc. Whatever floats skim it off with a large spoon. I try to avoid wheel weights because the new ones are not lead any more. On a 200 grain bullet I add enough hardener to make it weigh about 193-195 grains. The harder bullet & a good lube will cut down on leading. When you have the pot full flux and mix. I use a small amount of bullet lube & it mixes like soup. I pore the lead into molds & mark the weight on the lead & make another batch. 8 pounds of lead makes around 300 38 bullets. Wear glasses when mixing lead. A guy gave me some wheel weights and there was a primer mixed in them. That one primer blew 1/2 of the lead out of the pot. I have 5 different brands of molds & they all work. The metal ones makes prettier bullets.

 

[Arub]

I use a Lee bottom pour and it works fine. No issues.

Transitioning from wheel weights to the Lee "furnace" I use an old steel cook pot over a propane fish fryer base. Works great. Clips and non lead material float to the top and then be skimmed off. Then pour the lead into Lee ingot molds. Put the ingots into the Lee "furnace", turn up the heat, and you are in business.

Be careful with the pot you melt the wheel weights when handling. It gets very, very hot. I wrap an old pot holder around the handle and then put on an over mitt. I guess a welders glove would work well also.

Lots of luck!

 

[fredj338]

My favorite casting pot is by Waage. They have a variety of sizes.

Best thing is they will keep the lead +,- 15 degrees. This makes for consistent bullets.

Buy a Lee $60 add a $60 pid, for way less than the higher end pots, you have an efficient bottom pour that hold +/- 5deg all day. Thing i dont like about the lee is it is not insulated, inefficient. Btw, dont even consider a 10# pot, way too small when you start cast bigger bullets. I have one that is about 30yrs old, still works but i only use it for lead hp or cores for swaging, low volume.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Buy the largest size Lee pot if you will not be casting large amounts and the Lyman or RCBS if you will . I own all three and really would not miss any one of the other two if I only had 1. If you have not cast bullets before and have access to someone that does I would suggest that you get them to let you try their equipment before you buy. I have the bottom pour feature on all three pots but really prefer to hand dip and the Lee pot in particular can be a tad tight on dipping room with the larger ladles. If you like dipping better you can buy either Lee or Lyman in a model especially for dipping and it will cost you less not to have a feature that you wont use. I started casting in the 60's with a Potter gas furnace and iron pot backed up by a Saco electric bottom pour and would still be using them now but they were stolen in a breakin in the late 80's.

I use Lee, Lyman,and RCBS molds . I like them all and have had no more trouble from the aluminum Lee's than I have had with the iron molds. Follow the instructions that come with them and always put them away with the cavities full and they will last a lifetime. Good luck and enjoy !

Eddie

 

[da gimp]

I just got done processing 5 gallons of wheel weights into ingots. I used the same technique as a fellow above, who suggested using a pair of medium large dikes/wire cutters to test each wheelweight WW for hardness... it works extremely well & is surprisingly easy & quick.

regular lead alloy WW's will get a sizeable dent with moderate hand pressure.. the zinc WW's & the iron/steel WW's will only get the paint covering them scratched by the same or harder hand pressure. The zinc WW's tend to float o top of your melted lead... scoop them out & throw them with your discarded clips.

I was also given a chunk of magnet to test some for steel.. as noted above most but not all steel/iron WW's are marked Fe, & most but not all zinc WW's are marked Zn.... thus the test using the wire cutters.

I checked every WW with the wire cutters & magnet before I started turning them into ingots... Out of a nearly full 5 gallon bucket of WW's... about 1/5th of the WW's turned out to be either steel/iron or zinc.

I've used a 20 lb Lee bottom pour for many years 1984 I think. I believe the bottom spout is about 4" from the floor of the machine's deck, giving plenty of room for good molds.

I used our Lee pot to process the WW's, using a metal teaspoon to dip out the steel clips to discard them. I quit using fancy ingot molds as they were all to big, and adding them lowered the temp of my pot while I was casting. Now I use 3 medium large serving spoons..pouring all 3, then emptying one into a metal 3lb coffee can, refilling etc etc etc... adding a handful of WW's, scooping off the clips & trash.. then empty the spoon, refill, empty 2nd spoon, refill etc etc... adding WW's to keep the level near the top of the pot... as it's easier to see clips & trash & scoop them off. I use a pea sized chunk of discarded bullet lube/solid Alox to flux, lighting it with a butane BBQ red plastic lighter ...stiring & fluxing as needed.

My only complaint about the Lee molds is that their designs for semi-wad cutter & wad cutter bullets all have rounded noses, instead of that great flat nose that is produced by Lyman, RCBS & I'm told Saeco molds too... I've never had a set of the Saeco's as they were too expensive for me... but I'm told they are first class.

When you get a luber sizer.. get one with the heater on it. When we got our RCBS LSII, they didn't make the heaters for them... we bathe the body of the luber/sizer with a propane torch in winter while we are sizing bullets.

 

[4barrel]

A solder iron tied to the lubber will work as a heater also. So will a 100 w bulb in a tight.

 

[azjohn]

This is another good site with info on casting bullets.
Cast bullet reference on lead alloy's, min / max pressure, lube, shrinkage,