Three years ago I tried to cast some bullets with my 1990 vintage RCBS melting pot, the 20 # green monster. The metal did not get hot enough to become fully melted. The range scrap lead looked like oatmeal, wouldn't pour out the spout, and I had to mount a propane torch to apply heat to the metal in the pot. I was using a 15' 12 gage extension cord on an outside deck outlet. It was a miserable experience with several questions: Melting pot "worn out" - new one costs almost $400, Zinc contamination in 200 pounds of melted range scrap making it "worthless" for casting bullets.
Well now it's good news. Last Wednesday I polished the inside of the pot with a very coarse Scotchbrite buffing wheel mounted in my 1/2" drill, cleaned out the pour spot with a drill bit, put a dab of valve grinding compound on the valve stem, and turned it slowly with a drill while it rested in the pour spout. Plugged the pot into a dedicated wall outlet in the new garage, and dumped in 20# of melted lead from new range scrap bullets. The pot doesn't drip and metal flows easily. Ended up with 175# of new ingots.
On Thursday, I started casting bullets with a new Lee 6-cavity 44 mold. I started with the pot set on max temperature setting. As I continued to cast , I had to lower the temperature setting to less than halfway, and metal continued to flow smoothly. I ended up with 75 pounds of cast 44's, (two 3# coffee cans full). With a new garage, new electrical service, and new outlets, the old pot worked like gangbusters.
Friday produced a coffee can full of 45 SWC for the 1911s. I got this retirement thing figured out -- melt, cast, reload, shoot
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My problem was voltage line drop through the house wiring to the deck outlet and the extension cord I was using. This house has been an electrical challenge for several years because of lack of outlets and circuits. The original wiring was multiple outlets with a 20 amp circuit breaker and old 12 gage wire.
Well now it's good news. Last Wednesday I polished the inside of the pot with a very coarse Scotchbrite buffing wheel mounted in my 1/2" drill, cleaned out the pour spot with a drill bit, put a dab of valve grinding compound on the valve stem, and turned it slowly with a drill while it rested in the pour spout. Plugged the pot into a dedicated wall outlet in the new garage, and dumped in 20# of melted lead from new range scrap bullets. The pot doesn't drip and metal flows easily. Ended up with 175# of new ingots.
On Thursday, I started casting bullets with a new Lee 6-cavity 44 mold. I started with the pot set on max temperature setting. As I continued to cast , I had to lower the temperature setting to less than halfway, and metal continued to flow smoothly. I ended up with 75 pounds of cast 44's, (two 3# coffee cans full). With a new garage, new electrical service, and new outlets, the old pot worked like gangbusters.
Friday produced a coffee can full of 45 SWC for the 1911s. I got this retirement thing figured out -- melt, cast, reload, shoot
.My problem was voltage line drop through the house wiring to the deck outlet and the extension cord I was using. This house has been an electrical challenge for several years because of lack of outlets and circuits. The original wiring was multiple outlets with a 20 amp circuit breaker and old 12 gage wire.
