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+--- Thread: New casting furnace? (/thread-1631.html)
RE: New casting furnace? - Gunlaker - 11-24-2015
I would really like a pot that held about 30 lbs. I like to keep the pot pretty full as they seem to be better at holding their temperature that way. With my .45 cal bullets the RCBS pot gets low past 70 or 80 bullets. I prefer not to add lead and then wait for the temp to come back in the middle of a batch.
My Lee Magnum Melters aren't bad if you watch the temperature like a hawk, but they only seem to hold around 15 lbs. With little .38 or .32 cal bullets I can easily get out a batch of a hundred though. :-)
Chris.
RE: New casting furnace? - Martini2 - 11-24-2015
Please pardon offering the obvious, however Lee does sell repair parts including the heating elements. So might be possible to refurbish one cost effectively. (see web site below).
http://leeprecision.com/parts/bullet-casting/electric-melters/pro-4-20lb-parts/
RE: New casting furnace? - Kurt - 11-24-2015
Magma makes a 40# pot bit it's a rich mans pot.
http://www.magmaengineering.com/masterpot/
RE: New casting furnace? - Eric Johanen - 11-25-2015
Thank's for the feedback. My pot is dead! Cost more to repair than it's worth and I really can not complain about it's service life. I really am looking at more capacity and from internet research the RCBS 20# seems like it has the best track record and service policy. Now I am look for the best price and availability. My Christmas present this year will be a new lead pot! Have several molds that need to get hot!!
RE: New casting furnace? - Don McDowell - 11-25-2015
I was in about the same boat a few years back, couldn't decide on the Lyman or the RCBS 20# pot, then Cabela's put the Lyman on sale... Been happy caster ever since.
Give us a good report on that RCBS when you get it.
RE: New casting furnace? - billydixon - 11-25-2015
Has anybody used the furnace that Shiloh sells It holds 75lbs. It does cost $425. Just curious.
RE: New casting furnace? - Lumpy Grits - 11-25-2015
(11-25-2015, 11:47 PM)billydixon Wrote: Has anybody used the furnace that Shiloh sells It holds 75lbs. It does cost $425. Just curious.
It's 240vac only.
Gary
RE: New casting furnace? - Kurt - 11-26-2015
I looked at that pot last time I was at the shop. It is a good pot but I forgot to ask if it had a ceramic heat band or if it used coils.
The 220 would be a plus as far as the electric expense running it. It's cheaper running off both bars then one.
One thing I did not like was there are no provisions to empty that pot if you wanted to use a different alloy or just mixing alloy and making ingots.
Kurt
RE: New casting furnace? - Mike - 11-27-2015
Hey BillyDixon, I don't often have 75 pounds of lead! Besides, I'll opt for the less expensive pot and spent more on powder and lead. That's more to my style. Shoot sharp, Mike
RE: New casting furnace? - Eric Johanen - 11-27-2015
A 20# pot would be ideal for me. I mix my own lead/tin and a 10 # gives me around 110 good 45 cal. bullets and 90 + heavier 50 cal. bullets. I have ordered a supply of 20-1 and 16-1 certified alloy but I still have a lot of lead and tin on hand. I control by weight and the larger capacity means more bullets from a mix. I sort by weight and shoot them accordingly so the larger pot will double my supply from a single mix. This would add a bit more consistency to my casting sessions. More than 20# would be nice but more than needed for a good casting session. We will see how the RCBS 20# pot meets my requirements.