Lead Casting Furnace Questions

IronSight · Post by **IronSight** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:01 pm

After years of buying off the shelf bullets and waiting sometimes a month or more for the better ones, I'm ready to 'bite the bullet' so to speak and roll my own. The quality of some of these bullets leaves a lot to be desired and I end up using a lot of them as fouler rounds. I'm looking at the Lee products only because of budget reasons. Since I'd like to cast about 200 500 gr. bullets in one session, can I get by with a 10 lb melter? or would a 20 lb. melter be better? I would appreciate any comments, advice or experience with Lee or other melters. Thanks

Ken Hartlein · Post by **Ken Hartlein** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:05 pm

Save yourself some money and get a Waage furnace, model k4757. Go to www.waage.com and get their phone number and call them, the k4757 is not on the web site, it is $120 plus shipping I think, I just ordered mine 2 weeks ago. They said they were going to go into productione on that model that week, and mine was just shipped. All the fellows on here that have them will tell you they are VERY VERY good units.

Ken Hartlein · Post by **Ken Hartlein** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:09 pm

I forgot to say, you won't get very many 500 grain bullets out of a 10 pound pot. 1 pound is 7000 grains. 10 lbs would be 70000 grains, it takes 100,000 grains to get 200 500grain bullets not counting bad ones, slag, etc.

Ken Hartlein · Post by **Ken Hartlein** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:10 pm

Darn, I forgot again. The Waage pot is 25 pound capacity.

IronSight · Post by **IronSight** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:19 pm

Ken H.
Can you give more details. Capacity? 120, 220 Volts?, Bottom pour? type of temp. sensor? etc.
The price is about double of the Lee furnace but if it lasts longer and works better its probably be worth it.

powderburner · Post by **powderburner** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:41 pm

they also make a 40 lb pot that is 6 in around and 6 in deepsells for 455.00 MP40A-6-1THIS WILL BE NICE FOR THE BIG JOBS

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:47 pm

If you want to see what this pot looks like here is a link to a picture I took of my pot http://stearnsnet.org/carl-eliason/waage.jpg I have had mine for about 3 weeks now and of cast up about 500 bullets. It is definatily the best pot I have ever used. Don't by the Lee, buy this one now and save yourself the frustration.

Carl

Kelley O.Roos · Post by **Kelley O.Roos** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 11:03 pm

Ironsight,

Buy the Waage, it's 25lb's, 120V. Ladle pour. I've had mine longer then anyone on this or other boards, over three years. You'll never get that kind of service from a Lyman and save money in the long run. The pot is 125.00 including shipping.

Kelley O.

mcassill · Post by **mcassill** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 11:23 am

I use a plumber's furnace from Bill Ferguson (http://www.theantimonyman.com) for my casting. Mine came with a 80 lb pot; the furnace will get that up to temp in under 15 minutes (even at less than max throttle) and once right setting is reached does a beautiful job of maintaining a steady temp. It has proven to be just the ticket for feeding my big handguns. If the pricetag looks a little scary I know that a number of people have been able to put together a decent substitute using those turkey cookers from WalMart.
Mark

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 8:18 pm

Ironsight,
The Lee pot is 20 pounds, but the temperature control is poor. The Waage is much better at temperature control, therefore better more consistant bullets. You will repay yourself with all the time saved with the Waage pot over the Lee. Also, the Waage is the best value out there.
Keep on hav'n fun!
MikeT

Lee Stone · Post by **Lee Stone** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 1:25 pm

IronSight,

If you don't mind one more chiming in here, I would suggest you listen very closely to what Kelley suggested. He knows where of he speaks.

I have been using a Lyman 10 pounder, bottom pour since about 1972. It has performed faithfully and well. But, all I was casting was pistol bullets. That's easy. Then I got into shooting real bullets. Bullets significantly larger than 250 grains. That poor little ol' 10 pounder just wasn't up to it. So I got a Lyman Mag 20 Dipper pot. Wow what a difference! I was more than happy with it. But then I watched the talk here on the Forum about the Waage K4757 25 pounder. After reading for a while I could resist no longer and called and ordered one. WOW!!!! WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! Sorry for the shout. Anyway, the maintenance of a constant temperature, + or - 10 degrees, the capacity, and the fact that it is field maintainable, plust the fact it was less expensive. Don't get anything other than the Waage. Now they do make a 40 pounder, which is also not shown on their website, but unless you are casting an awful lot of bullets, the 25 pounder should do you just fine. And at about half the price of the 40 pounder. But, if you think you need the 40 pound capacity, then that is the only way to to.

http://www.waage.com/

Give them a call.

buffalocannon · Post by **buffalocannon** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 3:48 pm

Dear Ironsight

I will have to chime in with the gentleman who posted reference Bill Ferguson. He is the one I would call with your questions at (520) 458-5321 or with your puter at www.the antimonyman.com. He REALLY knows his stuff.

Ken Hartlein · Post by **Ken Hartlein** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 7:23 pm

Buffalocannon is right about Bill Ferguson, he is a real bona fide expert on metals and alloys. If you want to use a plumbers furnace instead of an electric pot, Bill is the man to talk to. Either way you go he sells a very good casting thermostat and bottom pour ladle.

IronSight · Post by **IronSight** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 9:00 pm

Thank you all for your feedback! Really appreciate it.
After reading your replies, I geuss this is a Waage forum. You guys just about got me sold on this 25 lb. Waage melting pot. The only thing that kinda surprises me is that you all prefer a pot&ladle rather than a bottom pour melter. Keep in mind i've never casted a bullet, but it would seem to me a bottom pour melter would be more efficient, less mess, safer and straight forward. Almost their, i'm only slightly confused now.
Do you guys prefer the Waage soley because of its excellent temperature control and/or because the ladle is better than a bottom pour for some reason? Putting the question another way, is their an advantage of using the ladle method over the bottom(valve) pour melter? Thanks

Ken Hartlein · Post by **Ken Hartlein** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 9:37 pm

Not everyone, but most of the people that cast big bullets will tell you that the ladle pour makes the most consistant bullets. A lot of us have gone to bottom pour ladles, but it's still a ladle pour, not a bottom pour from a pot. The thing is you can tilt your mold and ladle together and get a very consistant fill of the mold. That of course gives you more consistant bullet weights which is what you want.