Bullet caster question

handirifle · Post by **handirifle** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:04 pm

I've read about guys using a wal mart hot plate to melt the wheel weights, etc to make the ingots.

My question is how high of wattage does it have to be to work. I almost got one the other day for $19 that was 500W. Is that enough?

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:08 pm

IIRC it's melt temperature is not much more than lead, so most any desktop cooking plate will do. I used one made for an apartment for years. Don't remember what the wattage was though. This was not a warmer or "hot plate", but a full electric stove top unit - just one of them and portable versus the 4 built into a stove top.

If you are getting into casting, I'd recommend a Lee Production Pot. It is very reasonably priced, and works very well!

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:22 pm

A single burner Toastmaster is what I use. It's a 750 watt unit. Pretty efficient.

Abilene · Post by **Abilene** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:25 pm

As of late I have been using a turkey fryer burner and a cast iron pot. Abilene

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:30 pm

I use to have a handheld pot that melted about 3-5 #s of lead to cast sinkers. Then, to make ingots, I had a propane furnace and a huge pot that I used to melt range lead by the buckets full. Now Santa is bringing me a new melt pot for Christmas. I am so happy. Good luck with your choice but for 50 bucks, you can get a 10# pot with precise temp control.

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:41 pm

You can get by with a hot plate but you will soon want a real lead furnace. Why not just get it now and the $20 you save will be almost half the price of a Lee 10# pot.
I cast with a Lyman 20# furnace that is almost 20 years old and the thermostat failed once. I sent it back to Lyman and they replaced it (the thermostat) under warranty. In the mean time I purchased a Lee 10# pot to keep me going. It was better for big heavy soft bullets because it gets hotter than the Lyman. I now own three pots, two Lee`s and the old Lyman that still gets used the most. Have fun!

Tommy Reb · Post by **Tommy Reb** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:43 pm

I use a 1000 watt plate. However, your 500 watt plate should work. It will just take a while longer.

Don McDowell · Post by **Don McDowell** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:52 pm

Just add another 20 to the budget, and get a lee production pot to get started.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:32 pm

? for you guys posting about using the Lee Production Pot, Lyman, etc; are you using your casting pot to melt the raw wheel weights into ingots? If so, you may consider buying a separate pot for melting those raw weights into ingots. There's a significant savings in time in having your wheel weights already melted into ingots for adding to your primary casting pot. You are able to skim off the clips and then flux or add tin, antimony or ? to have same already in your ingots. In your production pot, you are then only adding clean lead, reducing the number of times you need to flux to remove any impurities. In addition, you can then keep the pot full easier, reducing the time for it to heat up when adding new lead and having a more production casting session.

This isn't real important if you're only casting a few bullets at a time. But, I cast for about four different calibers and use almost 10 different molds on a regular basis. I can cast my hardcast pistol boolits for plinking and CAS activities, depleting the pot, add a few ingots of really hard lead for my .30-30 cast, then add a softer alloy to do my black powder pistol and BP rifle loads, then back to the really hard lead to cast some more I usually leave the pot full, and the last mold used in my left hand drawer storage drawer while the balance of molds are in the right one. This way I'll know what exact formula (or close to exact as I can be) and will usually cast a couple hundred of that again to top off that supply.

As the lead in the casting pot reaches the 1/3 mark or less, I'll refill with the next formula to be used, and while that reaches casting temp, I can be skimming clips, fluxing, and then pouring new ingots. Then I refill the pot on the hot plate, and go back to casting boolits!

Don McDowell · Post by **Don McDowell** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:51 pm

Griff I work the ww's up in the same pot I'm casting in. Just need to completely empty it and give it a good cleaning once in awhile.
I figure by the time I run up a pot full of ww's get them casted, and sometimes get another batch rendered out and leave the pot full. I've had about enough lead fumes for the day anyway.
I can run a little over a hundred longrange bullets for the 45-70 or the 40-65 from a 10lb pot full, and enough 100 gr bullets for the 32 to last a loooooonnng time.

handirifle · Post by **handirifle** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:17 am

I guess I need to clarify. I already have the Lee pot and like it but was advised, good advice too I think, to get a seperate melting pot for the "dirty" lead.

That's what the hot plate question is for. besides, I find the pro pot a little small to get the stuff out of with a ladle.

I still want a melting plate and cast iron pot for the dirty stuff. Sounds like 500W might be a bit small. I thought so. I don't think I want a propane one but might look. Too much hassle with the fuel, etc.

Don McDowell · Post by **Don McDowell** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:34 am

A plane ol coleman stove works pretty well. I've cast a huge amount of roundballs and bullets with a cast iron pot setting on one .

Still think its wasted time and energy to just pour those ww off into ingots and not make bullets while everything's just right.

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:41 am

I use a coleman stove, about a 5 lb pot, cast ingots when done,
rcbs dipper and a bent spoon to stir and remove dross.

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:57 am

Good point Griff ! I smelt in a cast iron pot over a turkey cooker and only refined ingots go into my electric pots.

Bullet caster question

Bullet caster question

hotplate