Lyman Lead Pot = POS...

[Rob FreemanWBR]

I try to keep my comments/threads on the positive side of things, but this afternoon proved to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Near and dear to almost every skirmisher is the one "penance" that we all must pay, and that is at the altar of the lead pot. Since returning to skirmishing I still am in search of the "holy grail" of lead pots that will help me cast GOOD rounds. Typically at each session in front of my lead pot I experience about a 60 - 70% rejection rate in what I cast - esp. Hogdson minie's. In most cases I toss my musket rounds to to imperfections found in the skirts of the rounds. Needless to say, casting consumes a lot of my time and is extremely frustrating and equally unrewarding.

Despite trying different holding, and pouring techniques, nothing ever really brought me the needed cure. Fearing that my Lee lead pot was not getting "hot" enough, I broke down and bought another - this time a Lyman. And that's when the wheels came off the cart.

This afternoon I was dealt an unexpected treat when the ball and chain proclaimed that she would take our Princess daughter out to spend more of my hard earned savings. With this windfall of free time I decided to spend it on replenishing my depleted supply of musket rounds, and test out my brand new Lyman lead pot!

So after bidding my blushing bride a fond adieu and helping her onto her broom, I sat down to what turned out to be the shortest and most disappointing casting session in my skirmishing career. While attempting to cast the initial "sacrificial" dozen rounds to warm up my mould, I soon found that the pot was quickly overwhelmed in trying to melt the first several discarded bullets after being cast and dumped back in. My ladled was soon weighted down with layer upon layer of lead on it's neck due to quickly cooling lead, and even the lead around the mouth of the accursed pot allowed a "crust" of un-melted lead to form - as the "P.O.S." struggled to keep the existing lead in a molten state as well as consume and melt the small amounts of lead being introduced back into the furnace. The below pictures hopefully equate to a thousand words.






I see online other larger lead pots for sale. Perhaps I fell victim to the age old "cheap skate" curse of skirmishers - buy cheap, buy twice... Maybe I need to break down and purchase one of these larger, high dollar value pots once and for all.

Rapine pots seem to be some of the best ever manufactured, but they're as common as dragon's teeth.

Anyone out there have any recommendations as to what large capacity pot I should consider next??

As always - MANY thanks in advance for your time and consideration into this nagging problem.

[ms3635v]

Rob,

I have used a propane powered furnace since I started skirmishing in 1979. The pot holds 20 pounds of lead and the temperature remains consistent through out my casting session. I set my mould on the furnace while the lead is melting. Once the lead is at the correct temperature the mould is also ready. I may get one or two throwbacks at the beginning of the casting session. The burner screws onto the top of a 20 pound propane tank and I can make a whole lot of bullets with one full propane tank.

[Fred Jr]

I started using a bottom pour Lee 10lb pot and went through many of them. Two of us were casting and we went through a whole lot of lead. I was told you could not get good minies from bottom pour pots. Finally I went to the 20lb Lyman. I have three of them and I get very nice Hodgdon bullets from them. Don't know what it is that allows me to use them but I will continue with my 3o0+ years of success! Sorry you are having so much trouble Rob.

[henrymstr]

Write or call lyman. Mine would not heat up hot enough either. I returned it, they fixed it. Definatly not hot enough. They will adjust the thermostat. It has to be 800 degrees at max. Other than that, keep the pour sprue clear and clean. Frustrating.......i get it...rcbs is next for me via team mates, but i dont expect the lyman to die anytime soon.... and thats fine too.

Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk

[Mike McDaniel]

I'd rate a 20-lb pot as the minimum. You need the mass of metal to maintain stable temperature.

[Kevin Tinny]

Hello:

Put a little tin in the PURE lead to improve casting. A small amount, roughly one part tin to 60 parts lead won't degrade skirt expansion. Avoid scrap lead unless you know it is really pure.

Open the ladle spout to .250" and the sprue plate to .200". Brownells has 82-degree countersink cutters that will do this. Rub the plate underside on 400 grit to remove cutting burrs so the hole's edge is sharp.

Use a Rotocast immersion thermometer to maintain 750 degrees, NOT hotter.

Keep a propane torch flame on your core pin between removal and insertion.

Tin REALLY helps.

Regards.

Kevin Tinny

[RaiderANV]

POS's????......Maybe. But mine have served me well. I have two 20lb Lyman's and four 20lb Lee's. I actually have them set up one above the other and handles connected so lead from the top pot replaces lead that goes into mold from bottom pot. I add lead to the top pots and bottoms always stay consistent in temp. Wide open mine will all hit 875 degrees and two will hit 950.
I keep them dialed to 825. I sit my molds on top of the pots and walk away during warm up. 30 minutes later it's casting 101 with maybe 3-4 rejects out the gate.
Now I have had a problem child or two mold that required attention by changing sprue hole/angle and maybe polish the bottom of the plate and top of mold( this helps a ton!)
I cast 12 different rounds for all my guns, my kids and new shooters I've gotten in until they get their training wheels off and have zero problems.
BOTH Lee & Lyman have sent me parts for FREE even on pots I told them were 20-25 Years old. If I hit the Lotto I might buy a high dollar pot to cast Maynard rounds only. 🤔

Oh......and I smoke my molds with a candle for a release agent and always leave the last round in the mold. Have molds 30+ years old that still cast great.

[jonk]

I use a lee, but I ladle dip with it anyhow. 20 pound job.

On 10 it gets the metal plenty hot.

The trick to getting a good hodgdon bullet I find is holding the spout of the ladle right up to the mold and then inverting, while maintaining contact. Don't pour into the mold, let the mold suck it out of the ladle. Presuming you're using a lyman dipper with the full spout and not an open top ladle like the lee. But my mold isn't your mold, and every one is different.

I still get rejects, but a lot fewer. Maybe 10% on average. Less on a good day, more on a bad day, but never more than 20%.

As to adding tin to the mix for better fill out, it probably doesn't hurt if it's a small enough amount, but I never found the need. Yeah, I can cast hard lead with zero rejects after the mold gets to temp, so I know the value of it, but I'd rather have rejects than worry that one round will not be soft enough.

I've never gotten lead from fred, but have a similarly verifiablly soft source. It's dead pure stuff.

Now my Moose mould 315 SWC likes to have it poured onto the sprue plate and let it run in. My lyman 575213 likes it poured from about an inch up straight into the hole without touching the sprue cutter.

Molds are like dogs. Each one likes to be pet a little differently but some good practices are universal.

If you dont' have a thermometer, get one.

[Phil Spaugy, 3475V]

What I use:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/Lead_Cast....aspx?CAT=3902

[bobanderson]

I cast on a Coleman camp stove with a propane conversion and a quart size cast iron dutch oven that holds 20 plus pounds. I preheat the lead and my mould using a Lyman casting thermometer. Once I'm at 700 degrees, I flux the pot with paraffin, skim the dross and start casting.
I very rarely have any rejects and 100 or more minies will come out weighing within a grain.
I use a bottom pour electric pot for round balls and small bullets. You need a big capacity pot and a steady heat source to cast minies. Remember, you only get about 14 old style minies from a pound of lead.