Large lead furnaces

[jvandeu]

anyone out  there have any experience with larger capacity furnaces? in electric or gas? I see that Magma and Ballisti cast both have big furnaces up to 100 lbs! but boy are they expensive, I do a lot of casting with a Lyman 20lb furnace and use  4-6 cavity moulds but  its tough to keep lead in it and hot with out having to stop and wait while the lead comes back up to heat...

[Lloyd Smale]

I cast out of a lyman 10lb bottom pour and between adding one lb. ingots occasionally and having a 20 lb lee hot right next to it with the same alloy I can cast alot of bullets before I run out. Ususally more then the back will take

[Leftoverdj]

I've cast a lot of bullets over the years alternating between two 10 pound Lee pots. I have one coming up to temperature while I am casting from the other. Now that Lee has a 20 pounder at a reasonable price, the same setup with 2 20 pounders should satisfy anyone who is not casting commercially.

It also looks to me that it would not be unduly difficult to make a bottom pour pot from a yard sale dutch oven to go on a turkey fryer. So many projects, so little energy.

[Billy Marr]

for volume casting the magma 40 lb pot is great. It maintains temp and adding ten pounds to it does not slow it dow one bit

[sjc1]

I use a Magma Master Caster and it is a very good unit. I also use a Lyman #20 pot and a Rapine #20 pot. The Magma is fine when I am doing a lot of casting but if I was to do it all over again I would be using two Rapine pots side by side in order to do a lot of casting. I like hand casting over casting from a spout and I do not like putting lead into a pot I am casting from. The temperature controls on my Rapine are extremely accurate. I use a thermometer to check temperature, so I know which pots are the most accurate and which ones come up to temperature fastest. I would be casting from one pot and adding the sprues to the second pot. When I emptied the first pot the second would be up to temperature and ready to go. I would keep the process up like this until I was done casting. Of course I would have to add some lead to the sprue pot in order to keep it filled and ready to go but this would be done as I am adding sprues. The Rapine pot has a stainless steel outer case and is very well made but it is strictly for hand casting and it is a #20 unit.
None of these units, Magma, Lyman or Rapine are inexpensive, Magma probably being the most expensive but it is the largest.

[Omaha Poke]

Contact Bill Ferguson at www.theantimonyman.com , I got my plumbers furnace from him, and you can get cast iron pots from him also of enormous size if wanted.  I got the 40 pound pot and it works great.  Furnace runs off of a 5 or 10 gal propane tank.

[Cheyenne Ranger]

I put an ingot or two on the rim of my Lee 20# pot.  They sit there getting pretty much to temp while I cast.  When the lead level drops enough I CAREFULLY place one in the pot using pliers and replace it on the rim with another.  I can cast 200 gr .45 slugs for about 45 minutes this way.  Usually I get tired before the pot level drops too far.  At the end I put in all the spurs and replenish to the top with ingots to it's full and ready to go for the next time.  (a full pot will come up to temp fasters than adding lead as it heats up)
CR

[hammerhead357]

I mostly read and don't post but I will jump in here for what its worth.  I cast out of two 20 lb. rcbs pots that are fed by two other rcbs pots to keep the lead level the same and the temp. the same. The top pots are fed by old lead pig feeders from old linotype machines.  This all may seem complicated but is simple once you see it in operation.
  This tech. keeps the lead level nearly the same and controls the temp. very well which in turn with proper casting tech. will result in very small weight veriations and fewer reject bullets.
  I have not used gas furnaces other than large 400 and 1000 lbs furnaces for melting large lots of metal to be cast into large pigs of lead. I also have never cast bullets from a gas fired pot. So can't offer any info there.
  If you have any questions about how I cast please feel free to e-mail me off list or just ask here.
Wes

[carpediem]

Hey Hammerhead357, you mention a 400lb furnace.  What does this thing look like, how does it work and how do you pour the lead from the furnace to the ingots?

I am looking for a way to refine my ww's in larger quantities, not just 60lbs. at a time.

Have you got any photos of your furnaces?

Kindest regards, :grin:

[Tom W.]

We have a monster at work that I use to pour babbitt saw guides. It will hold 400 to 500 lbs, and has an intregal digital thermometer.  Donnie Johnson at Southern Accusaw can get you one, or get you information on one if you need it. His company's name and address is:

Southern Accusaw & Supply Co.
Industrial Park Road
Rt.2 box 664
Abbeville, Al 36301
 
I believe the e-mail is
accudj3@aol.com
Phone (334) 585-5150
Fax (334) 585- 6398

 He'd be glad to make a sale. He can also get lead ingots and babbitt.

[hammerhead357]

Carpediem the gas furnaces are simple rectangles enclosed by heavy sheet metal. The burners are directly under the bottom of the pot and are controlled by a thermocouple controlled thermostat. These have a bottom pour feature the 400 lb. unit is similar to a regular lead pot but larger. The 1000 lb. has a screw type valve with a detatchable handle.      Wes

[carpediem]

Thanks for the info guys.

Living in Alberta, Canada and, with the Canadian peso in the toilet, I think it would be too expensive to order a furnace from the USA.

Hammerhead:  Regarding the bottom pour on your furnace; does the lead pour out of the bottom centre or the bottom side of the pot?

Thanks for your help.

Kindest regards, :wink:

[hammerhead357]

Carpediem, the location for both of the spouts is on one of the long edges in middle length wise. I no longer have the 400 lb. pot but if you can find an old print shop that used to do hot type they might have one on an old "Hammond eazy-caster". I think I paid 125.00 for the last one I bought about 15 yrs ago. But if you find one check out the valve to make sure it isn't broken. Wes