Anyone particularly happy with their Lead Furnace?

[Eric Scher]

I'm looking at buying a Lead Furnace.

I THINK that I want a bottom pour model, and I do know that I need to be willing to tolerate some leakage.

I have also come across the notion that I should have a second inexpensive furnace for melting scrap lead so that I can use the cheap ladle type furnace to process dirty scrap into relatively clean ingots, which will then go into the "good" furnace; thus avoiding a situation where I get my Bottom Pour furnace so gummed up with dross and dirt that I ruin it.

I thought it might be a good idea to see what the more experienced folks here have tried, and hopefully liked.

So...

Does anyone have a furnace that they really like and can recommend to me?

[Boats]

Gas furnace Ladle pour is the way to go, if you can cast outside or with good ventilation. I use pre mixed alloy don't let scrap get into my pot. This one was ex School Shop converted to Propane. Thermometer in the pot is real important. Whole thing cost less than a good electric bottom pour. Cheap bottom pour like the Lees are short term investments they rot out quick

Look up "the anomonoty man" Bill Ferguson, he sells anything you need.

Boats

[Croomrider]

Look up "the anomonoty man" Bill Ferguson, he sells anything you need.

Im pretty sure this is what you mean!

"The Antimony Man"

http://www.theantimonyman.com/

Mike

Edited April 13, 2010 by Croomrider

[redmanfixit]

If you're going to process scrap (I do all the time) you should think about moving outdoors to do it. LOTS of smoke and nasty crap to deal with that comes off the melt while you get it cleaned up. I use a camp chef outdoor 2 burner stove for heat. You can easily use the burner for a turkey fryer to do the same thing. I found a cheap dutch oven at a local ranch supply. Works nice because it'll hold about 100# of alloy. That's a magic number for me as it makes adding hardeners and wetting agents fairly simple. (Tin and antimony). DO NOT BREATHE the fumes that come off this. I use a box fan like you might use in the summer to ventilate your house to push the smoke away from where I'm working and a dust mask (a good one) to make sure I'm not getting that stuff in my lungs.

You'll need some kind of flux to get the junk to separate from the metal. I'm a bee keeper so I'm tripping over beeswax. Makes a wonderful flux and it smells nice too!

I have a strainer spoon made of stainless steel to stir the pot and help dip debris out. A small 6 cavity ingot mold and a ladle. All that ever gets into my casting area are clean ingots that go into my Lee bottom pour casting pot. I set up my casting area with a "fart fan" and duct work to exhaust the fumes from the casting pot directly outdoors. You can use 2 melt pots when you're casting to really run some bullets out. One to melt alloy and hold it at temperature and one bottom pour pot to cast from. Lee makes good quality accessories (thermometers, molds, hardness testers) that are not horribly expensive.

Take the admonishments seriously about clean up and ventilation. If you don't, you can easily lower your IQ to the range of your shoe size! The dross from all this processing is poisonous!! PLEASE dispose of it properly. If you can find a metal recycler, take it there and you won't be dumping a no shit serious toxin into a landfill! Lead oxides and heavy metal byproducts are reproductive and central nervous system poisons!

[Boats]

Good cautions on scrap alloying. I don't do it much when I do couple of us get together and use a plumbers furnace. Only outside with good ventalation gloves face mask etc. It's a whole different job than casting from pre mix in a small outfit like mine.

Boats

[Eric Scher]

What about the inside work, AFTER you have your scrap processed into clean lead?

[Ray_Z]

I've been casting most of my life. I use a plumbers pot to melt down the scrap metal (OUTSIDE) then pour the clean metal into ingot molds for casting in the basement. I have an exhaust system that I built that takes all the smoke outside. I even make sure all the windows are closed on that side of the house when I'm casting.

[Eric Scher]

Yes, I'm quite aware of the danger of lead fumes, and I've had a lengthy discussion with a smelter on that issue.

But leaving aside the smelting of "dirty" lead to turn it into clean ingots, talking strictly about the small "tabletop" casting furnaces that are used to melt the lead that will be poured directly into bullet molds, does anyone have a furnace that they are particularly happy with?

Here are three that I know about:

Lyman Mag-20 Electric Furnace 110 Volt

Lee Pro 4 20 Lb Furnace 110 Volt

RCBS Pro-Melt Furnace 110 Volt

I figure someone around here has used one or more of those, or perhaps another brand/model that I don't know about, and they probably formed an opinion about that experience.

[98sr20ve]

I have the Lee Pro 4. It only leaks when its not clean. Really clean. If its drips it needs to be scrapped down and fluxed really good. Then when I am casting normally it never drips. Leave it sit for a while and I am sure it would drip a little. When it drips fast (which it used to do) I flux and scrap it down. I bought some Franklin Arsenal fluxing agent. It makes a mess and makes things worse. I now use candle wax but may try wood shavings. I have a Harbour Freight pot for smelting. You want a big pot for smelting. Would take too long to do it in a small pot. I smelt with that and a turkey fryer I got used for cheap. The RCBS pot is nice. I used one when I learned. I don't think its $280 nice. But it's nice. I don't cast indoors. Only in my garage. To smelly otherwise. Even the candle wax fluxing it too smelly for me. I wear a mask when I cast. It's the same type I use when I spray the inside of houses. I am sure it does nothing for lead fumes (but who knows), it does keep my nose clean and thats good enough for me. I don't find it uncomfortable. I have worn them plenty in my life. No big deal to me. I smelt outside. Thats toxic crap your making. Don't do that inside.

Edited April 14, 2010 by 98sr20ve

[ebg3]

I smelt outside with a steel pot and pour ingots, the ingots are fed to the lee pot when casting. I upgraded my dad's 30+ year old Lee 10lb pot to a new Lee 20lb pot and I'm really pleased with it. I've only cast 8000 or so bullets with it but so far it is much nicer than the 10lb pot.

[Flexmoney]

The source; http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

[sargenv]

I use a Lee 4-20 bottom pour for my bullet making. It takes a little tweaking to get it to flow right, but once it hits about 650 degrees with WW lead, I have very good results with it and no dripping issues as long as I keep my melt well fluxed and clean.

For making dirty lead into clean lead ingots, I use a turkey fryer and a 5 qt Lodge Duth Oven. I made sure to get the lid as the WW's I get tend to smoke badly with all the paint and other gunk that they come coated in. I usually sort my WW's to try to reduce the # of Zinc and steel weights in them. The Cast Boolit forum is top notch when it comes to the "How to" do about everything. I studied the site about 6 weeks or so before pouring my first and I've been at it a bit over a year now. The problem with casting is that you soon purchase several molds.. I went from just the 185 gr 40 cal RN mold and a shotgun slug mold to several in different calibers.. 9mm, 38 cal, 45, 32, 30, and um.. yeah.. and then you can go nuts getting the different weights in those calibers.. I think I have a 120 and 125 in 9mm, 105, 148, 158 in .38, and the 175 TC and 185 RN in 40.. and the 200 gr RNFP in 45 cal. Not to mention the 160 RN 9mm, 165 gr FP 30 cal, and one other caliber in the Magma caster molds..

The Magma is a really nice unit.. and really cranks em out.. but it's pricey..

[redmanfixit]

The Lee 20# bottom pour at 240v is a good deal. It works well and at 240 uses less power than the 120v. There are "nicer" casting pots but for the money the Lee works well and I don't mind tightening screws and fiddling with gizmos. I saw the mention of a Magma system. So right, VERY nice but pricey. Search for posts on this forum (Flex, you're a God of the forum, pointer perhaps?) by J. Morris. OK THIS guy can make anything, I think. I plan to SHAMELESSLY steal his VERY cool design for an auto caster that he has posted photos of and described with the post. I would CHEERFULLY pay for drawings and a parts list (HINT HINT) should The esteem-able Mr. Morris have some means of providing same. (OK you OBVIOUSLY have a plasma cutter DUDE!) I'm thinkin' kit here. But you're probably having too much fun shooting! Your evil Texas star is wonderful, by the way!

Nothing against Magma, really nice and professional but I have more time than money right now, myself and it's just a pile of steel and solenoids! Maybe a PLC or two and some oven parts. (Do not attempt this at home we are trained professionals blah blah blah) This is AMERICA we used to be able to build anything!! Walmart won't carry this stuff!

[98sr20ve]

I'm thinking of running two Lee 20lb bottom pours at the same time. Stack them on top of eachother with a rack/shelf. Drill a hole in the top ones base so it can feed the bottom one. In the morning you fill both with lead. Let the lead melt then flux them both. As you cast and you drain the bottom one you just fill the bottom one with the extra you have in the top. Keep doing this till eventually you need to add some more lead to the top one. This way you never run out of lead, bottom pot never goes below 1/2 full and you should have a steady supply of lead. I hate stopping once I start casting.

Edited April 15, 2010 by 98sr20ve

[jmorris]

I built one that turned into the pot for my casting machine. It’s just pipe with a 3500watt oven element wrapped around it. It holds 60# of lead and cost $9 for the element. You can still see the ears on the side to tilt the pot and the notch for the pour spout. For the casting machine I turned it into a bottom pour. I place an aluminum cup under at start up until the lead is molten, thats the only time it drips. I now use a larger version for making ingots out of scrap.

[AzShooter]

I have s WAAGE furnace and it's the best one I've used. It is not a bottom pour but I don't like bottom pours anyway.

Mine is a 20 lbs but they make them much bigger. I cast until the furnace is empty and I have about 500 bullets depending on the calibre I'm casting for.

Best feature is that the lead stays within 5 degrees throughout the casting session. Makes for a much more accurate bullet then my Lee furnaces.

[Mark454]

I built one that turned into the pot for my casting machine. It’s just pipe with a 3500watt oven element wrapped around it. It holds 60# of lead and cost $9 for the element. You can still see the ears on the side to tilt the pot and the notch for the pour spout. For the casting machine I turned it into a bottom pour. I place an aluminum cup under at start up until the lead is molten, thats the only time it drips. I now use a larger version for making ingots out of scrap.

jmorris, That is an impressive set-up.

I am not a Lee fan but I have had my Lee 20lb bottom pour pot for 8 years without a failure. I cast handgun bullets only. You get what you pay for with the Lee. You do have to monitor the temp. of the alloy very close. As mentioned, my pot only drips when it is dirty. After casting every three or four pots full of alloy, I clean the pot. I should mention that I drop ww's into the pot and mix the alloy pot by pot. I should smelt larger amounts but I just can't find the time. I get a good product with ww's and .5 lbs of tin. I have tried ladle casting and I prefer bottom pour pots.

Mark

[jmorris]

You do have to monitor the temp. of the alloy very close.

Good point I use a PID to control temp. There was a fellow on http://castboolits.gunloads.com/ selling them for $20 recently and they are much smaller than the one I used.

[NuJudge]

I use a Lee 20 pound bottom pour furnace to cast from, and have a Lee 10 pound to act as a melter. It drips a little, but has proved much more durable that the Lyman furnace I had before. This allows me to run a Lee 6 cavity aluminum mold for hours without stopping. I can easily cast 18 bullets per minute. There are some other things that help me do this.

Aluminum and Iron molds are fragile. There is a lubricant available on the Cast Boolits website called BullPlate which dramatically speeds up casting, particularly with aluminum molds. A vanishingly small amount applied with a Q-Tip to the locator pins, the top of the blocks, and the bottom of the sprue plate after the mold gets hot will prevent wear and prevent accumulation of Lead on top of the blocks and on the bottom of the sprue plate.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=3412

For material handling purposes, and because it makes a Lead/Tin/Antimony bullet harder, I drop bullets from the mold into a 5 gallon bucket of water.