hello, I have been casting for a while, using a bottom pour lee casting pot, and was given a pretty good amount of lead in the form of 2.5" balls, from a deceased reloader. These balls will NOT fit in the pot because of the bottom pour mechanism, and i dont really want to try to work around it. So if anyone has this: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/476462/lee-melter-furnace-110-volt?cm_vc=S014, could you tell me about what the internal diameter is for the pot? The amount of lead i recieved does not justify buying anything more expensive than this, so im not open to the idea of upgrading. Nowhere can i find a firm inside diameter, so anyone who has one let me know, thanks
lee furnace
- Thread starter mjsdwash
- Start date
- Status
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Looks just like my bottom pour pot without the bottom pour linkage.
Have you considered a cast iron skillet from a garage sale, a propane torch, and an ingot mold??
I know, You clearly stated you were not interested in working around it.
But, sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.
rc
Have you considered a cast iron skillet from a garage sale, a propane torch, and an ingot mold??
I know, You clearly stated you were not interested in working around it.
But, sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.
rc
frankenstein406
Member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2011
- Messages
- 816
hot plate or old camp stove?
Reefinmike
Member
Just melt them suckers down and cast ingots. Im too cheap to buy an ingot mold so I just cut the tops of pop and beer cans, rinse and dry em. a full ladel from my smelting pot makes beer can ingots about 1.25" high, 2-2.25# each. The I peel the can and leave a little attached so I have a "handle" on my ingot before I drop it in my lee pot. This style ingot may be a bit large for some, but casting 230gr 45's with a six banger mold drains a 10lb pot fast and I run it real hot and cast frosty boolits!
TL;DNR: quit crying about the size of your free clean lead and cast some darn ingots
TL;DNR: quit crying about the size of your free clean lead and cast some darn ingots
tightgroup tiger
Member
Know anyone with a bandsaw? I cut my lead chunks up on one in my garage, it works pretty well.
Call Lee and ask them.
Call Lee and ask them.
Just a handsaw will do it, don't need power tools.
Magnum Shooter
Member
A propane torch will melt them down till they fit real easy.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I have tried sawing lead and linotype in the past with a Saws-All with almost no success.
It sticks & clogs up saw teeth faster then you can clean them out.
rc
It sticks & clogs up saw teeth faster then you can clean them out.
rc
tightgroup tiger
Member
The bandsaw I use for woodworking uses blades with teeth @ 2-3 teeth per inch. They don't clog and are a pleasure to use when cutting lead. It's a resaw type bandsaw.
It's totally effortless to use when cutting lead up to usable size chunks, I can cut up a 1'wide by 2'long piece of lead 2"thick in about 2 minutes with my saw.
I use a small shop vac to suck up the cuttings and melt them also.
But I have to agree a propane torch is much cheaper then a 13"bandsaw unless you know someone that already has one. A resaw blade for a 13" bandsaw is $22.00 from Wolf blades and they last forever cutting lead.
Sawsall blades would work if you used a "big and ugly" wood blade, metal blades don't work for lead any better than hacksaws blades. They plug up and have to be cleaned every other stroke.
It's totally effortless to use when cutting lead up to usable size chunks, I can cut up a 1'wide by 2'long piece of lead 2"thick in about 2 minutes with my saw.
I use a small shop vac to suck up the cuttings and melt them also.
But I have to agree a propane torch is much cheaper then a 13"bandsaw unless you know someone that already has one. A resaw blade for a 13" bandsaw is $22.00 from Wolf blades and they last forever cutting lead.
Sawsall blades would work if you used a "big and ugly" wood blade, metal blades don't work for lead any better than hacksaws blades. They plug up and have to be cleaned every other stroke.
tightgroup tiger
Member
Got a double post somehow, deleted this ( the second one).
Last edited:
243winxb
Member
I would remove the bottom pour mechanism and melt the lead into ingots using the pot you now have. Problem is you have to stay and watch it or make an outside stopper for the bottom pour hole. My Lee bottom pour measures larger than 2.5"
Last edited:
TooManyToys
Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2011
- Messages
- 193
Just wanted to add a few thoughts to the above;
Wax type lubes will keep saw blades from loading up with soft, nonferris metals.
I prefer LPS Edge Lube but even an old candle will work much of the time.
An old metal coffee can, or anything similar will work just fine for melting lead.
Some people like camp stoves so you can do it outside, but kitchen stoves work just fine too with ventilation.
The key is to heat the lead just hot enough to melt it. It is the over heating of lead is what causes bad fumes.
Hope this helps.
Wax type lubes will keep saw blades from loading up with soft, nonferris metals.
I prefer LPS Edge Lube but even an old candle will work much of the time.
An old metal coffee can, or anything similar will work just fine for melting lead.
Some people like camp stoves so you can do it outside, but kitchen stoves work just fine too with ventilation.
The key is to heat the lead just hot enough to melt it. It is the over heating of lead is what causes bad fumes.
Hope this helps.
Last edited:
I'm curious what they were made for, initially. How much does a 250 caliber lead ball weigh, anyhow?
I can't speak for the 4lb furnace in the link. According to my calipers, my Lee 20 lb bottom pour would fit around a 2.7" diameter ball. That's a little pricier, but at least it would be an upgrade from your current 10 lb furnace (I presume).
Have you tried hitting one with a hammer? I imagine you could flatten them a good fraction of an inch, rather easily.
FYI, I'd be extremely cautious trying to cut a sphere with a bandsaw. Bandsaws are fairly benign, but cutting a sphere has to be one of the most pontentially dangerous things you could try. If the blade catches, the ball can roll unexpectedly and drag your fingers into the blade. A vice would be a good idea.
I like 243's idea. Unscrew a few bolts, and you can remove the stopper from your furnace. You could turn the end of a nail down and plug the hole with it. Then use a ladle to fill your ingot mold. A free 10 lb furnace has got to be better than buying a 4 lb furnace.
I can't speak for the 4lb furnace in the link. According to my calipers, my Lee 20 lb bottom pour would fit around a 2.7" diameter ball. That's a little pricier, but at least it would be an upgrade from your current 10 lb furnace (I presume).
Have you tried hitting one with a hammer? I imagine you could flatten them a good fraction of an inch, rather easily.
FYI, I'd be extremely cautious trying to cut a sphere with a bandsaw. Bandsaws are fairly benign, but cutting a sphere has to be one of the most pontentially dangerous things you could try. If the blade catches, the ball can roll unexpectedly and drag your fingers into the blade. A vice would be a good idea.
I like 243's idea. Unscrew a few bolts, and you can remove the stopper from your furnace. You could turn the end of a nail down and plug the hole with it. Then use a ladle to fill your ingot mold. A free 10 lb furnace has got to be better than buying a 4 lb furnace.
Last edited:
35 Whelen
Member
I inherited quite a few muffin pan type chunks of lead some of which won't fit into my old SAECO pot. So I set them on the shop floor and pound the SNOT out of them with a 2 lb. sledge until they WILL fit. You might try that.
35W
35W
41 Mag
Member
Like an old boiler man once told me, "if it don't fit, get a bigger hammer"...
It should be pretty easily formed into a squareish shape with a decent sized hammer. It just need to fit inside, it don't have to be exact.
It should be pretty easily formed into a squareish shape with a decent sized hammer. It just need to fit inside, it don't have to be exact.
- Status
