Beating the weather.

Beagle333 · August 24, 2015, 06:30 PM

The rains this summer are both a blessing and a curse. The catfish pond is loving it, but it seems that it rains at least once every day and it is just really cramping my casting. I have to gather up everything and run when a big cloud comes over.
But I have improved my casting area now!
This was before....

and after today! I liked casting under the trees, but it just isn't to be, this year. Now I'm an all weather caster.

Beagle333 · August 24, 2015, 08:56 PM

Overkill! I put PB gas checks on the bullets before I sized and then decided to ESPC them.

I can only guess that the paint on the cola cans kept it from transferring a great spark, as mine was very weak and the nose is beautiful but it didn't stick to the driving bands very well at all.

So I just decided to run em through the luber, just to make sure this batch was shootable. And the results look kinda cool, but it isn't recommended, as it is double the work for the same bullet.

Oh... and that's my famous Tiger Stripe lube.

That's what you get when you change the lube in the sizer without melting the previous lube out first. The first hundred or so bullets are striped until the new lube fills all the channels.

Mike / Tx · August 25, 2015, 04:28 AM

Nice on both accounts bud.

I need to get a couple of those covers installed up at the farm now to park things under. One of them is gonna have to be a bit taller than that however.

About that rain, don't knock it while ya got it. I know plenty of folks who said they were tired of it, but then we were getting upwards of 2-5 inches at a time for a WHILE. It didn't bother me until I stuck the tractor in the yard in the country. Even then it was just a mild inconvenience. When it stopped, it stopped and did rain until about two weeks ago, and even then it was only a spitting shower. We finally got some decent stuff last week and at least the cracks in the yard closed up for a while.

straight-shooter · August 25, 2015, 03:38 PM

Stuff them boolits down in some brass and you'll never know. Great work Beagle. They may be a tad more smoky than plain PC but should shoot great.

Nice work on covering up the casting area. Now that your going to be able to cast about a million bullets non stop you better setup some floor jacks on that end of the house too!

Beagle333 · August 25, 2015, 08:08 PM

It's really the same weight. I keep my stash inside, stacked in MFR boxes, so I just take a box outside, cast it and bring the bullets back in. Same weight.

Vance · August 25, 2015, 10:50 PM

http://www.magmaengineering.com/masterpot/
Hey Beagle, If you think the RCBS ProMelt is the cadillac of bottom pour pots, Then you should get the Master Pot. 40 pound capacity and has a spring loaded pour lever. Very nice and has a consistent temp like the ProMelt. This is the pot that also sets on top of the Master Caster that I bought recently. And you thought the ProMelt was expensive. My ProMelt will be used for my hollow point molds and the Master Caster for everything else.

Nice area you have set up there. I was going to suggest a car port like that or one of those pop up canopies to keep the rain off, but you already have it taken care of. I wish I lived out in the country where I could have a similar set up. But I have mine set up in my basement/garage.

stubbicatt · August 26, 2015, 06:38 AM

Wow Vance. Nice furnace.

Presently my casting is from a single cavity, 200 grain mould. I suppose after an hour the level in that pot would pretty much remain the same! Hey an added benefit! The never ending supply of melt.

Vance · August 26, 2015, 09:40 AM

Magma makes one for ladle casting that holds 90 pounds of lead. It's around $500.

Beagle333 · August 26, 2015, 06:13 PM

That MasterPot sure is nice! I could use the 40# capacity for sure! But I guess it'd be cheaper to just mount a Drips-A-Lot or even a second ProMelt above my current one to double the available capacity, since I could give it a hot refill instantly.

snuffy · August 31, 2015, 09:36 AM

Beagle, if by drips-a-lot you mean the 4-20 lee, that's what I have, in fact I have 2 of them and a third 20 pound ladle pot. Oh, but mine do not drip. I put a new wood handle on both, that has a hole drilled in 1.5 inch hardwood dowel filled with lead. That gives enough extra weight to keep the valve seated.

OK so that's something you probably wouldn't have to do with a pro-melt or that magma. But for the cost difference I can do a lot of modifications and still have a pot that works well. Oh and the PID helps a lot for temp control.

snuffy · August 31, 2015, 09:42 AM

And I beat the weather each time I cast, because I cast inside in my loading room. I do wait for cooler temps in summertime as I don't want to have to have the AC running to keep from sweating excessively. I don't think the smoke would be a good thing for the heat exchanger on the AC.

I have a window open with a fan at my back directed out the window. Keeps me cool enough. My blood-lead levels are just fine. I have it checked every 1.5 years at the VA.

August 24, 2015, 06:30 PM	#1
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	Beating the weather. The rains this summer are both a blessing and a curse. The catfish pond is loving it, but it seems that it rains at least once every day and it is just really cramping my casting. I have to gather up everything and run when a big cloud comes over. But I have improved my casting area now! This was before.... and after today! I liked casting under the trees, but it just isn't to be, this year. Now I'm an all weather caster. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

August 24, 2015, 08:56 PM	#2
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	Overkill! I put PB gas checks on the bullets before I sized and then decided to ESPC them. I can only guess that the paint on the cola cans kept it from transferring a great spark, as mine was very weak and the nose is beautiful but it didn't stick to the driving bands very well at all. So I just decided to run em through the luber, just to make sure this batch was shootable. And the results look kinda cool, but it isn't recommended, as it is double the work for the same bullet. Oh... and that's my famous Tiger Stripe lube. That's what you get when you change the lube in the sizer without melting the previous lube out first. The first hundred or so bullets are striped until the new lube fills all the channels. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

August 25, 2015, 04:28 AM	#3
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	Nice on both accounts bud. I need to get a couple of those covers installed up at the farm now to park things under. One of them is gonna have to be a bit taller than that however. About that rain, don't knock it while ya got it. I know plenty of folks who said they were tired of it, but then we were getting upwards of 2-5 inches at a time for a WHILE. It didn't bother me until I stuck the tractor in the yard in the country. Even then it was just a mild inconvenience. When it stopped, it stopped and did rain until about two weeks ago, and even then it was only a spitting shower. We finally got some decent stuff last week and at least the cracks in the yard closed up for a while. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

August 25, 2015, 08:08 PM	#5
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	It's really the same weight. I keep my stash inside, stacked in MFR boxes, so I just take a box outside, cast it and bring the bullets back in. Same weight. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

August 26, 2015, 06:13 PM	#9
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	That MasterPot sure is nice! I could use the 40# capacity for sure! But I guess it'd be cheaper to just mount a Drips-A-Lot or even a second ProMelt above my current one to double the available capacity, since I could give it a hot refill instantly. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

August 25, 2015, 03:38 PM	#4
straight-shooter Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2007 Location: North Central Indiana Posts: 436	Stuff them boolits down in some brass and you'll never know. Great work Beagle. They may be a tad more smoky than plain PC but should shoot great. Nice work on covering up the casting area. Now that your going to be able to cast about a million bullets non stop you better setup some floor jacks on that end of the house too!

August 25, 2015, 10:50 PM	#6
Vance Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2011 Location: North Bend, OR Posts: 743	http://www.magmaengineering.com/masterpot/ Hey Beagle, If you think the RCBS ProMelt is the cadillac of bottom pour pots, Then you should get the Master Pot. 40 pound capacity and has a spring loaded pour lever. Very nice and has a consistent temp like the ProMelt. This is the pot that also sets on top of the Master Caster that I bought recently. And you thought the ProMelt was expensive. My ProMelt will be used for my hollow point molds and the Master Caster for everything else. Nice area you have set up there. I was going to suggest a car port like that or one of those pop up canopies to keep the rain off, but you already have it taken care of. I wish I lived out in the country where I could have a similar set up. But I have mine set up in my basement/garage.

August 26, 2015, 06:38 AM	#7
stubbicatt Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Posts: 1,707	Wow Vance. Nice furnace. Presently my casting is from a single cavity, 200 grain mould. I suppose after an hour the level in that pot would pretty much remain the same! Hey an added benefit! The never ending supply of melt.

August 26, 2015, 09:40 AM	#8
Vance Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2011 Location: North Bend, OR Posts: 743	Magma makes one for ladle casting that holds 90 pounds of lead. It's around $500.

August 31, 2015, 09:36 AM	#10
snuffy Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2001 Location: Oshkosh wi. Posts: 3,055	Beagle, if by drips-a-lot you mean the 4-20 lee, that's what I have, in fact I have 2 of them and a third 20 pound ladle pot. Oh, but mine do not drip. I put a new wood handle on both, that has a hole drilled in 1.5 inch hardwood dowel filled with lead. That gives enough extra weight to keep the valve seated. OK so that's something you probably wouldn't have to do with a pro-melt or that magma. But for the cost difference I can do a lot of modifications and still have a pot that works well. Oh and the PID helps a lot for temp control. __________________ The more people I meet, the more I love my dog They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?

August 31, 2015, 09:42 AM	#11
snuffy Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2001 Location: Oshkosh wi. Posts: 3,055	And I beat the weather each time I cast, because I cast inside in my loading room. I do wait for cooler temps in summertime as I don't want to have to have the AC running to keep from sweating excessively. I don't think the smoke would be a good thing for the heat exchanger on the AC. I have a window open with a fan at my back directed out the window. Keeps me cool enough. My blood-lead levels are just fine. I have it checked every 1.5 years at the VA. __________________ The more people I meet, the more I love my dog They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?