Casting Lead Temp Controller

[Travler]

Hey All,
First of all, if this is not OK to post on the forum, just say so.

What I am doing is copying an idea from another site that is on other than round ball projectiles..... But I wanted to make a controller that I could plug my Lee pot into and have it control the lead temp. I have not done this yet, but I have some/most of the parts and If it is OK, I will share the process.

Here is what I have so far. A controller, Thermocouple and relay from Auber Instruments (about$75 I think) and $5.50 of electrical pieces from the Habitat for Humanity store.

I hope to be able to dial in the temp, plug in the pot and not fuss with the temp anymore. I plan to have one pot for soft lead and another for alloyed.

Thoughts?

 

[Whitworth]

No temp control on your pot?

 

[Firelock937]

Hey All,
First of all, if this is not OK to post on the forum, just say so.

What I am doing is copying an idea from another site that is on other than round ball projectiles..... But I wanted to make a controller that I could plug my Lee pot into and have it control the lead temp. I have not done this yet, but I have some/most of the parts and If it is OK, I will share the process.

Here is what I have so far. A controller, Thermocouple and relay from Auber Instruments (about$75 I think) and $5.50 of electrical pieces from the Habitat for Humanity store.

I hope to be able to dial in the temp, plug in the pot and not fuss with the temp anymore. I plan to have one pot for soft lead and another for alloyed.

Thoughts?

Check out MYPIN PID Temprature Controller on Johnny's Reloading Bench on You Tube. I put one together and have been using it for years with my old Lee bottom pour. It was pretty cheap to easy to put together. It makes casting go a lot smoother. No chasing the best temp with the plain rheostat knob. You can find the "sweet temperature" for your alloy and just set it on the PID controller and forget it.

 

[Firelock937]

No temp control on your pot?

Just realized this was an 18 year old post!

 

[Travler]

LOL Firelock - I am a member for 18 years.... Post from last week.

Anyway - I finished with the parts I bought. Yup - must be similar to yours. Set it and forget it. Added cold lead to the pot and watched the controller take it right to my setting.

 

[Firelock937]

LOL Firelock - I am a member for 18 years.... Post from last week.

Anyway - I finished with the parts I bought. Yup - must be similar to yours. Set it and forget it. Added cold lead to the pot and watched the controller take it right to my setting.

Yeah, Ive been here a few years. Long enough to tell when a post went up vs member join date. Was up too late I guess, LOL.
I'm pretty sure you can get new casting pots that have PID controllers built in but they are pricey. When I put mine together it was much cheaper than a new pot.

 

[Brettitt41]

I built the same unit as the one featured in Johnny's Reloading Bench. It works just fine and keeps my melt within 10-12deg of set point when casting.

 

[Newly O’Brian]

Much better temperature control.

Lee doesn't have a probe right in the alloy, it's behind in that aluminum extrusion

 

[Newly O’Brian]

I've always thought about adding a shield gas to the top of open pot to prevent lead oxidation and lead vapors.

Same technological as MIG or TIG welding

 

[KingOfKindling]

I've got a similar setup, though with a pre-built Auber box. They were on sale a couple years ago, and I wanted something I could easily swap between different projects that need temp control. Works well for bluing, parkerizing, or turning my cheap toaster oven into a very accurate dryer or plastic melter.

The Lee Pot just gets turned to max, then plugged directly into the back of the unit. The box will handle the max power of standard US power outlets, and can also handle 12 amps at 240v.

Used a little copper wire to keep the temp sensor in position. It's just held on by the factory pot screws.

Works pretty darned well. Set the temp, and it'l hold it right there unless you've got a cold windy day, or dump new lead in the pot. The LEE heating element is a bit under powered. Wondering if I should go to a bigger higher wattage pot.