Lee 4/20 Melting Pot, Mastering The Temperature Dial

[@SBSATS]

Been casting off and on for 40 years with no idea at all of what I was doing. Have made some great bullets that shot well. But until I started watching your videos I had no clue other than common sense why I got the results I have gotten. You'll never know how much you have helped even us old timers, if nothing more than to understand what we are doing right and what we can do different to make our work better. Thank you and God bless you and keep you safe.

[@Crystalbsmusic]

Elvis Ammo is absolutely, THE BEST, on KZbin , for best explanation on cast bullets. BY FAR THE BEST

[@elvisammo]

hey Crystal B.... Now that;s a worthy Praise!!!!! : ) BY FAR ... Can't beat it! Thanks, And glad your watching..

[@Crystalbsmusic]

AKWAYS WATCHING your posts.

[@ericholman6116]

A great help. I too was running my dial too high. The mold sitting on top of the pot could have played a factor in the slight variance in temp on lee dial setting compared to last prior test. Or air temp or many other variables we encounter. Thanks for the work you put into this. Saved me time and money.

[@jamespollard1670]

I've used the dial controller on the Lee pot for years . I never had a problem with it . It looks like your test proves it is pretty reliable .

[@rodneyhardee2527]

Great information Elvis. You have made my casting go so much smoother. Thanks again for all the really informative videos. Keep up the great work. Take care brother.

[@nickl1682]

Hay my brother , you are outstanding , you don't stop till all the questions are answered . You need to move to New Jersey and help us out.

[@elvisammo]

the answer My brother Nick L, is to take the New off of New Jersey because the old Jersey was a fine place to live! THE libratards screwed that up good. It reminds me of the time my sewer got full ... The only way to get things flowing again was to get rid of all the waste! : )

[@nickl1682]

elvis ammo Hay my lost brother , take it easy on New Jersey all of use are not commits ( democrates ) . I think there is some Elvis ammo DNA here somewhere. Keep the videos coming .

[@charlesirby9222]

This has prolly got a few folks scratching their heads, especially if they use the standard analog lead thermometer in the pot. I used mine for years before checking it in boiling water and calibrating it...it was 40* F. off, too low. I cast at 4.25 on the Lee dial and 735* F. in the pot...shiny boolits! . . . great work as usual you ole brass stuffer! . . . charlie

[@raysheppard8040]

Taurus/Hipoint enthusiast suggested your videos, dang it he was right. You are awesome I am getting the 4-20 had been kicking the pid idea around, IF IF mine works as well I see no need for the pid. I will have to set up my own testing to see where the temps hold and what numeric to use on the dial. If 760-800 hold and keep there. That is what I`d prefer with my casting.

[@l.a.3887]

On the inside of the pot is the true reading of the lead 👌

[@Ray-ro2jj]

I just built a pid controller love it thanks to you and johnnys reloading bench you guys rock saved me a world of headaches fighting with the temp dial lee pots fluctuate temps way to much I found mine was range 20-30 degrees different’s

[@matts2581]

Way chill Elvis - TY for performing that check on things. My Velleman multimeter thermistor needs to be McGyver'd together so I can get some more measurements proor to meI firing my pot back up again. ;) And, congrats on passing through 25k subs. :)

[@gavintrousdale7585]

The 50 degree differance between the bottom of the pot and 1/4 " off of the inside bottom of the pot could simply be the altitude the reading was taken. enjoy your videos and the knowledge you dispence.

[@nickjm37fordel1]

Hey Elvis that is really good info. What would be really interesting to see if the pot is more accurate than our thermometers. Take a lee and a Lyman and RCBS and see if they are all different, but the numbers on the Lee pot are not !! I have a Lee and my friend has a Lyman and we are 150 degrees off at #7 on the dial. He reads 750 degrees and mine reads 600 !

[@elvisammo]

good stuff Nick J ... Thanks for sharing the info... and yes my bet is most set their pot a little hot ... thanks again!

[@showproja]

I have two of these, but never realized how they regulate temperature. I assumed the wattage was being modified by the dial, but it's a thermostat, not a rheostat. I thought that the lower the level got, the hotter it got. My method has been to crank it all the way up and modify temperature by adding ingot. This helps a lot. Thanks!

[@JohnDoe-vq8bg]

Great data for those that have the electricity! Out here I'm on solar /batteries! So if I want to cast, it'll be on propane! But I have a pro digital point & shoot thermometer. I'm getting a good education for casting from YOU GUYS! And I'll have to buy ebay lead ingots. Starting to see my duckies line up. Minus -34 this morning so I have time to learn until spring. Thanks for sharing Elvis!

[@elvisammo]

sounds like your living right John Doe ... ! Makes me wonder if I could convert a lee 420 pot to propane? : )

[@JohnDoe-vq8bg]

I would think the lee pot metal underneath would not be able to take an open flame. But having a cast iron pot with an open flame would be a good backup plan. These days a backup plan is necessary Elvis! Greetings from the artic swamps of Minnesota!

[@AlbDavidT505]

You are a video making machine lately! Great videos! Very inspirational. I think I'll fire up the old Lee pot and melt some lead just to play around with the pot dial and the different settings in a few different molds to see how it does at your lower settings like 4.5 rather than my normal 6 to 7 range.

[@JennysCountryChannel]

Great share Elvis! :-) Wishing you and your family a Happy Easter! 🐰 Best wishes.....Jenny 🐰

[@elvisammo]

Thanks for the Bunnies! : ) Happy Easter to Ya.... God Bless!

[@Prepare2Survive]

I run my pot hot like that too. I have a lyman thermometer in my 4/20 pot and I keep it at #7 and when the thermometer shows the temp is at 900 I drop in an ingot which will drop the temp to 825 to 850 and eventually when the temp gets back up to 900 it's the same time I have room to add another ingot. Doing it that way means I don't need to stop and wait for the pot to heat back up after adding more lead. Once the pot is around 850 I can cast bullets for several hours without stopping if I want. My ingots are small so when casting 45 acp I usually have to add one every 10 minutes or so.

[@elvisammo]

Hey Prepare2Survive, Yeah it's interesting to see how folks run their pots! Thanks for sharing you yours!

[@kylelusk8994]

I think the surface of the lead might've been just at or below the element. But either way, this proves that lee makes quality stuff that is really accurate. And my Lyman lead thermometer is accurate as well! Lol. I tend to just keep feeding my pot lead muffins as I cast, and a lil over 4 keeps me in the sweet spot. Good info brother! Keep sending it!

[@elvisammo]

Hey kyle lusk..... yeah ... this thing has surprised me! It actually does a really good job... I still have a wrap up to do and I think I'll be satisfied !!!

[@kylelusk8994]

Can't wait to see it! And thanks for the reply!

[@edadpops1709]

FYI, i confirm your temp findings sort of. I cast ingots today,setting the dial at 7 my lyman thermomiter said 900 after fluxing,i turned down to 5 temp was 775, when i put it on 4 the full pot read 725 ish.now when i got to a half pot temp went up to over 800. Interesting.as i filled the pot back up it dropped to 650 until all lead was melted and it went back up to 750. Each pot is different,but i was surprized how much hotter i had been running, using the pot controls with no thermometer.im waiting for PID parts to show up so i can build it.

[@elvisammo]

Hey Edad Martin.. Thanks for sharing your results... This is helpful for us to read about!!

[@phatpastor32974]

Me too waiting for my parts to come in... bought enough for two PIDs may sale one only if my first one works!

[@kevinwen5695]

Thanks for all the great research you are doing for all of us casters. Maybe I will start calling you Dr. Lead. I am still going to use my PID just cuz I spent the money on it. I am also going to build a Chris Bilbis, internal controller, just because...

[@motorgearhead]

Great info! Just researching in prep to start casting. So looks like every 1/2 number above “3” is about 40 degrees.

[@nealhoward2066]

I would be interesting to see what the temp shows with an external thermometer as the reference.

[@elvisammo]

yep . Neal Howard... I agree. I was trying to be systematic here. But I knew I would need to take it a little further for a satisfactory conclusion.. Stay tuned! ; )

[@joep4235]

great info Elvis !!!! thanks so much!!!!!

[@SleeplessInFl]

both of your temperatures are correct. The lead inside the pot is warm enough to be melted in in liquid form. the bottom of the pot is not hotter than the melting point of lead. because the spout is cooler, the lead will not flow out. inside the pot and outside the pot should be about 30 degrees different. you just have to make sure the spout is hot enough to keep the lead flowing flowing

[@edadpops1709]

Fyi to guys building/buying parts for this PID. I found on ebay the K thermocoupler with the yellow plug connected,and without the metal probe,so instead of waiting for 2 or more supplier to ship from china,you can deal with 1 less and its ready to do the elvis ammo pid mod.it will save a little build time too. Mine cost 2.75 free shipping. Haha should be here by june !!

[@elvisammo]

Nice Edad Martin! Thinking outside the bun! : )

[@davidycedo1606]

I get the same results at 4 on a lee 10lb pot =730f @ 80%,60%,40% the results are conclusive your data matches my data and to the fact of voltage drop my power is always 118v.

[@elvisammo]

Hey David Ycedo... good to hear we are coming up with similar results..Thanks again my friend!

[@davidycedo1606]

Hey don't forget to factor in the +30 degrees as this is the actual lead temperature not the heat transfer though the inner shell that's why you have a 30 degree different reading I take mine of the molten lead. have a great day very well done my friend.

[@psykoklown874]

You might try powering with the pot with the PID and using the spout temp probe, raise the target temp until the lead flows to find the true minimum using that probe location.

[@Thorsaxe777]

As we use different alloys, Say more tin content.Can the furnace be operated at a lower temperature without the spout freezing up? That would be a good Video to do, I know that most people out there cast for economy reasons.. (+) shooting,, (-) money and tin is a expense that adds to the costs of casting. Roto metals has alloy available and that would be of improving cast quality and for the cost It's not that much. Mr. Cookie has demonstrated the proper alloying techniques over there on his channel and would be a good video to watch if someone wanted to give that a try. Good Video series, It was good information for those that don't use a PID control unit. Good shooting always Buddy Elvis.. Dave.

[@tgreen1380]

Just found your channel and subbed Good stuff and of course I thought I recognized that PIC. Shout out to JRB and let's try not to blow our face off today, boy's !!

[@mattritchie7131]

I learned something today thanks 👍

[@TerryLooft]

Elvis, do me a favor please. Would you shoot the actual lead in the pot with a Non-Contact Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer and see how the readings compare with your two probes. The one under the pot and the one directly in the lead? The IR thermometer could be and quick easy way, and cheap, the check the temp.

[@elvisammo]

👍👍

[@TerryLooft]

@@elvisammo Thanks for all the input, gathering up tools to progress beyond casting round balls witch is all I've ever done.

[@nsboost]

Laser thermometers are very inaccurate on a reflective surface.

[@caidhp-bhais]

Great video as usual. Your demonstration that the Lee pot can maintain a temperature very well on its own made me wonder if the Lee pot has its own thermocouple installed somehow? I know nothing about electronics, but if the PID controller is using a thermocouple to operate its controller to maintain temperature, how is Lee accomplishing the same thing electronically? With a thermocouple wired to its heating coil or somewher else? And if there is a Lee thermocouple, can it be tapped into to use with the PID?

[@phatpastor32974]

The Lee 4/20 has a thermostat in the back of the case just under the adjustment knob....

[@silvermediastudio]

It's called a thermostat. It's in the product description. Jesus fucking Christ.

[@johnndavis7647]

Why run the pot so high? I think its best to keep the pot well below the melting point of zinc. This prevents accidental zinc contamination of the alloy. Im told that you can actually boil off the tin if you run the pot too high. I like to keep mine around 700 to 725. Thanks for the video.

[@johnndavis7647]

I gotcha'. just scoping out the dial settings. Got my daily exercise jumping to conclusions.

[@594marco]

Thx again Elvis. 👍👍

[@Crystalbsmusic]

Lee Production 4 Pot, I can only cast at number 5 or a little bit better on the dial for 357 magnum, 38 special rounds on pistol and 308 rifle rounds which will run at 750 - 800 degrees and cast good bullets with no frosting and wrinkles , according to my regular thermometer

[@elvisammo]

hey Crystal B .. yeah my pot when it starts getting low at around or under 5 if im throwing big sprues in after every cast it will try to freeze up my lead or the spout will stop working first. Thanks again for sharing!

[@Crystalbsmusic]

that's exactly what happens here, the spout freezes up, and have to raise the number on the temp, awesome glad my lesser pot is up to speed to the higher price pot! thanks for sharing in DETAIL your results. The best on KZbin for casting lead, thanks again

[@archangel20031]

With a wall made out of lead bricks, and 55 gallon drums of wheel weights, WHO IS THIS GUY? A metal recycling Baron?

[@elvisammo]

Yesssssss! Beware... of THE BARON.... waaaaaahhaha!!!! ☠️☠️☠️☠️😁

[@thecollectorofhobbies340]

RDJ would say call him a lead farmer lol

[@DC632A]

Seems someone could make a better melting pot. One with a steady temperature control system. PID not needed. Let's see what we can come up with 🤓

[@elvisammo]

Hey Carpe Diem... I still have a little work to do to break it all down... But not bad at all! Lyman and RCBS has the ones your talking about but they are a small fortune!

[@silvermediastudio]

It's called a thermostat. Only every single company offers one.

[@timkinchen4264]

Hey Elvis have an off topic question. What are the chances of a homemade primer going off in the mag from the shock of a chambered round going off. Haven’t had a chance to use any method other that the match stick method. Tried a few and they all went off like a 22 LR.

[@carlrockaway1696]

what is the name of that box you have and where did you purchase it from?

[@Billbobaker]

Does anyone sell a PID control that is pretty much plug and play for the LEE pots?

[@jim8191]

I love that d@mn pot, got rid of my Lyman Mag25 for the 4 20...then bought additional tools for casting with the money I saved on top of it.

[@georgegoff8298]

I have a lee 10 pound pot, would the PID controller work on it as well?

[@elvisammo]

yes sir George Goff.. no problem!

[@jamesbrownmiller808]

At what temperature do your bullets cast the best?

[@dalefine3329]

Oh no! I have been watching your videos with closed caption (I am deaf) and now there are no closed caption. Any idea how to turn them on? Thanks!

[@elvisammo]

hey Dale Fine.. try it now! Sorry, don't know what happen... youtube goes crazy sometimes..: ). let me know

[@dalefine3329]

Nope! I think you need to enable the feature before recording the video. I think it is too late. :( Many thanks!

[@melvinruth8876]

how can I remove bullet lubercant from my cast bullets so I can powder coat the bullets

[@gascheck8151]

Melvin Ruth Buy a slow cooker and layer your lubricated bullets with absorbing paper towels. Low setting works fine. I've also done it on warm setting. Take bullets spray with a degreaser on paper towel and roll them around to ensure all traces of lubricant is off. This will not work with Lee Alox.

[@estebanvializ9985]

Where did you got your PID controller? Thanks for the info.

[@emjartan45acp]

There home made. Johnny's Reloading Bench gives a really good parts list fr Amazon. He also shows how to wire it up. I built one too....its GREAT. Here's the link. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3iyooCvrZqerJY

[@nickjm37fordel1]

I've been setting my pot to hot !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@gman77gas]

Your mold resting on top of the pot is acting as a heat sink . My thought is if the mold was not on top the cycle on and off would not happen so quick with the mold removed from the top.

[@elvisammo]

Yeah good point gman77gas... these heat sinks play a bigger role than one would think!