Building a Better Casting Setup

[kealil]

Hello all!
I need some assistance. I am looking to increase production for casting. I currently use an RCBS ProMelt and Lee 6 cavity moulds. It works but is becoming harder to work with as I convert more of my family to the shooting sport. I enjoy casting but I just don’t have the time to cast the amount needed AND get the other things around the house done.

I want to build a mechanism to increase my casting speed. I’ve seen the machines from ballista-cast and Magma. I have also seen several machines around different forums and youtube that seem to be home built. I am hoping you guys can point me in the direction of some schematics for a readymade design. I consider myself fairly handy but I don’t want to prototype a machine of my own. I am looking to make something similar(but simpler) to the Master Caster from Magma engineering.

Anyone able to point me in the right direction?

Thanks all!

 

[Mike / Tx]

Man I wished I could help you out there. About the only thing I could offer is to try and touch base with a forum member that goes by "jmorris". If anyone on here can put you onto something automated it will be him. Some of the things he builds are simply amazing, kinda glad I live far enough away not to be able to stop by and get ideas. LOL

 

[chris in va]

You could train/pay someone to do the casting for you. Heck of a lot cheaper than spending thousands on a casting machine.

 

[kealil]

That was the first path I went down. I did get someone trained but their schedule is even worse than mine. No one else in the family has the ability or will to lend a hand for various reasons. Besides. I like casting, it is just a lot of work.

As to spending tons of funds on new casting machine; I am not looking to buy new. I wasn’t to actually build one myself. I am proficient with electronics, welding, and general shop work but I am looking to get some schematics that someone has already developed. Save me some time and effort.

 

[dahermit]

I cast with two, yes two, Lee six-cavity molds for the particular bullet I am casting that day. I preheat them with a hot plate and maintain their heat on the hot plate when I am waiting for added lead alloy when refilling the pot. I dip and pour rather than bottom pour. It is the fastest (produces the most bullets in the least time) of any method I have tried.

 

[Mike / Tx]

I cast with two, yes two, Lee six-cavity molds for the particular bullet I am casting that day. I preheat them with a hot plate and maintain their heat on the hot plate when I am waiting for added lead alloy when refilling the pot. I dip and pour rather than bottom pour. It is the fastest (produces the most bullets in the least time) of any method I have tried.

I have to agree with the above. It takes a bit of getting into the rhythm, but once you get it worked out you can dump a 20# pot of alloy in only a few minutes. Then while your new batch of alloy is heating up to temp your moving that pan out of the way and setting up another one. If you set your ingots up on the hot plate they will get up to temp faster as well.

On the Lee molds, they might not be the best or even the in the same dug out, but they will produce plenty of decent shooting plinking ammo especially suited for the blasting crowd. Pick a suitable profile in your favorite caliber and get everyone to pitch in on them and your in business for very little.