Magma pot

[Brad]

Anyone have experience with the 90 pound pot from Magma?

I am thinking of an upgrade from my RCBS. Looking for something with more capacity and easier for ladle casting.

A 40 pounder would work too but Magma lists the 40 pounder as more expensive than the 90. On the other hand it looks like the 90 is designed for use on a casting machine. I want something with a base so it can stand alone.

Oh, the RCBS won't be up for sale. I will be keeping that one.

 

[Rick]

Just looked at their site, the 90 pound pot does have legs, you don't have to use it in the casting machine. When I got the 40 pound pot I kept my RCBS also and use it for my soft alloy, regular alloy in the 40. The Rowell #2 fits in the 40 pounder just fine, much better than in the RCBS.

 

[Brad]

How does the diameter of the opening in the pot compare between the 40 pound Magma and the RCBS?

 

[Rick]

5 inches - 3 1/2 inches.

While the Magma is wider it is mostly deeper and by design. A very wide pot while it may hold more alloy also has a far greater surface area. More surface area means more alloy in contact with air so think faster and more oxidation. The Magma is easily large enough to readily handle the Rowell #2, it's by far my most used ladle.

 

[Brad]

That is the ladle I use. Wonder why?

I want a pot where I can cast enough 300 gr bullets to least me a while without having to add anything to the pot while casting.

 

[Rick]

If you cast 30 pounds of alloy from a 40 pound pot @ 300 gr that is 700 bullets. In 30 cal say 180 gr bullets that's 1,166 bullets, if you can do that in one session your a better man than me.

 

[Brad]

Good enough for me.

 

[Rick]

Make sure you get the dual orifice. Best thing since ice cream, fill two cavities at a time. Yeah I know, you ladle. Me too but you might want to bottom pour some time.

 

[Rick]

I also recommend their PID, order the pot with it installed. Yep, you already have a PID. Yep, Magma's is pricey but you won't regret it, buyers remorse will disappear the first time you use it. With Magma's PID there is nothing (probe) inside the pot to be in the way, it is attached center bottom on the outside of the pot. Will free up your PID for your oven and RCBS pot.

It takes my 40 pound Magma about 10 minutes longer to reach casting temp than the 20 pound RCBS. How long that is depends on air temp, either pot will take longer if your casting in a 30 degree garage opposed to say 85-90 degree air temp.

 

[fiver]

you can get a single spout, a dual spout, or a blank orifice and strip the lever and rod off the 40lb pot for ladle casting.
I made a stand for the 40 lb pot off one of my mater casters, by welding some 1" angle iron into a stand and drilling 2 holes airc 4-1/2' apart.
then built a little metal topped box to set my molds on when casting.
I made the box to fit the lyman 4 cavity molds and give about 5/8" clearance, it seems to work for everything from NEI to NOE, LEE and Lyman molds do just fine too.

 

[300BLK]

90#? Somebody must be serious! I get by with 10#and 20# Lee, 20# Lyman. I use a Rowell #2 for pouring ingots, and either a Lyman or RCBS for casting bullets.

 

[Ian]

File a vee-notch in the spout of that Rowel #2 to narrow the stream and try using IT to pour your bullets sometime. You'll be a believer.

 

[Rick]

So Brad . . . Did you order the pot? Did you get it yet? Do you like it? What? What do you mean your procrastinating?

When I bought my Magma Master Pot Magma didn't offer a PID, when they finally did offer one I bought it in a heart beat and have never regretted it. My Magma PID does not hold temp to +- 2 degrees like the new model does, I get about +- 15-18 degree swing above and below the set temp. Mine is probably 10-12 years old and it seems that is as old as it is going to get. Turned it on this afternoon, pot started warming up as usual and at about 550 degrees there was a loud electric arc noise from within the control box and it blew the circuit breaker. Great, no casting today. I haven't opened it up yet and it may well be fixable but it sure is tempting to use this as an excuse to order the new model PID. Decisions decisions decisions.

 

[Ian]

Some of those 220V relays are expensive and would go a good way toward the cost of a new pot. I had to replace one on our shop air compressor recently and it cost around $215 from Grainger. Not that I'm trying to enable you or anything.....

 

[Rick]

It's 110v and a new Master Pot is $600. The new PID from Magma is $210. It's a complete PID wired for the Master Pot. Since I already have the nut welded to the outside bottom of the pot (no thermo-couple inside the pot) all I need do is remove the outer housing, insulation & unplug the old wiring and plug in the new unit. Replace insulation & housing and it's ready to go.

 

[Brad]

No pot ordered yet. Need to see when the bonus check shows up. I also haven't mentined this to the wife,, that could be an iffy proposition. Then again, she does know I would use the hell out of it.

When I get the new pot you will see photos of it here.

 

[Rick]

Procrastinator . . .

 

[Brad]

Nah, I was gonna be a procrastinator but decided I can do that later.....

 

[Rick]

Your probably right, no sense whatever to rush into these things.

 

[Rick]

Well dang, I really wanted to get that new PID but can't justify it now. Checked out the problem this afternoon, replaced the off/on switch and started casting. I guess the old switch had decided that it had off'd and on'd enough and wasn't gonna do it no more.

Actually I didn't get a new switch yet, just closed the circuit and started casting. Next trip to town will net me a switch. I'll see if I can find one that wasn't made in China. The old switch should have been plenty being rated at 25 amps 120v.