Jig Man Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 I got mine today and put it together. I followed instructions about how to operate it. I turned it to 650 and put some ingots in. When I checked back they were not melted and the light on the switch was off. I turned it up until the light came back on and went away. I have been doing this for an hour. The light goes off and it sounds like the furnace shut down. The lead has not more than begun to melt. Is this usual? Do I need to crank it up until the lead is melted or is it a dud? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted June 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 I finally got it turned up high enough to melt the lead. Twice now it has shut off and the tip cooled to where the lead has stopped pouring. Maybe there was a reason that most places don't have this thing in stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 If this is the newer version, I don't think many/any people here have that one. Never have that issue with the old one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted June 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 I don't know if this is the newer version or not. Nor do I know how to tell. All I know is my old worn our Lee works better even if it drips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walleyeking Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 I'm pretty sure somethingis wrong with yours. I dont have an RCBS but I know a few people who do and they love them and don't have the problem your talking about. I would call RCBS and tell them what's going on with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted June 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 1 hour ago, walleyeking said: I'm pretty sure somethingis wrong with yours. I dont have an RCBS but I know a few people who do and they love them and don't have the problem your talking about. I would call RCBS and tell them what's going on with it. I have looked and I can't call them until Monday. I'm hoping for a cure before then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walleyeking Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 Only thing I can think of is a possibility of a build in breaker. Is it plugged directly into the wall? I'm no electrician so I don't know the techical stuff but I know some things you can't use a extension cord for. My buddy had a fish fryer that would do just what your talking when using an extension cord. We plugged it directly into the wall and the problem went away. Do you have enough amps on the breaker you are running it on? Not sure if it's possible it would just trip something on the pot and not in your house? Don't know really just throwing out a couple ideas. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 That doesn't sound like it is working properly. To me it sounds like the thermostat is bad, it reaches temp and shuts off and never comes back on. My pot had a bad spout and I sent the unit back and they fixed it no problem, it made me a little mad and I thought the same thing you did, my LEE worked better out of the box. The good thing is RCBS is great to deal with, they not only will fix it for you but they will also refund your shipping costs, all you need to do is make a note of how much the shipping is and they will reimburse you, they want you to send it back UPS and not the post office. I didn't seal the box, I went to the UPS store and when they told me how much the shipping would cost I wrote it down and stuck it in the box and the guy from UPS taped it shut and presto, 2 weeks later I got it back and it has been awesome ever since. It is inconvenient but they did take care of it in a timely fashion, and the guy told me that they do make the unit but a lot of the parts come from 3rd party sources and they will have a few defective parts every now and again. They also might be able to tell you exactly what is wrong and if it is something you can fix yourself they will ship you the part out but if it still doesn't fix the problem you will have to send it. I like my LEE pots, and LEE was always great on customer service but even when my pot would get refurbished I'd get anywhere from 4 to 6 months out of it before it would begin to drip and within a year I'd have to drain it, clean it and reseat the plunger only to get another 2 months before it would begin to drip again. RCBS has the same great customer service as LEE and while it stinks that your unit is defective you won't have to worry as they will take care of the problem and once you get familiar with how it works and adjusting the flow rate you'll be glad you got it and it will be worth the extra wait, just hang in there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted June 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 (edited) Thanks for the info. bad thermostat is what I had figured. The thing is riveted together so I'm betting it will have to be shipped back. Your experience with the Lee pot is a mirror image of what mine has been. I've been dealing with it for 20 years or so. When I was complaining about having to order parts again, my wife said, "You only go around once. Just get the good one and be done with it." That was so nice of her to take the guilt away from me that way. I just came in from the work shop where I ran it through its paces again to see if yesterday was a fluke or not. I got the same performance so I'll be calling RCBS in the am to get instructions. I really like the way it is set up and works (when it is working). The bar to rest the mold on is a great idea though I don't want the guides on it. They get in my way as I pour at an angle instead of straight on. Edited June 4, 2017 by Jig Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted June 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 38 minutes ago, CNC Molds N Stuff said: The bar can be turned at an angle. I may try that when I get it fixed and set up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 I pour soft lead( brinell rating of 5) between 700-750 degrees w/ my RCBS pot.- some @ 700 and 750 for intricate custom jig molds The guide is the best thing since sliced bread-I.M.O. I use a small dipping pot w/ a ladle for hard lead which requires temps. of 900-925 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted June 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 The nice lady at RCBS said since my unit is new and defective she will ship me a new one with a return label for my current one. I asked about an upgrade to the Pro Melt 2 but she said it won't be on the market until at least August. So I opted for a new Pro Melt which should be here in a few days via UPS. smalljaw you were so right about the good courteous service from RCBS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter1 Posted June 25, 2017 Report Share Posted June 25, 2017 I found a guy, several years ago, on ebay that makes a lid for my Pro-Melt. It has cutouts and sits on top, helping maintain constant heat and decreasing contamination. Might be worth searching for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
