A couple of weeks ago I posted a question to Beagle about getting replacement elements for Lyman pots. We agreed that a fellow caster David Whitmer might just have the ability to come up with the parts and or ideas for us. I'm adding Davids reply here.

George,
I am sorry I am so long in answering you. This wet
weather has schedules all messed up and I am behind in
lots of things.

I have a long winded message to your simple question.
I hope I did not go into more detail than what you
wanted to know.

I was able to pick out a heating element that I am
going to try this winter when the weather out side
gets nasty. I will try to fit it in an old Lyman
model 61 casting pot. It is an older model than
the Moldmaster. I have been sent a Moldmaster to look
at and explore the possibility of replacing a burnt
out element in it. Its
element is different than the type used in the older
model 61. I think the type used for the moldmaster is
going to prove out that
it was the wrong type of element if long term life was
to be the fullest possible. On a alloy pot to get long
life the watts
per inch need do be low compared to any other use so
as to allow for the extra time it takes to transfer
heat from the element to the alloy. A slow transfer of
heat is necessary to avoid over heating the core of
the element.

That being said if I were to replace the element in
the mold master I would use the same element that
would go into the older
model 61. If I find that the replacement element I
have gotten will bend tight enough angles to work in
these pots I will let you know.

Problems I see with putting new elements in the
Mold master:
My whole sale COST on and element is 35.00 + shipping
I got one to try. My future orders will require that I
purchase a mim order of 250.00 worth of elements.

Your t stat is almost for sure bad as well as the
element. Thermaostatas I have in stock but also costs
22.00 plus shipping.

I have not tried to use the replacement element yet
but figure it will work and it will take me (guessing
due to the need to
custom bend and fit it up to the pot in such a way to
have good contact and stick out the right place for
electrical attachment)
an hour or so to do it and need to completely take the
pot apart, possibly adding a bit more time than I am
figuring.

The mold master as the stat is now mounted will have a
temperature swing of around 100 degrees from when the
stat calls for
heat and when it shuts off as being satisfied.
I have reduced that temperature difference to about 25
degrees with the selection of stat I stock and by
modifying the mounting of the stat.

A Lee pro melt 20 lb is every bit as good or better
than the Lyman moldmaster in my opinion. One of the
best perks for this
pot is that new it will cost less than replacing the
element and T state in the mold master and will give
you access to reasonable
service or replacement parts now currently available.
There is one catch with the Lee pot, The temperature
of
the melt goes up as
you take melt out of the pot. So every so often you
have to turn the dial down to keep the temp from
climbing. You can get
good at this with the aid of a thermometer or by
watching carefully how things cast as you go and tweak
the stat down based
on experience and knowing generally the temp of the
melt with out the aid of a thermometer. Schuetzen
bullets I cast, I use a
thermometer. Pistolbullets, I use my eye and
experience to turn the
head down at the right time. Drips can be a bit of a
problem as with any
pot but this problem is more relative to dirt and
debris collecting and wanting to be removed from the
spout rather than the
type of bottom pore design. My old lyman is dripping
to much now and very soon I need to drain the pot and
clean the spout.

Now if you are very attached to these pots and they
must be fixed and you have a bad taste for lee pots I
will let you know how
I fair out with this new element I will be installing
in the old Lyman 61. If it works out and others need
elements I will consider
stocking same and selling or in some cases installing
them for others. I do question if the moldmaster is
worth the effort and $$.

Please tell me what you thing of the above comments. I
would like to know your thoughts on this.

The mold holder at the bottom of the mold master pot
is the same as and fits up to the old Lyman 61.
In the past I have seen where some one
was looking for one. So if you trash the moldmaster I
would keep the mold holder that is just below the
spout and pass them on to some one who could use it.

Just for your info the older model 61 has a cast iron
pot and an element that will last longer as its watts
per inch is much lower
than the moldmaster element. However at an increasing
rate the older pots are starting to fail and people
are finding no one
fixes them and direct replacement parts are not
available. I think I am the only one who has the
direct replacement part for the
thermostats and maybe a workable alternative for an
element. the cast iron pot seems to the eye to good an
old friend to many
just to put out into the trash and some wish to
restore them.

David Whitmer

hello, testing, ben.

David Whitmer: May of 2001 I sent you my MouldMaster XX for repair of a defective heat element. You were suppose to let me know if you could repair it. After many months of not hearing from you I e-mailed but it wouldn't go thru. I wrote you a letter but never received a reply.
Do you have an explanation for this? John Benaglio, AKA ben.

Ben,
David propbably won't read your post here on this forum. I just copied and pasted an email letter I recieved from him. He often post's on one of the Yahoo- cast forums. I think there are at least three. One of them was started by our old Shooters guys as a backup...Geo

Guys, George's experience seems to underscore what many have discovered about Lyman Customer Service: Either it's an oxymoron or it just plain doesn't exist. RCBS's service is excellent, but their pot is expensive. Lee furnaces aren't and are as reliable as one could wish for. Dripping-leaking, the bane of bottom-pour pots' existence, can be cured by drilling & tapping the spout and installing the proper size screw. Just my $ .02 ...Maven

paul,

Can you elaborate on how to fix the dripping spout? Tap and replace what screw?

Thanks,

Mark

Maven, I have to add a caveat to your statement about Lyman's costomer service. I had some Q's about loading some shotgun slugs, from one of their molds I had no data. Rose, at their toll-free help line, was more than helpful, and took the time& trouble to copy, then fax me the needed information, even tho' it was closing time there, and she had a sick hubby to get home to. True enough, they didn't really have to do any "servicing" on their equipment, but I see this as excellent service.
Mark White: what I THINK he is talking about, is to convert your bottom-pour pot to a ladle, or dipper, pot, doing away with the bottom-pour feature completely. >>>>>>>>>Bug.

Mark,
A lot of people on the lists seem to complain about
the bottom pore spout dripping but in my experience it
is no different a problem than with the older Lyman
pots. It seems to me the problem comes from dirty
alloy collecting debris in the spout valve. Once
leaking good the pot must be drained and the valve
thoroughly cleaned. Both the valve stem and the seat. I've made it a habit of emptying the pot after teo complete fills, and doing the above...
Geo

I've given up on my older Lyman 20 pound pot, the round one with the small box on the side for the temp control. It worked great for about 10 years, so I guess I shouldn't complain, but when I bought it, I got it because at the time...Lyman had best customer service and parts on the rack...sort of the sears of the casting world. Well mine stopped working, still has 20 pounds of linotype in it and can't get parts or help from Lyman.
I was gonna buy a Lee 20 pounder but providence smiled on me and I bought a 40 pound Magma off of ebay and will never look back.

I still miss that 20 pound Lyman and would love to have it fixed for some reasonable amount, but I'm very happy with the Magma. Now I guess I've got to get a torch and try to burn that linotype out of the old pot...anybody got a better idea?
regards,
Graycg

All, My experience with Lyman's customer service has been positive, but I've never had to deal with warranty work, just small replacement parts. As for the Lee furnaces, you have to invert the cold, empty pot and remove the base plate to get at the spout. The spout itself is quite hard and drilled at an angle so inserting and turning a tap (with plenty of cutting fluid) will be a slow process. The beauty of a screw is that you can easily remove it to use the bottom pour feature. ...Maven