These are rough equipment lists of everything that I can remember. The first is a cheapo list that consists of equipment that will do teh job and still be a great long term value if you don't want to upgrade. The next list is slightly upgraded in terms of sizing/lubing.
List #1:
Lee Production Pot IV = $39.77
Lee TL452-200-SWC tumble lube double bullet mould = $16.27
Lee .452 Sizing die complete with liquid alox lube = $10.84
List #2:
Lee Production Pot IV = $39.77
Lee 452-200-SWC double bullet mould = $16.27
Lyman master casting kit (lubrisizer, ingot mould, dipper, lube, cast bullet handbook, and small melting pot) = $99.07
Although the lubrisizer is the main thing needed here, the kit is only around $5 more than the lubrisizer by itself, so what the hell.
Lyman #460 top punch = $5.16
Lyman .452 H&I sizing die = $13.00
Personally I'd go ahead and get several sticks of Orange Magic bullet lube @ $2.97 a tube.
Lube heater = $29.81 This will be needed for the Orange Magic lube, or any lube that requires heat to flow. I like Orange Magic or Thompson Blue Angel lube, but this culd eb considered overkill for the low velocity .45 auto. I like it because I can use it for my .308 loads or anything else I feel like loading. You could stick with Alox or Super Moly and not have to worry about a heater, but the bullets will be sticky and a general pain (IMHO).
For either list you'll need a few other items that can be scrounged from around the house or a trip to the grocery. A couple of other things should be in any well equipped garage, but who knows.
I like a large soup spoon with a small pair of vice grips attached to remove the crap that floats to the top after fluxing or melting down wheel weights.
A metal cat litter scoop can be very useful to remove the clips when melting down wheel weights.
A coleman stove or equivalent heat source for melting down wheel weights. Your marrage will not survive you doing this on the kitchen stove, and you don't want to grunge up your casting melter with all this filth.
A 2 quart pot to melt wheel weights in. You can also use this when alloying metal. If you are tempted to "borrow" a pot from your wife, DON'T!. You'll end up buying her an entire new set of cookware even if you asked her for the pot. Once women see lead being melted in one of their pots, they tend to go a little nuts.
A steel soup ladle to transfer molten metal from the pot to your ingot mould.
A mini muffin tin (teflon coated) as an ingot mould. This is perfect when using the Lee pots and I've never seen anything better for the price.
Safety glasses!
Two pairs of gloves. A pair of welder type gloves to use when melting wheel weights and a pair of leather gloves that fit well for general casting. The welder gloves are too bulky for actual casting, and digging wheel weights out of buckets will really tear up leather gloves. If either pair gets holes in them, get a new pair! Holes = PAIN.
A thick dish towel to drop new bullets onto. No other towel will work as well.
A casting thermometer. Lyman = $21.95 This is absolutely necessary. I have a really nice thermocouple thermometer that will stand constant immersion, but most people don't have something like this in their garage.
Needle nose pliers to handle all the hot stuff involved with casting. I have some tweezers that are about 12" long that are great, but pliers will also work.
A butane lighter for smoking the Lee moulds.
A piece of 2X4 to rest the hot moulds on when you're finished casting.
A wet towel for cooling off hot moulds during the casting process (Lee only). A golf towel works well here, especially if you no longer play golf.
An empty peanut butter jar (plastic) to hold the bullets (once cooled). It must be clear so you can admire your bullets before sizing/lubing.
An empty pickle jar (glass) for holding sprue cut-offs and rejected bullets.
You may want to try some type of mould release. I've tried the Midway stuff but don't really like it. The best thing I've found is Crown #6080 Dry Moly Lubricant. I "borrowed" a case of this stuff from work and it's the best. Moulds that have been properly smoked shouldn't need mould release, but I find that it provideds a little "forgiveness" while casting.
A 5 gallon bucket to use when water hardening bullets.
A large supply of sponges. At least 6 spinges will be placed on top of the water in your bucket to act as a cushion for the bullets and to keep splashign to a minimum. Ideally the bullets shoudl hit the sponge and then roll gently into the water.
That's all I can think of right now, but it should give anyone a good idea of the kind of stuff needed.
I would recommend getting an extra top punch of any type if you decide on a lubrisizer. File this top punch flat and it will work on almost any caliber flat pointed bullet. I have one that used to be a .358 SWC top punch that I now use for .308, .358, and .452 bullets of the correct shape.
Only use Lyman H&I dies but you can use any top punch (Lyman or RCBS).
I love discussing casting, so I'll be happy to elaborate on anything I've mentioned here.
