Melting pot question

[boogullman]

I have a lee production pot 10lbs. It worked good when I first bought it, but now it gives me fits. It drips like crazy and clogs to often so I get alot of repours, currently 25% or 30%. I only pour heads for myself and a few buddies, mostly 1/32, 1/16, and 3/16. I typically need only 25 of the 1/32, 200-300 of the 1/16. To get me through the year. So I was considering the pour style. Will it work for the smaller jigheads.

[STUMP HUNTER]

I have poured a lot of jigs using a ladle and it works on all size heads with no trouble if using clean lead. Your production pot just sounds like it needs a good cleaning and it will be fine.

[Bob/MN]

My Lee gave me the same problems so I plunged the pour hole and now use a bottom pour ladle. I get much better results with the ladle and minimum rejects.

[Fatman]

I've posted this answer many times!!

This has been on before and while some leave lead in the pot when done I'm not one of them. My 2 original pots were 24 and 27 years old - and I finally had to go to Lee for their 1/2 price replacement program. Those pots before they died made 1000's of jigs and I love how easy they are to use. The Lee's will leak, they are a bottom pour pot and stuff sinks.

You didn't say anything about fluxing your lead!!! If you don't DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!! Until a thread about it on TackleUnderground Best Lead Melt Flux? - Wire Baits - TackleUnderground.com


I had never fluxed my lead, and I'm a convert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It helps keep the lead clean and makes it pour so much better.

Here's what I do for cleaning after EVERY USE!!!

When all the lead is out of the pot I WEARING GLOVES tilt it forward to get any remaining lead to flow out the hole, I turn the pot down to about 200 degrees and then I shove the jig wire (old bass jig with the barb cut off and shaped into an L) up into the hole from the bottom and remove any clogs/buildup, then I use a long piece of spinner making wire and do the same from the top.

I then turn the pot off and let it cool totally. When cooled I pull the pouring bar out of the pot and use an old knife and a piece of steel wool to get any crap off it and then use an old flat head screwdriver to scrape the inside of the pot down. I tip the pot over and knock all the scrapings out then use a big piece of steel wool to wipe the inside of the pot till totally clean. I even use a fine long handled flat head screwdriver to help clean the pour spout inside the pot, tip it over and knock anything out, put the pour bar back in and it's set to go.

It worked well for me and the pots lasted a LONG time. That the original pots lasted 24 and 27 years shows it works, plus when you go to pour again everything is clean and ready to go.

[Cray]

What Fatman said. Had fits with mine until I read this post and followed his instructions. Made me a believer.

[skeetbum]

What Fatman said.

[pondhopper]

I let these precautions slide the last two weeks . Now I've got to break down my pot and spent a couple hours cleaning the darn thing . Save yourself the trouble and do it right .

[Fatman]

C'mon buddy shouldn't take you more than 1/2 hr. tops!!!!!!!!LOL Seriously though - even when I was cleaning tire weights and old lead pipe (which I cleaned up/out well being careful of moisture) it never really took me that long. That really long handeled thin head flat head screw driver really cleans out the inside of the pouring spout.

[pondhopper]

I took it completely apart and used a 6'' wire brush to clean the pot and then reamed the spout with a brass brush . It looks sort of like something you,d clean the barrel of a 22 rifle .wire wheeled the plunger and associated parts including the screws. Re-assembled it fluxed it without lead . out lead in it and fluxed that . Took a minute or two . LOL

[canebreaker]

" "I took it completely apart and used a 6'' wire brush to clean the pot." "
Will it fit?
I use a 1 1/2" wire cup brush on mine when it gets nasty and have trouble with it fitting in the pot, 10# production from Lee.
Clean your lead again in a cast iron pot and make new ingots. I recast my ingots 3 times before using them.
You may have to much zinc in your mix. Turn your pot up to 10 to melt it all down, scrape the sides to get the trash out, turn the pot to 5, wait 30 minutes and remove the fluff from the top of the pot. Scrape the sides and flux again.
(My pot gets a blue, gold tinsel looking color on the top of the lead)
The lead is to hot, other metals are coming to the surface. This becomes trash and can sink to the bottom and clog the spout.
If you are using wheel weights, a good inspection by eye first. A good inspection again by dropping them on concrete. If they go thug, they are good. If they go clink, add them to your scrap. Recycle your scrap, don't trash it.