Lead melting pot

[zekepa]

Looking for recommendations on a lead melting pot. Considering the Lee bottom pour. There isn't a big difference in price between the 10 and 20 lb models. Any reason to choice one over the other. I won't be making massive quanties at any one time. Will mostly be 1/32 jigs heads.

I did just buy 2 55lb ingots that I'm going to have to make into smaller pieces at some point.

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[zekepa]

Also open to other brands if the quality and ease of use is much better. Give me some real world experiences.

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[Grainraiser]

Followering

[darcie1]

If for your use go with the 10#.

[slammingjack]

I have two Lee pots 10lb. They work good. One got to leaking too much. So I got a new one. Then that one starting leaking and I went to Lee pots website and got the parts for free and fixed them myself.

[forrest r]

I'd go with the #20 pot. Your needs might change in the future with things like sinkers or larger bait bodies, larger jigs, etc.

If you ever sell it the #20 pot is more desirable to most casters (sinkers/bullets/etc.).

As far as the dripping of the lee pots go:
Try to keep clean lead/alloys in it. If you can melt the lead in another pan and flux it 2/3 times and then either pour it into the lee bottom pour pot. Our turn it into ingots to be used later.
When you get a new pot loosen the retaining wire and remove the rod that is used to open close the bottom spout where the lead comes out. Put some toothpaste on it and chuck the rod up in a drill and put it back where it meets the spout and turn the drill on pushing lightly. You're polishing /mating the 2 surfaces.
When it does start to drip, empty the pot & pull the rod. Clean the bottom of the rod and use a wire to clean the hole in the bottom pour spout. And a piece of steel wool on the rod to clean the bottom spout mating surface.
Lastly, the lee pots come with a heavy steel handle that screws on. It needs to be a little bit heavier.

I did these things and used the same lee #20 pot for 25+ years pouring +/- #200 of lead a year. The heater went out in it and instead of replacing it I bought a new unit on sale.

[tlefire]

I've got the 10# pot that is at least 40 years old. Probably melted 300 pounds of wheel weights, never fluxed or cleaned before or during the melt. Just scraped stuff off the top after melting. I poured bullets and bass jigs.

Cleaned it about 3 years ago and started fluxing the lead. When it starts to drip, I just use a screwdriver and turn the pour rod.

I now mix pure lead and the wheel weight lead to get the softness I want for what I'm pouring.

If it quit today, I'd order another just like it.

[canebreaker]

I have 2-10 and 2-20 lb pots, got them cheap off of craigslist years ago.
I cast ingots in a cast iron pot, flux once with sawdust and once with wax. Scrape the sides and bottom with a serving spoon and remove trash.
After lead melts in the production pot it gets fluxed again with wax. Sides and bottom scraped and trash removed.
A large paper clip helps keep the spout cleared.

How much did you pay for the lead and what % is it?

[zekepa]

How much did you pay for the lead and what % is it?

I can only answer part of the question. Paid $120 for 2 ingots. Found them on facebook market place local to me. The person had a pic of one ingot that weighed 55lbs it has "FRD FRY" molded into the ingot. Some google searching leads me to believe it is from Federated Fry Metal company, now Alpha Fry. My boss was to pick it up for me as it was about a mile from his house. The facebook seller said he had a second ingot that was exactly the same. So I got that one also. It is not exactly the same, no real marking on it that I've found yet, cast in a slighlty differnt shape and it weights 67lbs vs the other at 55 lbs. So I paid right about $1 a pound.

Your guess is as good as mine on what the % is. The seller bought an old feed store, these were probably left in the building when he bought it. The heavier one is a little beat up like it has been hit with a hammer a couple of times or has had things dropped on it. The outsides aren't shiny and have some dirt on them. I plan to wash thm off some to see what kind of markings I can find.

[zekepa]

55 lb ingot markings Fed fry on top L5363 stamped in bottom

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app