I'm still working on those issues too, I flux in the same pot I use and old long spoon to clean out the trash...I flux with wax ,soon as I drop it in a stir real quick to try to avoid the flame up (hardly ever do). I pour 200+ heads a week...sometime my pot just does not pour like I want and sometimes it does. I use x-ray room reclaimed lead...I clean my pot when I just get tired of a lower than 75% perfect heads... which right now (last 2 pourings) were just above 75% it get frustrating sometimes.
A Proud member of Lake Allatoona and Lake Weiss (Team Geezer)