Thread: Melting pot question

One other thing...I drilled out the hole slightly bigger... I don't recommend it...but it solved almost all my problems.. I still get drips someone here said they drilled a hole in the bottom of the stand for the lead to go through I use a small lid under it to catch. Splattering lead is as bad as swatting a wasp nest!...now I also use a scratch all screw driver to stick in the hole from under neath while I re- load hooks...cleaning is the correct solution. But I don't clean mine every time ....one thing for sure...please...I know one guy cleaning his got lead poisoned and has about 30% lung function...what ever you do do it out side when cleaning!

Originally Posted by liftbite56

One other thing...I drilled out the hole slightly bigger... I don't recommend it...but it solved almost all my problems.. I still get drips someone here said they drilled a hole in the bottom of the stand for the lead to go through I use a small lid under it to catch. Splattering lead is as bad as swatting a wasp nest!...now I also use a scratch all screw driver to stick in the hole from under neath while I re- load hooks...cleaning is the correct solution. But I don't clean mine every time ....one thing for sure...please...I know one guy cleaning his got lead poisoned and has about 30% lung function...what ever you do do it out side when cleaning!

Lead poisoning: You are correct about fluxing outside. Most guys don't realize that black sooty crap on the bottom of your smelter is the most toxic part of all, next being the residues from handling lead. Breathing the vapors from liquid lead has a whole other set of toxic circumstances, it's avoidable. That's why I use fat to flux. I keep the molten covered under a layer of "grease" to avoid the oxidation aspects of vapors. Honestly, a guy should wear a Tyvek suit or something disposable when fluxing. But, I'm guilty of not doing that myself. CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN. Use EDTA soaps of high phosphate detergents and scrub. My brother-in-law poisoned his whole family with lead while working in a battery mfg plant because of poor hygiene. Be safe.

Question for Fatman...Do you flux your lead in your Lee Pot or in another pot? I have been using some old lead that my grandfather gave me and when I flux it in the Lee Pot, it makes the Pot real cruddy and clean up is a bear. I started fluxing in a 10lb pot I heat over a fish cooker and then pour ingots which I keep in the Lee Pot.

Both - I flux it while I'm melting all the stuff down to make my "clean" ingots but I also flux it when I'm pouring. My old pots I used to clean out all kinds of lead - tire weights a few days in a row, then lead water piping a few days in a row... Those pots lasted 24 and 27 years. If not for a split lid container and ME not making sure it came in the house instead of the garage they wouldn't have gotten ruined, and had to be replaced. Just really happy LEE stands behind it's products!!!

I've never had a really hard time cleaning any of the pots!! Just take care of them and they'll take care of you!!

Originally Posted by 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.

x2

I was wondering if someone wouldn't mind making a sticky for Fatmans post on how to clean the lee production pot it would be a good sticky I think but that's just me