Mishap with my LEE 20lb pot today

[mongo]

I had a negative experience with my Lee pot today that I think would be good to share. I was casting .44 boolits today, water dropping them. All was good up to the third pot of lead. As I was fluxing and scraping the sides of a full pot, the set screw became dislodged from the grove on the valve rod , which didnt have a lot of the screw head in it to begin with, and became wedged against the valve rod about an inch down from the groove. Lead was pouring out of the valve and as I tried to push the valve rod down onto the valve to stop the flow. it came loose in my hand. By ths time I vas trying to catch the lead in the small stainless cups from Walmart as I tried to get the rod into the valve seat, By this time the lead was on my gloves, which I couldnt get off fast enough, and cooking my boot as it ran off the picnic table onto my foot. Thank GOD I had the bucket with water on it to cool the lead on my boot. Wasnt worried about the tinsel fairy when the lava fairy Godmother was cooking my foot. LOL At this point, about 2 and a half minutes into the mishap, I stood back and watched the lead spill all over the table and onto the ground. Thanking GOD the whole time as I knew this could have ended a lot worse. So it would be a really good idea if everyone who is using one of these pots take a good look at the set screw and valve rod for any defects. Im going to call Lee tomorrow for some replacement parts. And gotta get the Wife a new picnic table..LOL Tommy

[Keith Sacane]

I usually set my pot in an old cookie sheet to catch any spills...just as a precaution.

[geargnasher]

I keep a bread pan handy for such catastrophies, and keep it under the spout when heating up a full pot of cold lead. I keep everything checked, tight, and lubed, but anything can happen.

Gear

[Recluse]

Typical of that damn Lee pot.

Dumbest thing I ever did was trade/sell my RCBS Pro-Melt to a guy and replace it with a Lee Pro 4-20. [smilie=b: It's like the country song they play down here in Texas, "What Was I Thinking?" [smilie=b:

Never. Ever. Again. No more Lee pots. Ever.

:coffee:

[geargnasher]

JD, you can just toss it out the window of the Cessna next time you're over my coordinates, a pillowcase will make a nice parachute for a soft landing.

Gear

[Recluse]

JD, you can just toss it out the window of the Cessna next time you're over my coordinates, a pillowcase will make a nice parachute for a soft landing.

Gear

I would, Gear, but what with all the damn parts that keep just FALLING off and out of this piece of (dirty word), I'd probably get FOD'd out because the stupid parts would find a way to go AGAINST the airflow and find their way under the cowling.

I've NEVER seen ANYTHING so poorly engineered or built in the entire gun world as this Lee pot. . . exception being the Lee "adjustable" powder bar. Even Lee's Zip Drive is built (marginally) better than their furnaces.

I'm gonna plug it up and use it for straight ladle casting. Only stinking thing it's good for.

:coffee:

[geargnasher]

LMAO! That conjured a heck of an image. Haven't heard the term FOD since I worked for Boeing!

Gear

[gandydancer]

I'm sorry to hear that. I just got a new Lee 20 pounder Pot (still unopened in box to go with my Lyman old bottom pour I have had forever. still works good just looks like ****. are the lee's realy that bad?? GD

what's wrong with the word ****???

[geargnasher]

Yeah, they're awful. Just go ahead and ship yours to me, don't even take it out of the box. I'll cover the shipping so it can be properly disposed of.....:kidding:

Gera

[a.squibload]

Sorry to hear about your boot.
Don't mean to make fun but that reads like a TV comedy skit!
Glad you weren't wearing flip-flops.

First time I saw a Lee pot in use, dripping of course,
I became a life member of FLC (Fraternity of Ladle Casters).
OK I made that up.
Good idea to use a pan or other containment.

[happy7]

My first pot was a Lee 20 pounder. To me it was a lot better than heating lead in a pot on the stove. Then I came accross a real good deal on an RCBS pot. I never would have spent the money on it otherwise, since the Lee is way, way cheaper. After using the RCBS pot at the time I figured to myself, "The RCBS pot isn't really much better than the Lee, at least not for all the money it costs." But I was quite inexperienced then. I didn't for instance recognize the effects of temperature variation on my casting. I also hadn't used the Lee enough for it to reveal all the mischief it is capable of. After some years using the RCBS, recently I have tried using the Lee pot again for pure lead. I used it five or 10 times lately, and the last time I used it, is the last time I will ever use it. I will not torture myself again. I have a number of other pots, and would like a couple more, but they won't be Lees. Better pots have spoiled me. I will have to fire it up to drain it as it is full of lead.

Having said that, the Lee does have its place. Again, it is a lot better than heating lead on the kitchen stove. A lot of people don't have $350 sitting around for an RCBS pot. In that case, the Lee is a lot better than nothing and for the price, it has been a good thing for a lot of budget concious casters.

[fcvan]

My first pot was a Lee 10lb model. It recently died after 25 years so I ordered an new Lee 10lb model. I also ordered a new heating element for the old one. When I get the time I plan on fixing the first one. Yes, it sometimes drips but thanks to this forum I have been able to cure and prevent the problem. I wouldn't know where to begin to mention all the neat things I've learned from this forum. I've been casting boolits for 35 or so years and am still learning new things from all of the great posts here. one thing I have recently learned is I really have to cast and reload a lot to support my wife's shooting habit!

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I have a LEE 4-20 and it will work but it's not maintenance free by a long shot. It has had many, many ingots of lead through it but ............ I really believe that I would have fewer rejects and more consistent weights of boolits if I was using a more engineered pot. I just don't want to buy another pot until this one quits. Then I will spend the money.

[Donor8x56r]

I use Lee 4-20 for about 2-3 years and so far no significant problems. Dripping problem was solved by keeping Lee ingot mould right under melter spout and adjusting bullet mould stop accordingly.

Will I buy another one?Yup,considering prices of RCBS or Lyman Lee comes out a winner.

[41 mag fan]

one thing I have recently learned is I really have to cast and reload a lot to support my wife's shooting habit!

Dang women. If they aint high maintenance in the cosmetics, they're high maintenance in the shooting area. :bigsmyl2:

[excess650]

I have a Lee 20# that was originally a bottom pour, but now its plugged. I plugged my 20# Lyman as well. Lee is made "for a price", and they're pretty good considering the price. It sure beats casting over a Coleman stove and getting carbon monoxide headaches!

[Bret4207]

My 40lbs ladle pot has never yet drained itself out onto the floor. Just something to consider.

[44man]

The worst pots I have used have been Lyman and RCBS. My friend has two RCBS pots, my Lyman failed all the time after three thermostats and is now finished.
Cycle times were too long with all of them, I would get good pours going and the lead would cool too much. One of the RCBS pots never does get hot enough even after adjusting it. It won't fill out RB's with pure lead.
My solution was a Lee 20#. I stripped the junk off and put a tapered brass plug in the hole from the inside.
I am going to have to fight with Gear for the parachute drop! :bigsmyl2:
I have two pillows! [smilie=l:

[adrians]

yer ,i had the same thing happen to my lee a while back .
i took the rod, handle ,ect ,,,off.
screwed a self tapping screw up in the spout and made it a ladle only pot.


adrians,,:twisted::holysheep:evil:

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

WOW ! I've had no problems with the Lee 4-20 pot.
Yeah it drips a little bit, once in a while, But Richard Lee's
solution of just turning the Pin Valve solves that.
Jon

[btroj]

My RCBS is pretty trouble free. My Lee 20 pounder dripped but I can live with that. I did learn not to leave my Lee full when done. It liked to get half melted then drain the bottom half of the pot onto my bench then finish melting. I just added ingots to the cold pot, turned it on, no more problems.

I do always keep a cast iron fry pan under the spout just for this type of mishap. Call it the voice of experience.

[Bwana]

I have been using Lee pots (have two 20s now) for over thirty years. Back when I melted my wheel weights in the pot I had a problems with dripping, freeze up, and the like. Since I have been melting the weights into ingots first these occurances became rare.

[10x]

I usually set my pot in an old cookie sheet to catch any spills...just as a precaution.

x2 on this - I learned it from a newbie caster who also kept several muffin tins nearby to take up any major leaks.

He learned that the hard way by not checking to see if every screw was snug prior to casting with a new (to him) pot.

BTW: the muffin tins serve as sprue containers - and I sometimes use a 4 lb lee pot to drop the sprue and malformed bullets into - this pot just gets poured into the big pot with flux from time to time.

Cookie sheets, large cake pans, and muffin tins can be had for cheap at yard sales and discount china **** stores (walmart).

[Judan_454]

I have a Lee pot 10 lb pot sence 1990 an it still works great. I dont know how many of you guys using a I Mac or a Mac Book Pro, but they a the most expensive computers you can buy. They are about 50% more than a comparable Dell or Hp some people they think worth extra money and thats fine. Thats why choice is good when it comes to buying Lee products or RCBS or Lyman if they are a bad product you as a customer and can buy the other product if it does work to your expiations. The market place will sort which companys stays which companys will fails. But im sure glad that was Lee there when I started reloading I couldnt afford I Macs of the reloading and bullet casting world.

[MT Gianni]

I believe that a LEE 20 lb pot is multiple times better than their 10 lb one. I find both better than the 4 lb Lyman.

[Boolseye]

Thanks for the heads-up. Good reminder to have a catcher of some sort around in the event of such mishaps.

[Recluse]

I have a Lee pot 10 lb pot sence 1990 an it still works great. I dont know how many of you guys using a I Mac or a Mac Book Pro, but they a the most expensive computers you can buy.

Have and use both.

Actually, they end up costing me less than a comparable PC because I never have to send them to the repair shop as things don't break or wear out the way today's PCs do. My wife used to have PCs at the house and she had to buy a new one every twelve to eighteen months because her Dells and HPs would just flat wear out due to cheap parts and components. I've got a Mac that has outlasted the last FIVE Dell/HPs she had.

She now has a brand new iMac, has had it for over a year as wishes she'd spent the money years ago. You'll never get her to go PC again.

I'm the same way with Lee bottom pour furnaces.

My Lee pot lasted about a year/year-and-a-half before it started having parts/screws fall out and fall off. Out of stubborness, I've kept it and replaced screws, repaired it, etc.

My old RCBS pot, which was already over ten years old when I sold/traded it, is still going strong with zero problems and the guy casts with it at least three to four times a week (disabled veteran).

I would have to buy a new Lee pot every ten to twelve months to get the same results, and that would end up costing me WAY more than the $300/$400 investment in a good lead furnace in the long run.

:coffee:

[mdi]

I've not had an OOPS! of the magnatude of yours (sounds like a bit of panic set in), but my Lee pot has had a couple minor mishaps. One prob. was the adjusting screw on the lifting handle slipping out of the groove in the valve rod. I used a small file, cleaned up the groove and used a small piece of safety SS wire to keep the two pieces together. Also, I never cast without a loaf pan nearby to catch 20 or so lbs. of lead should the valve fail (hasn't yet). My Lee pot has been trouble free for nearly 8 years now...

[Chill Wills]

Over the years, I have cast using a number of heat and pot options. The 20lb Lee bottom pour I got a few decades ago was OK but got tired of not being able to cast great BPCR bullets with it. So I plugged the bottom pour hole and removed the assoc. stuff and use the pot for a dip pot. Any pistol bullets I need can be poured with my 10lb Lee but for the larger BPCR bullets which I cast all the time, the (now) dipper only Lee 20lb’er is tops!

And, 10-4 who ever said above on The Old COOKIE SHEET under the pot and casting area! I use that too and just for general casting it helps with all the splats -and then there is the safety roll a plays in the event of catastrophic empty syndrome

[joken]

Mine arrived new with stripped screws. The thing is held together with sheet metal screws. I guess for 50 bucks I shouldn't be surprised.

[Mk42gunner]

I never had any major problems with my Lee 4-20; it does drip a little when I am ladle casting, but is self limiting. It eventually builds up into "drip art" and plugs the outlet nozzle.

After reading of several deluge situations here, I thought about drilling a 1/2" hole in the bottom plate and aligning it with a hole in my casting table with a .30 cal ammo can mounted underneath to catch the errant lead. I did use drywall screws to attach it to the table to prevent knocking it over.

Now that I have an RCBS Promelt, ($80 at an auction) I am thinking seriously about welding the spout closed on the Lee and using it stictly as a ladle pot.

Robert

[gandydancer]

well now I don't feel so bad. thanks u all. G.D.

[casterofboolits]

I started out with a Lee ten pound pot and used it for a couple years.Then bought a Lyman twenty pounder. I started a small boolit casting business for IPSC shooters and traded a buddy for an Ohio Thermal 22 pounder (RCBS bought Ohio Thermal). The Lyman burnt out and I bought an RCBS ten kilo pot to replace it.

I ended up with three RCBS pots and three Master Casters. The Ohio Thermal burnt out after 16 years of heavy casting. All paid for by selling boolits.

If you use them enough, the RCBS pots will start to drip too. Easily solved by cleaning. The advantage to the RCBS pots is that they will refurbish them for free. One of mine has been returned to RCBS three times.

Lee pots have thier niche allowing would be new casters to to start up with a minimal cash outlay.

I don't have the boollit business any more, getting old is a bear.

[MT Gianni]

As a fix, I have wired my rod to the screw with tie-wire and use a pair of small china-Mart vise grips clamped to the top to add weight to the rod. Thanks for that info Buckshot.

[Rokkit Syinss]

Lee pot fixes:

Lap the end of the valve rod into the seat, best if done when you buy the pot.
Drill a hole in the wooden handle and glue a lead round ball in there. Then stack a bunch of washers under the handle because the screw is way longer than it needs to be. Adding weight to the handle helps hold the valve rod down.
Always keep a Lee on a cookie sheet with some kind of drip cup under the spout.
When done casting adjust the screw to hold the valve shut, top off with lead and after that's melted in shut it down and let cool. When you fire up the next time the valve is held tightly shut and it won't drip during heat up.

[mongo]

Got a envelope from LEE today, They sent me a new valve rod and screw. I dug up an old steel low wall turkey pan and I am going to wire the rod to the screw. Thanks for all the suggestiond and help. Thats what makes this forum great, Tommy

[Capn Jack]

I've had a LEE 10lb bottom pour for about 500 pours and aside from a few drips
(stoped after I rotated the valve) it has worked perfectly. I cast .357 and .458,
148grs. to 320grs. I never use it for mixing lead and I never allow it to get empty.

IMHO it sure beats a pot and a ladle.:coffeecom

Jack...8-)

[Hurricane]

There is a permanent fix to a leaking lead pot. Get the Lee 20 lb. melter made for dipper casting. I abandoned bottom pore pots and bought the dipper only pot. Problem fixed.

[sabrecross03]

I had a similar incident as the OP described. Somehow I adjusted the set screw and in the process I made it too loose and all of the lead gushed out. I caught most of it but I still had a pretty good mess to clean-up.

Overall, I'm happy with it. The temperature does fluctuate a bit and I usually have a fair amount of rejects. With a six-cavity mold, I can make-up for the rejects. Costs a little extra time and I can afford that.

[45-70 Chevroner]

My first electric pot was a Lyman 10 #r, I think I gave around $75 for it back in 1975. It lasted 10 years, but a rebuild kit was twice as much as a new 10# Lee. I still have that 10# Lee and it still works great. I bought a second one about 5 years later and used them in tandum. I have never had to repair either one. I also have a 4-20# Lee pot, it is now 15 years old and have had to repair it one time, six months ago. Lee provided a kit to replace the old bottom pour stem and other parts free of charge. I put a 12"X18" cookie sheet pan under the pot when casting and a lyman 4 ingot mold under the spigot.

[Capn Jack]

I like the cookie sheet idea,
as some of my single molds seem to runith over.:oops:

Jack...8-)