Dealing with the pressure from a bottom pour.....

[jgh4445]

I have a new Lee Pro 4-20. I am having a problem with the pour entering the mold with a tremendous amount of pressure and splashing back out and into the next hole blocking it off. Is there a way to slow the stream down? I've adjusted the screw in and out and it doesn't seem to help. Holding the mold up against the spout results in unfilled cavities most times. Cast about 200 45 wad cutters last night, frosted but no wrinkles. Didn't seem to have this pressure problem then. Re-filled today and the problem is there. Maybe too much lead in the pot? Some days you just can't buy a good cast!

[Big Dangle]

I would say too much lead in the pot, you try putting the mold at a slight angle then flatten out just after it starts?

How old is your pot I have the same one and it's definitely slowed down over time.

Yea and your right, somedays after an hour of unacceptable bullets I just come back another day.

[Mal Paso]

Adjust the screw in until it lifts the pour handle to the top of the shoulder screw then back off until the flow is fast enough for you.

[Muddydogs]

You also have flow control with the handle so open it slow to start with instead of all the way, once you get the feel for the mold you should be lowering the handle as the mold fills so lead isn't over flowing once the hole is full.

[milkman]

check the handle up-limit screw to see if it is backing out of the top of the melter. Mine was stripped and wouldn't stay tight. It gave me all kinds of flow problems.

[Mk42gunner]

My 4-20 is about eight or nine years old, not sure if they changed the adjustments on the spout in that time or not. With mine, it was a slow trial and error process to get the flow control adjusted. It seemed like every little bit of adjustment was way too much, but I finally got it to where it would work; since then I have not touched it.

Kind of hard to turn the screw 1/64 of a turn or less.

Another thing that helps is to have something to prop your hand on so you can lift the valve by just twisting your wrist, instead of holding your whole arm up all the time.

Robert

[dudel]

Try pushing the spout in contact with the sprue plate. Lee spout matches up nicely with Lee sprue plates.

There are time when I found a pressure pour helps with some molds.

The flow of the my Lee 4-20 (about 6 years old) is adjustable in two ways. 1) use the limit adjusting screw (how far up the rod goes up), 2) how far up lift up on the wood knob. The first is more repeatable.

[Harry O]

My 4-20 is about eight or nine years old, not sure if they changed the adjustments on the spout in that time or not.
Robert

Yes, they have changed the adjustments in that time. I don't believe one is better than the other. One thing I did to help was to put a weight on the top of the vertical rod. That made it much more quick and sure when it shut off. The earlier pot had a 4oz weight. Better, but not great. I have an 8oz weight on the latest one. It works well.

[runfiverun]

I just bent a piece of wire about 1/8" in diameter in the shape of a U and slid it under the bottom of the handle part on the bottom of the pot.
this slows down the pour speed by not allowing the handle to be raised too high.

I can take it back out when wanting to do bigger boolits or make longer skinny boolits that want a hard fill.

[jgh4445]

Thanks guys. Went back to the pour yesterday and did some more adjusting, did a lot of the things ya'll suggested. Poured a bunch of nice boolits. The advice on resting my arm on something was really spot on. Arm gets tired hanging out in the air for that long with a 5 banger mold. Also increased my melt temp to 700 and got some really crisp edges and good looking boolits. Have to practice up..have a Mihec group buy HP brass mold coming and have never cast a HP before or used a brass mold.