How Long Per Casting Session? Lee 4/20 User

[psychbiker]

I have the summer off and was planning to cast a lot! Take advantage of no work and the girlfriend working during the day.

How long do you all cast per session? What would be too long for a Lee 4/20 bottom pour?

I can run through a full 18lbs of lead with a 5 cavity 200gr in now time, maybe 30-45min. I don't want to ruin the Lee Pot. Would having it go for say 2-3 hours be alright?

[ArrowJ]

I hope not because I do that every time, but I have only had it for a few months so maybe it is bad for it. I doubt it. The elements wear out apparently, but I assume that will happen no matter what based on how many hours it is used rather than how many hours at s time.

[runfiverun]

I think more stress is put on the element heating up the lead than there is in cycling on and off.

I keep my pots on the full end all the time and pre-heat ingots on the edge just before putting them in the pot.
a casting session goes on and on because I just keep on adding lead as I go.
it took me about 20 years before I had to do a little soldering and adjusting to my old 20 lb pot, maybe i'll get another 20 out of it.

[DerekP Houston]

I have the summer off and was planning to cast a lot! Take advantage of no work and the girlfriend working during the day.

How long do you all cast per session? What would be too long for a Lee 4/20 bottom pour?

I can run through a full 18lbs of lead with a 5 cavity 200gr in now time, maybe 30-45min. I don't want to ruin the Lee Pot. Would having it go for say 2-3 hours be alright?

I've left mine on 24hrs and it still ran fine. The handle gets a bit hot to lift for bottom pour after an hour. I've spent some days at the pot and gone through at least 3 refills, my arm usually gets tired and I switch it off. Last thing I'd worry about is ruining a lee pot!

[tazman]

I think more stress is put on the element heating up the lead than there is in cycling on and off.

I keep my pots on the full end all the time and pre-heat ingots on the edge just before putting them in the pot.
a casting session goes on and on because I just keep on adding lead as I go.
it took me about 20 years before I had to do a little soldering and adjusting to my old 20 lb pot, maybe i'll get another 20 out of it.

^^^^^^ This is the system I use. I cast until I am tired. It may be one hour or 5 hours. I use the Lee 4-20 and use a wooden hammer handle for a mold striker. I also use the hammer handle to lift the valve handle on the pot because that knob does get warm.

[DerekP Houston]

oh I leave my pot full too, I found it heats up a bit quicker that way as there isn't huge air gaps. Figure it keeps all the dust and crud away from the pour spout too. I repurposed a wooden hammer from my sons toys and it worked great for lifting the lee handle and tapping the boolits loose.

[gwpercle]

Cast until you drop.....your back and arms will give way before the pot gives out .

[runfiverun]

I pretty much just use the LEE for a couple of molds anymore and use a different alloy than I normally use.
the main casting pot is a Magma 40 lb pot I can stack ingots on a steel plate I keep on top, it's also great for pre-warming molds by letting them sit up there while I run another mold for an hour or two.

I added a 1/2" thick steel plate to the top of the LEE too.
it adds more mass which evens out the temp swings and keeps any little bubble-up's under control too.

[OS OK]

^^^^^^ This is the system I use. I cast until I am tired. It may be one hour or 5 hours. I use the Lee 4-20 and use a wooden hammer handle for a mold striker. I also use the hammer handle to lift the valve handle on the pot because that knob does get warm.

Your mentioning this made me think about putting a rubber slip on chair leg floor protector, you know like the bottom rubber slip on you'd see on an old cane? Slip one over the knob, they come in various sizes usually in 1/8" increases of inside diameter. Don't think it gets so hot as to melt it.


***On the OP's ? ... I go for full pot increments, usually 2 pots full, so from pre-heat to finish pouring maybe 2 1/2 hours. My back gives out before my arms do or I get too bored. By then I have a big pile of boolits and want time to further process them the same day.

OS OK

[matrixcs]

I have the Lee pot 2,3,5,9 hour casting sessions.... 35,000 boolits (at least) and it still works fine.

[robg]

I've only got a Lee 10lb pot I usualy cast for an hour or two with 3x 2cavity molds 300 an hour.224/308/357.wrists can't take much more at a time.I refil the pot for next time

[tazman]

Your mentioning this made me think about putting a rubber slip on chair leg floor protector, you know like the bottom rubber slip on you'd see on an old cane? Slip one over the knob, they come in various sizes usually in 1/8" increases of inside diameter. Don't think it gets so hot as to melt it.

Interesting idea. Let me know how it works if you would please.

[OS OK]

Interesting idea. Let me know how it works if you would please.

My knob doesn't get too hot to handle bare handed since I don't do protracted casting. I only mentioned it for you since you have long hot casting sessions.
Could be that mine has a 7/8" square nut behind the knob to help add some weight to the valve. It may be acting like a heat sink and I didn't realize it.

OS OK

[Michael J. Spangler]

I cast till I get called away from it.
I would cast longer seasons if it weren't for all the wait time for alloy to get back up to temp after adding.
I used to pre heat alloy on a hot plate but my hot plate seems to have disappeared.
I was thinking of a second furnace so I can run one down to 1/4 or 1/3 and start pouring from the second while the first one gets more alloy and recovers.

I run 2 moulds at a time which empties the pot fast.

So I guess my normal sessions are 2-3 hours. Keeping myself busy with Hi-Tek coating in between recovery times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DerekP Houston]

I always forget about the "preheating" ingots and they end up melting on the hotplate before i turn it down. Poor thing has been coated in lead a number of times but keeps on running. Since I got the PID I don't bother preheating em anymore, slide the new ones into the pot and walk away. I can watch the light on it, once it clicks off I know the lead is up to temp.

I usually fiddle around with pulling the culls out and picking up the sprues that dropped in the wrong spot.

[runfiverun]

many have rigged up another 10 or 20 lb pot over the edge of their main 20 lb pot and use it to melt ingots and keep the 20 lb pot full.
I have even seen two 20's rigged up in tandem so that the top one drops alloy in the bottom one at the same rate the bottom one pours it into the mold.

[DerekP Houston]

many have rigged up another 10 or 20 lb pot over the edge of their main 20 lb pot and use it to melt ingots and keep the 20 lb pot full.
I have even seen two 20's rigged up in tandem so that the top one drops alloy in the bottom one at the same rate the bottom one pours it into the mold.

Hey now....that might be a GREAT use for my drip-o-matic. Wouldn't mind it dripping if it goes straight in to the promelt. Now I need to build a stand for it. Thanks for the idea!

[Leadmelter]

I set a timer for about 150 minutes. I warm everything up and start the timer.
I have COPD and I cast in the garage and that is my limit.
Good Luck

Gerry

[scottfire1957]

Let us know which tires faster: You, or the pot.

[JSnover]

I leave it full unless I plan on casting with a different alloy the next time. My pot is six or seven years old and I run it anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours, no problems.

[country gent]

My normal session goes 3-4 hours at a sitting. I bring the pot to temp and pre heat the mould. when up to temp I start casting. Ill run 3-4 hours and call it a day. My pot holds 100 lbs+ and is propane fired. After 4 hours Im pretty well whipped and hot and tired. Do what works for you. Experiment with diffrent time lengths. Pot will come up quicker if you refill every 3-4 lns instead of half or more.

[dudel]

So far, on each session, I've called it quits before the Lee has.

[aquarist]

I usually cast 1,000 projectiles whenever I turn my pot on. I used it for 3+ hours before with no issues. The Lee 4-20s always tend to drip, but doesn't seem like there is a way around that.

[OS OK]

Hey now....that might be a GREAT use for my drip-o-matic. Wouldn't mind it dripping if it goes straight in to the promelt. Now I need to build a stand for it. Thanks for the idea!

Wait a dang minute here Derek....Don't you have a 'Honeydoo' list you were working on?
Write this idea on a sticky and hang it from the cobwebs on the loading bench!

First things first...right?

[DerekP Houston]

Wait a dang minute here Derek....Don't you have a 'Honeydoo' list you were working on?
Write this idea on a sticky and hang it from the cobwebs on the loading bench!

First things first...right?

gosh darnit...I finished the flooring and got the AC fixed. I'm good for goofing off this week :D. Yard can wait for the weekend.

picture evidence!
170263

[Rich22]

Depends on the season, in winter, I can go for hours until my hands give out. In summer, especially during the day, Im looking at about a 2 hours max, 95+ in the garage.

[OS OK]

gosh darnit...I finished the flooring and got the AC fixed. I'm good for goofing off this week :D. Yard can wait for the weekend.

picture evidence!
170263

Haaaah!...shoes under the end table...that used to get me in the 'deep end' quick! You must have a very tolerating wife...it seems that my boots don't compliment her decor...had one thrown at me a couple decades back. Now that we're older she doesn't notice mine under my chair so much...that or the ole girl is getting blind, hope not though, she's a Nurse.

Good looking work on that floor...but...now that you've rested, get your little butt out there and tend to the grass!

[runfiverun]

there are cures for the drip-o-matic.
one is to add some weight to the rod, some just give the rod a quick spin every now and then.

some drain the pot and clean everything up.
then use a little valve lapping compound to mate the two surfaces together.
this one usually cures the drips for good, or until you run some gunky material through the pot.

[dragon813gt]

It's a Lee pot. If it breaks I will buy another one ;)

I typically cast all day so you're looking at something like an 8 hour shift. I've had to clean the pot a few times but this was because of the lead I put in it.

[pakmc]

I use the 4/20 bottom pour pot also. I use the Lee six holer molds, Accuate molds(4-5 holers) and one NOE mold, I run out of steam about an hour and a half after I start. but with the 6 hold molds I have poured appox. 5-600 bullets by then. I did close to 700 one morning in about 2 hours. but I get tired and have to quit. and don't tap the pin on the bottom pour lee pots with a hammer to stop it from leaking! I did use a hammer(very gently) and the bottom spout fell off(with about 18 lb.s of 700degree lead still in it, ) I found that I could still move faster than I thought I could!

[psychbiker]

there are cures for the drip-o-matic.
one is to add some weight to the rod, some just give the rod a quick spin every now and then.

some drain the pot and clean everything up.
then use a little valve lapping compound to mate the two surfaces together.
this one usually cures the drips for good, or until you run some gunky material through the pot.

Did all three and still drips, just not as much. I added a spring on the top under the hex head, this forces the handle and rod back down. Works much better but still drips. I keep a flat head handy to fine tune during casting.

[Ranger 7]

I have two Lee 4/20 pots (7 years & about 48,00 rounds old).
I run one at a time, using two Lee six cavity molds in series.
Casting bouts, from 05:00--12:00 on my patio. Afternoons get a bit hot.
Had to clean one pot last week, just as RUNFIVERUN said above. Worked great.
Tested by filling the pot with water, NO leaks!

[Freightman]

Well last year turned the pot on and something came up so forgot to turn it off well didn't get a break for a week. Went to the shop --darn--- pot still on lots of burned slag on top, but it is still working and it is 15 years old so will it hurt it? not likely.

[fredj338]

I rarely go more than an hour, 90min max. I cast standing, about all I want to do. With a 6cav mold, that is 900-1300 bullets. IF using my Magma caster, 500-750. Then deduct any rejects.
Everything wears out if you use it, so jut assume it will at some point. I cast for many hours a year & my 20# Lee is still going strong. I have an older 10#, about pooped out but it is 35yrs old. I bought a new heating element for it but haven't got around to swapping it out.

[HangFireW8]

I usually cast 2 to 4 hours per session. Less than 2 is hardly worth the setup effort and after 4 I'm tired.

I have a Pro 4. I find it leaks a lot less than my old Production Pot (pre-IV), probably because the rod is thinner, thus displaces less lead, and so doesn't have the buoyancy of the thicker Production Pot rod.