Cleaning out and drilling out a 10# Lee bottom pour - any ideas?

[pdgraham]

My 10# Lee bottom pour pot won't stay unplugged.. I keep running a big paper clip through it but it keeps plugging up..

I guess it's time to clean it out..

Does anyone have a "favorite" procedure for cleaning up or cleaning out one of these bottom pour pots?

While I'm at it.. I have read (in here) about others drilling out their bottom pour pots to get a bigger/faster/larger lead stream..

What size drill bit would you recommend?

Would drilling it out keep it from plugging up?

[Dye]

pdgraham

Try taking a set of old acylene torch cleaners and use them to clean the spout. They will bend and have enough cutting to cut the crud out.

Be carefull Dye

[Maven]

PDGraham, The acetylene torch [tip] reamer is a good idea. As for the pot, empty it completely, unplug it and let it cool down enough so that you can handle it with ungloved hands. Boil some water and fill the now empty pot to 1/2" of the rim with it. Use a small wire brush to scrub the sides and bottom of the pot, repeating as necessary (probably 2 more times). As for the spout, some drill & tap it and plug it with a screw. If you'd rather not do that, you can lap the rod and "seat" at the bottom of the pot (valve grinding compound) and cure the dripping.