Pro 4-20 came today!

[LDHD]

Happy Friday,

The Pro 4-20 came today. I read the instructions that came with it. Not much there. I read somewhere on this list something about honing the valve? Could someone elaborate? Is there anything else I should do before I fire it up? The wood knob was kinda flaky. It just sort of hangs there. Any advice would be appreciated as always.

LDHD

[468]

I got mine today, too!! Haven't had a chance to read the instructionsn yet...

[454PB]

Get that puppy hot!!!!

It may require cleaning of the valve and metering rod later, but cast a few thousand and see how it acts.

I use a dental pick to clear the nozzle every two to three hundred boolits. While the pot is up to casting temperature, insert the dental pick up into the valve, run it in and out as you hold the valve open and allow the molten lead to fall into an ingot mould. Use a pick that enters at least an inch. If you don't have a dental pick, use a small finishing nail in vice grips or pliers. I pull the metering rod and clean it every two to three thousand boolits.

As for honing, remove the metering rod mounting hardware enough to pull it loose. Chuck it in a cordless drill, then use it as a "hone" to clear the valve seat.

[shotman]

before you use it get a can of the HI heat grill paint and spray the inside . Then turn on and cure the paint . Do the rod too. I put a 2in long pipe coupling on the wood handle . It adds a little weight to help stop the drip-o - matic

[Bob Krack]

before you use it get a can of the HI heat grill paint and spray the inside . Then turn on and cure the paint . Do the rod too. I put a 2in long pipe coupling on the wood handle . It adds a little weight to help stop the drip-o - matic
If it works for you that's great. For me, a weight on the wooden knob made it way too easy to "over-close" the valve which made for an interesting minute or two while I tried to figger out why it was not shutting off and was running full blast!

What works best for me is a small set of vice-grips on the top of the plunger itself. Cheap chinese work fine. The vice-grips add downward weight on the rod and put no strain on the tiny screw/slot to handle frame/plunger interface.

Bob

[snuffy]

I've had mine for a couple of years. It very seldom leaks at all, an occasional drip while I'm ladle casting, not using the bottom pour.

I just received a magnum 20 melter. So the pro-20 will be used only as a bottom pour. It'll be a new experience to not have to deal with the valve being in the way while ladle casting. The beeg boolits I'm casting for the 45-70 demand ladle casting. Can't get decent fill-out with bottom pour!