Used lee 10# pot problem

[Jal5]

First time trying this bottom pour pot. No matter how i jiggled the rod I couldn't get a steady flow. Boolits came out all deformed. Pot temp by thermometer was 600 and molds had been preheated. Anything i need to know about this type of casting? Did ladle cast successfully for years. Thx.

[country gent]

The spout may have a build up in it restricting flow. A bent paper clip or fine wire worked in it when hot may clear it out. Better is a set of tip cleaners for a accetelene tourch to clean the spout. If still not enough opening the spout up a little with a number drill may help you. You may also want to try increasing the pot temp some to 650*-700* as the spout is below the heating element and in the open air cooling the lead as its poured. On ladle casting where the ladle is left in the pot its at the same temp and little heat is lost during the pour. On a bottom pour the spout is below the element ( heat rises) and out in the open air and ambient temps, the flow is a small stream with little mass to hold heat. I would recomend giving the pot a good cleaning work the spout over with a wire or the tip cleaner good and try again.

[mold maker]

You didn't say what mix alloy your using, or what cal. your pouring.
Try opening up the flow a bit with a little more heat to see if it improves.

[Mitch]

I agree with a bit more hear My lee bottom pour wont run till 650 or so \.a bit more heat shoud do the trick around 700

[Jal5]

I tried the paper clip and it did open it but the flow dripped not really a flow so there is no way the mold could fill properly. Will clean it again and concentrate on the spout.

[Boolit_Head]

Mine likes to run a bit hotter

[VHoward]

If you have your pot thermostat turned all the way up and it only gets the melt up to 600 degrees, then there is something wrong with the thermostat. No amount of cleaning of the spout is going to fix that. Time to get on lee's web site and order a new thermostat. http://www.titanreloading.com/thermo...v?search=90093 Lee's page wasn't showing it to me, so went to Titan. Good people to deal with.

[MT Chambers]

They're designed like that, you can't get it to pour and when you leave to get some tools, it leaks all over the place, hence the name " Lee-kamatic".

[slim1836]

A number 12 gauge wire should fit in the spout although snugly. I would empty the pot and clean out the pot along with the spout for starters in order to rid the pot of any crud. A bit of lapping compound at the rod and spout may also help, especially if dripping is an issue, just get the angle correct. I hung a weight on the end of the handle of mine to help seat the rod a bit better.
Slim

[Jal5]

It wasn't really leaking very much at all.
It was range scrap plus a little tin.
Mold is the lee 358125 RF

[Mike W1]

You might try this trick. It seemed to help mine a bit (not always but better!!). The biggest thing seemed to be getting the pot and spout clean but I also added a weight to my rod. Beats using the screwdriver by far. Present weight is made of steel and not the aluminum one pictured.


http://gunsrus.proboards.com/thread/...racing-version

[kidmma]

a little hotter melt.

[Jal5]

Little hotter melt i found out works. Going to really like this bottom pour boolit making!

[Phlier]

Little hotter melt i found out works. Going to really like this bottom pour boolit making!

Wow, those look just beautiful!

[Jal5]

thx to all the suggestions here

[gwpercle]

Jal5 ,
I had ladle cast for years also, had great expectations for the bottom pour pot. I like nearly perfect boolits . I could cast a lot of boolits with the new bottom pour but the quality wasn't there. Most had flaws , had to be thrown back into the pot and I wasn't happy with that. Pressure casting with a ladle gave me the best results so I bought a Lee Magnum Melter, 20 lb. pot and went back to the ladle. That big pot is a winner, nearly every boolit is a keeper and I'm happy again.
Don't feel like you have to use a bottom pour, some of us don't.
Gary

[Jal5]

It ran real well today probably equal or better than my best ladle day using a lyman pot. I think the cadence was better and more consistent. I threw about 15 additional ones back in the pot for incomplete drive bands. Overall I was very pleased for about an hours work including the warm up.

[wrench]

The PM function isn't working on the forum for me right now, but I'm glad you got the old girl working again.

[Jal5]

Did another run last night even though I only had about an hour to pour boolits. Another 125 or so keepers plus about 10 back in the pot. I think I am getting the hang of this bottom pouring! It will definitely shorten the amount of time I have to spend making boolits which is a good thing in itself and the quality of boolits made is better.

[Idz]

I like the Lee stuff. Reality is that lead at 700 degrees doesn't know or care if the pot label is Lee, RCBS, Lyman or whatever. You'll find there is a lot of art in casting. Some molds like being really hot, some not so much. Some like being pressed directly onto the spout, others work better with a 1/4" or 1/2" drop. Some like hotter lead than others. Some work best with mold release spray, others like being smoked. Playing with all the parameters is the fun of casting.