Idea for leaking pots

[randyrat]

Cleaning and scrapping more often stops the drip. Sharpen a thin stick to scrape around the bottom of the pot especially around the valve and the inside and your dripping will be way less. Use a paint stick split 4 ways and sharpen the end a bit, you will be pleasantly surprised. As the stick starts to turn black, the Carbon lifts the garbage up to the top. Place your partially burnt stick in a safe area when done, as it could start a fire.
Its been at least 5 years since my Lee pot has been empty, always full and clean

[jimkim]

The main thing I noticed is the Lee pots are the only ones without some type of spring on the valve. My solution, lap the valve, clean the pot, and add a spring. Both of my Lee pots have been converted to ladle only now that I have the Lyman Mould Master.

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[dave 45-90]

I think it has all been said.
The material the valve is made from is probably not that critical. Changing to some super hard steel or ceramic isn't the solution.
A clean pot, weight holding the valve shut and reasonably good finish on the needle & seat will get the job done.

Yes..
I also open valve full bore once in awhile. Seems to keep the crap at bay

[Yogi]

OS OK I like the hot plate cover with temp gauge, looks like another addition to the casting bench. it should make switching calibers easier.

[danmat]

Lots of good ideas here, mine never dripped until i fluxed with sawdust.
Cleaned it out good went back to beeswax dripping quit.
Worked for me.

[Mal Paso]

Lots of good ideas here, mine never dripped until i fluxed with sawdust.
Cleaned it out good went back to beeswax dripping quit.
Worked for me.

The old Wood vs Wood Not argument. LOL

Put me down for Wood Not.

[GregLaROCHE]

I’ve always wondered, do the more expensive pots drip less than my Lee bottom pour?

[44magLeo]

Slightly less. I think the big thing with the more expensive pots is the flow control handle.
On the more costly pots you have a long heavier handle that has a heavier knob. This longer set up has a lot of leverage That pushes the rod very firmly into the seat. A spring helps on this. This seals much better.
On the Lee there is a lighter knob and it pulls straight down on the rod. It has not the leverage as the others do. This means it can't seal as well.
If some one could build a Lyman type flow control for the Lee pot that any one could install and sell at a good price will sell a lot of them.
I cast a weight I added to mine. I unscrewed the knob, slid on the weight and replaced the knob. This helps it seal better.
I also keep the pot clean and only use bees wax for flux. I do the main fluxing to clean my lead in the big pot. It holds a couple hundred lbs. and I flux it several times with pine needles or saw dust. I add some bees wax after that a time or two so it's good and clean to pour into ingots.
This minimizes drips. If I do gets drips I clean out the pot and lap the rod and seat. This restores the pot to a drip free operation.
Leo

[samari46]

Have an old Lyman 10 pound pot that I could never get the hang of bottom pour casting and the spout leaked. Took the whole valve assembly out and drilled and tapped the spout for a stainless steel bolt and no leakage. Went to ladle pouring all my cast bullets. Frank

[mdi]

The problem is usually crud getting on the needle between it and the seat.
Changing the material of one or the other contact points really wouldn't change, or keep stuff from getting between them.

Exactly. I don't have any dripping problems (with my casting pot that is!), because only clean alloy goes in my pot and I practice preventative maintenance. I don't have a set schedule, but whenever the pot ID starts looking a little cruddy I'll empty, and disassemble it. I clean the ID with a wire brush, clean the needle and seat, sometimes lapping them. I reassemble and add a couple drops of 2 cycle motor oil in the moving parts, and a drop on the valve seat (yes, it does help keep the valve clean). I also check all the screws and loc-tite those that have become loose from heating-cooling, expansion-contracting. I think my Lee pot is over 25 years old, melts/casts only about 75-80 lbs per year and does not drip...