? On Lead Pots

[Hickory]

I was wondering if it will damage a lead pot
(larger 10-20 lb) if it is run half full?
I don't know if this issue has ever been addressed.
Or if anyone really knows for sure. Just curious.

[imashooter2]

No it will not.

[dragonrider]

What ^ he said.

[Defcon-One]

On the pots that I have seen the heating coils are near the bottom, presumably heat rises. They are typically wrapped around the lower 1/4th of the pot chamber. So, running for a prolonged time with less than 1/4 full may be an issue, but that is hard to do because there's not much lead left then anyway.

I typically refill my RCBS 20 lb. bottom pour pot when it is about half full or little higher because it casts better bullets with the greater head pressure of a full pot.

I run my smaller 10 lb. LEE pot empty for extended times while I smelt since I use it, set on a scale, to pour out precise 5 pound batches for larger ingots. It is 20 years old and is still going strong.

How's that for a long way of saying "NOPE"?

[btroj]

Mine runs half full half the time.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Running at half full is perfectly ok. Won't hurt anything. You would need at least that or around 3/4 to be able to add an ingot or two, otherwise an addition would lower the melt temp significantly and effect your casting/melt temp and quality. LLS