Is this Lee pot salvageable?

[MikeyPooh]

Hello everyone, I am busy going through my box of craigslist acquired reloading and casting equipment and cleaning it all up. This one has me scratching my head though... do you think it is still useable? Should I take it apart as best I can and hit it with a wire brush? Or is there some other technique I could try? Or is it a lost cause? Any input much appreciated, thanks.



http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/2065/img5956eg.jpg

[Wots]

I would wire brush it, make sure the electric cord is in good shape an fire it up. Might have to lap the valve. See what happens.

[MikeyPooh]

Ah, thanks for mentioning lapping the valve, I wouldn't have thought of that.

[Iowa Fox]

I think it will clean up. Soak it for a couple of days in a rust penetrant, then dissassemble and soft wire brush on a power tool. Patience is the key.

Post another pic after you get it cleaned up.

[richhodg66]

You can also order that steel pot insert from Lee for a few bucks and just replace the rusty one. My pour old Lee pot has been banged up in moves several times rusted while it was stored and had a puppy chew the cord off once. I think I've replaced almost everything at one time or another.

[Lee]

Target??:smile:

[geargnasher]

Nope, it's no good. I'll buy it from you for scrap value and dispose of it properly! :kidding:

I think a new liner is like $5 from Lee, or it may be that you can send it back to them and they'll fix or replace it for half the cost of a new one. I know that's their policy with hand tools, not sure about the pots.

Gear

[stubshaft]

Shoot, it looks ten times better than the one I am using now. But then again the one I am using now is about 18 years old and has seen some hard use...

[MikeyPooh]

Haha, thanks for the tips and the laughs. I (being broke and naturally cheap) will try and clean this one up, but yeah I went to Lee's website and a new pot is $8, not bad at all if I have to go that route.

I'll try to get the after pic up tomorrow night.

[imashooter2]

Lead pots rust as a normal consequence of use. Plug it in and put some lead in it. If it leaks, empty it and lap the valve. It's probably fine just as it sits.

[Fredx10sen]

Lead pots rust as a normal consequence of use. Plug it in and put some lead in it. If it leaks, empty it and lap the valve. It's probably fine just as it sits.

Exactly what I was thinking too. Put some lead in it plug it in and I bet it will work just fine. :bigsmyl2:

[geargnasher]

:killingpc You guys are killing me and my OCD personality! My pot only rusted a little bit one time when I let it sit in my damp, dewey shop for a month unattended and unlubricated.

Crust like that in a pot is an invitation to Drip-O-Matic syndrome. I'd pull the pintle rod and plug it in for a few minutes to get any lead residue soft and scrape it out good with a wood stick, get the valve clean of all molten residue with a toothpick, then let it cool and go over the rust with a wire cup brush and electric drill, or at least some coarse sandpaper. A quick lap of the valve pintle with valve grinding compound, rinse with solvent, and wipe out with a rag should get it ready to go and not have too much of a drip problem.

Gear

[shotman]

Never trust a mouse LOL

[GT27]

Your local auto parts store--Naval Jelly!!

[geargnasher]

Never trust a mouse LOL

True! Fudgie (RIP) was a fancy hooded rat, mice are only good for cat food.

Gear

[jimkim]

Mine is looking like that now. What about bead or soda blasting?

[MarkW]

I'd just get a small wire brush, called a "scratch brush":
http://www.gordonbrush.com/images/15b.jpg

And just start casting with it and when everything is good and hot most all of the rust will brush off. If you are outside after the pot is cleaned off you can dip the brush in linseed oil and brush away and it will smoke like the dickens but put a nice rust resistant finish on everything. Anyway, even without the brush after you cast 30 pounds of lead through it it will be looking a lot nicer and I think there is a moral there somewhere...

[Stephen Cohen]

You can also order that steel pot insert from Lee for a few bucks and just replace the rusty one. My pour old Lee pot has been banged up in moves several times rusted while it was stored and had a puppy chew the cord off once. I think I've replaced almost everything at one time or another.

That pot sounds a bit like grandads axe, had 6 new handles and 4 new heads, but still as good as new

[Shooter6br]

I plugged mine and use it to blend alloys and or smelt scrap lead I have an old 4 lb Lee from my dad It is about 40 yrs old. Still works :cbpour:

[HardColt]

Your craiglist pot looks like its got good use out of it but it still has a lot of mileage left on it to casts thousands of bullets in it's lifetime. I would lightly sand the sidewalls with a 60 or 80 grit lightly to get the rust out then run a bronze brush to it. Lapping compound on the valve rod which will also clean the spout stem and back to being clean and serviceable. Good find.
I just bought and ordered a new pot(inner pot) and a heating coil element from Titan reloading to replace the parts of my original production pot IV, which I have for a long time. The pot became inoperable last year when I was home casting cause the heating element decided to retire on me. It was good I had another Production Pot IV on standby so it didn't interfere with my casting schedule. My problem is when I get home this year from overseas is the cylindrical chunk of lead that is frozen solid in the old pot (being the heating element needs removing and replacing). How to take it out, either torch it with a propane torch or something to replace the heater element. I haven't seen the breakdown of my production pot IV where the coiled element is located or how it is mounted.

[Chicken Thief]

Mine's from '86 and looks way worse than that!
Works like a charm ;)

[Pigslayer]

MikeyPooh,
Don't waste your time with it. Send it to me & I'll pay the postage. LOL

[Chicken Thief]

Mine has developed a severly case of osteroporosis, that needs a screw to correct:

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Skydning/Til%20andre/R0010742.jpg

[DLCTEX]

Plug the hole temporarily, fill with and heat water to very warm and pour in a few ounces of Lemishine. Rust will be gone and the residue will scrub out easily.