How to plug a Lee Pro 4-20

[GrizzLeeBear]

I've finally had it with my Lee Drip-o-matic! I will not list all the "fixes" I have tried (and I have tried ALL of them I can find here). The drip doesn't bother me that much, but now I am getting spout freeze-ups, clogs, getting stuck wide open, adjustment screw coming out of the slot on the rod, etc. etc......and back and forth between them. I've cleaned it, lapped it, weighted the handle, put a small vise grip on the rod, only put clean lead in it, etc. :evil:

I've had enough. I spend MORE time fiddling with the damn pot than I do casting boolits! :veryconfu

I'm not a high volume shooter, so I have decided that I will switch over to a dipper. My question is what is the best way to plug the spout on the Pro 4-20 to convert it into a dipper pot?

[Beagle333]

I went to Lowe's and got a stainless steel bolt and nut, and two stainless steel washers, unscrewed the spout and just put the bolt in the hole that was left. The spout will unscrew (or at least, mine did) and leave a nice flat bottom on the pot with a smooth hole.... perfect for a nice washer to cover tightly. 'Never to drip again!

(You do have to completely disassemble the pot to get to the spout so you can unscrew it though.)

[GrizzLeeBear]

Thanks Beagle333, sounds like a good way to do it. I'll give it a go when I get a chance to work on it.

[Rick N Bama]

I drilled & tapped the hole in the spout for a 8/32 stainless screw. It's working so far & a lot easier than removing the spout.

Rick

[Matt_G]

I drilled mine out with a #12 drill bit, and put a #10 screw in the hole with one of those "fender" washers under the head on the pot side. Just used a wing nut and another washer on the spout side.
Did two of them that way and they don't leak at all.

[Mk42gunner]

I was going to suggest a welder....


Robert

[bruce drake]

1/2" drywall screw tightened right up the spout 7 years ago and I've never had a drip since. Went to dipping and my boolit acceptance rate went right up as well.

Bruce

[GrizzLeeBear]

Well I got it plugged. Did like Beagle333 suggested. However, I buggered up the spout pretty good trying to unscrew it with a channel lock pliers. Once I figured out you have to take the base off, take the one leg off, take the bottom of the pot off (so you can get the retainer nut for the valve/spout off) the valve popped right out with a light tap. These things are put together pretty simple once you get it "reverse engineered" but it would be nice if Lee would put a parts diagram of the pots on the website so you could see how these things are put together (would have saved me messing up the valve). I Found a small bolt and nut (metric, don't know the size, about 3/16") and a couple 1/4" washers to make the plug.
When I find some time in the next few days I'll put some lead in it and fire it up to see if it leaks or not. I may just order a new inner liner that doesn't have the hole for the valve (for the Magnum Melter) in the future, but hopefully this will work for now.

[MT Chambers]

See also: post regarding Lee bashing, and how high quality your "dripomatic" is.

[detox]

I plugged my Lee pot years ago without any regrets. I can produce a small batch of one hundred boollits very accurately using ladle and my excellant two cavity RCBS moulds.

Other than leaking the biggest problem people have with Lee bottom pour pots....people flux WAY TOO OFTEN. This causes dirt/ dross to speck and put voids in the boollit. Next time before using the bottom pour...drain and clean pot well and do not flux the molten metal. Then pour pretty boollits. Try it and see:)

BTW my RCBS Pro Melt does not leak, but costs lots more.

[GrizzLeeBear]

Fired up the now-plugged drip-o-matic. Good news! It doesn't drip anymore!

Still working on getting the knack of the dipper (using the Lyman), but I'm starting to get the hang of it. Was able to cast about 100 452664's for my new Cabelas Pietta SAA. One improvement I noticed, at least for me, is that once the mold got up to temp. I got really good fill out almost every time. Nice sharp corners on drive bands, etc. May not be quite as fast as the bottom pour, but it is enjoyable to NOT have to fuss around with the pot to keep casting.

Detox, yeah there is 100 different problems with the Lee pot, and 100 different causes, and 100 different solutions. I just have had enough of all that. I was trying to put together the $$ for an RCBS, but other things have taken priority over the funds, so I'm making do with what I have. As far as I'm concerned the Lee had two choices. Become a serviceable dipper pot, or become a lost boat anchor in the Saginaw river.[smilie=s:

[Cherokee]

I drilled & tapped the hole in the spout for a 8/32 stainless screw. It's working so far & a lot easier than removing the spout.

Rick


This is what I did also. Works fine.