Maintaining RCBS ProMelt

[Jeff82]

I recently purchased an RCBS ProMelt pot. I have a question about maintaining the pot. Usually I'll blend and purify alloy in my Lee 20-lb pot and then transfer the melt or ingots into my casting pot. Even so, my casting pot will accumulate residue. Since neither of these are bottom pour pots, I'll clean them with a wire brush and sand paper. With bottom pour pots how should they be cleaned? Especially, how do you clean and maintain the valve and stopper assembly?

I appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

--Jeff

[Cord]

I've had my Pro-Melt since 1984 and have had no problems with it.
I only feed it clean ingots that I have cleaned up and/or alloyed
in my propane smelting rig.

My ProMelt accumulates very little residue, and I clean it with
steel wool, and that's only when I empty the pot to change alloy.

Most of that soft residue is around the top edge where the sawdust
and ash floats on top of the melt, the bottom stays pretty clean.
When the pot is fully drained there may be some oxide scum
in the very bottom but that just peels out when cool.
I've had the valve rod out to steel wool it, not much there.

So if you need to wire brush and sandpaper your casting pot,
what you are using for flux may not be the best for a bottom
pour melter.

You did not say what you are using for flux, but there is plenty of
reading on that subject here, and many a lively discussion about it.
.

[williamwaco]

The best way to keep the spout clean is to never let the melt level get below one to two inches deep.
This way ( most ) of the oxide will never get to the spout.

When you do empty it, run it into ingot molds until there is about half inch left in the bottom then pick up the whole pot and pour the remainder into your ingot mold.

That said, - eventually you will need to remove the valve rod for cleaning.
Do this when the pot is HOT but empty. This will allow you to use a nail or a wire into clean out the spout. If the pot is cold and lead is hardened in the valve there is no good way to do it.

REMEMBER:
THAT THING IS VERY HOT.
USE GLOVES AND APPROPRIATE TOOLS.

And one more thing:

MELTED LEAD RUNS DOWN HILL.
DO NOT ALLOW YOUR FINGERS TO GET UNDER THAT POUR SPOUT WHEN THE POT IS HOT.

[Jeff82]

Thanks for the responses. I generally use canning paraffin or beeswax/alox bullet lube to flux. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing.

[500MAG]

Clean it? I just fill it.

[OuchHot!]

I have a very old pro-melt made just after RCBS bought the rights to the furnace from ohaus or whoever. I think it may have a smaller port in the bottom draw than current design. I found out right quick that my alloy needed to be clean and I needed to keep oxides away from the bottom. Before getting the message, I used various scrubbers and poured hot soapy water through it to clean the pot. I haven't had to do that in years since I started watching what I was doing.

[NWFLYJ]

I have never cleaned mine, had it 15 years so far. I cast till it is 1/4 to 1/3 the way down then fill it up with one or two muffins. I fill it back up at the end of the cast. I add sawdust and stir with a 1/4" woid dowel. Mark