Tips for using a Lee Production Pot

[selmerfan]

Well, I made a trade for a Lee Production Pot, looks like it holds about 10 pounds of lead. I traded a Bass Pro turkey burner for the pot and a nice Do-It jighead mold. I've done lots of casting, but never with a bottom pour. It needed a little clean up, so I plugged it in to let it heat up so I could clean it out and start fresh. Heated up fine, but when I touched it, I got a little electric zing! WTH? I let it heat up and removed the stopper so it could just drip out and I could get everything scraped clean. I unplugged it and cleaned up the pot well. Plugged it in. Still with the zing! I thought it was funny that the darn thing wasn't equipped with a grounded plug. I took it apart, quickly saw that I could re-wire with a grounded cord and ground it on the mounting screw for the pot. Did all of that and heated it up. No zing when I touch the pot. Good. I popped a few ingots of Lyman #2 and went to putter at a different bench and let it heat up. I use the condiment cups as ingot molds and it took a while to heat up the first couple ingots, but it went well from there. I didn't preheat a mold, so I haven't casted anything with it yet, but I did check the valve. It pours well and stops the flow well. Any tips that I should know about using a bottom pour coming from ladle-only background? And anything else I should know about Lee-menting a production pot? Why didn't those geniuses put a grounded cord on the pot?

[Frozone]

As far as tips for use: Don't get mad and hit the rod trying to make it stop dripping. That will only break the spout loose from the pot and it will Really drip.

[engineer401]

Keep a screw driver for turning the rod back and forth when it begins to drip. Also keep a straightened paper clip for cleaning any clogging of the spout. Clogging is very rare but can happen. I also keep a RCBS ingot mold under the spout just in case. It can be a hassle. For the price of the pot, I can put up with some hassle....For a while.

[KYShooter73]

Leave an inch or two of alloy in the pot when you finish. It will make warm-up faster next time.

[selmerfan]

Thanks guys! I downloaded the instructions and you have all covered the "tips"section...

[selmerfan]

Well, I'm glad I made the trade. With the NOE 311299 GB mold I was using this morning my production rate is higher than the ladle and reject rate is lower. Plus there is much less hand fatigue, which is important because I have a neuromuscular condition that can lead to me dropping things without realizing that my grip is getting weak - bad deal with molten lead! It's a drip-o-matic, but I put the pot in a 9x13 pan to catch the splatters. Boolits look great and I have a way to control heat, unlike my Lyman Mini-mag that I was dipping from.

[millerwb]

When I am casting, I have an old stainless steel table spoon near me. I use it to stir the lead, clean out dross if I throw some scrap in that might not be perfect, and lastly, the spoon fits the slot to turn the stopper in my Lee pot to get it to seat well and not drip. That way, I can do everything with one item that I might need. I also use it to scoop up hot lead to return to the pot if needed.