I have a Lee Pro 4 20 lb pot coming and...

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

I'm curious, I've heard people say they keep a layer of sawdust on top of the pot to keep oxidation down. Do most people do this? Good idea/bad idea? Does this contaminate the pot and the pour spout? FYI, I've never used a pot like this. I"ve only ladel poured. But my Coleman stove pretty much crapped out on me. Thanks.

[JASON4X4]

I put a little wax on top when I cast and have never had a problem. When got my pot brand new I used valve grinding compound from the auto parts store and seated the plunger to the spout so it wouldn't leak. Mine has never had the famous drip. Good luck it is a lot faster than ladle pouring.

[bangerjim]

I use only Beeswax in my casting pot to reduce tin back in. You can use dust. Since it is a bottom pour, you don't have to worry about the carbon layer on the top.

I have never lapped or messed with the valves in my pots and have never had a drip, a run, or an error! You may have to follow the above procedures if you encounter any leakage. Key thing is NOT to smelt or melt dirty lead in your casting pot or you will get grit and dirt that WILL make the valve stick open.

Congrats on moving up from the old fashioned stove melter! You will be much happier! And cast a whole lot more quality boolits a whole lot faster!

banger :guntootsmiley:

[mdi]

Not really, I figger it's much ado about nuttin'. I use saw dust to flux my melt and stir with a wooden stick (I stir a few times during a casting session). One thing about your new Lee pot; don't smelt in it, use clean alloy only. It doesn't take much of a speck og dirt/grit to turn your pot into the dreaded "leak-o-matic"...

[Wally]

I have one and the 10 lb model. I use the 10 pound because the 20 pound keeps getting spout freeze....it appears that you have to run it very hot to prevent that.


I'm curious, I've heard people say they keep a layer of sawdust on top of the pot to keep oxidation down. Do most people do this? Good idea/bad idea? Does this contaminate the pot and the pour spout? FYI, I've never used a pot like this. I"ve only ladel poured. But my Coleman stove pretty much crapped out on me. Thanks.

[Gtek]

As you have read, some never have a problem. Just for fun find a tray or pan to set pot on that will contain volume of pot. Over the years there have been several photo spreads on here showing some wonderful lava flows. Many discussions about increasing weight on lever, lapping pin/seat. Only using clean alloy increases keeping you in happy land. I use mine every now and then for ladle pour on small runs. You will figure out your needs and it is a step forward from Coleman. Remember- it is not a job, it is an adventure. Gtek

[Harry O]

Putting a small weight on top of the center pin helps a lot. I recently upgraded to a new one. I found an 8oz bearing from a roller bearing, annealed it, drilled a hole in the center, threaded it, and screwed it onto the threaded top of the pin. It doesn't leak like my old one did and when I drop the handle, it shuts off RIGHT NOW.

[bangerjim]

I have one and the 10 lb model. I use the 10 pound because the 20 pound keeps getting spout freeze....it appears that you have to run it very hot to prevent that.

Spout freeze occurs when you add new ingots of lead. I keep a long neck butane grill lighter handy to head the spigot a bit when that happens. Only need it one heat-up. If more, you are running your melt to cool.

No big thing.

banger

[Green Monster]

I got the same pot recently. Performs well... After i added some weights to the handle it stopped the drip. Get a wooden stick i like the paint mixer cause you get flat sides to scrape with. Little tip take a piece of tin foil and poke the stick through the middle to use as a hand guard. The stick will catch fire and gloves will burn. Also dont use a spoon with a very large head its easy to hang it up on the valve arm and send a squirt of molten lead out the bottom. Did that one too. Ya still learning but i learn from my mistakes.

[prs]

Saw dust is an excellent flux agent. Putting a layer on top will let it bake off all the moisture as well as keeping oxygen from contacting the surface of your melt and once the saw dust is well charred and mostly carbon it is near perfect flux. The carbon is what attracts the oxygen from oxides of our alloy components. Saw dust typically has enough resin or rosin to provide all that wax or oil can provide as well. No saw dust? Bran flakes, corn flakes, dried and crumpled leaves, its the carbon you want.

prs

[stu1ritter]

To quote Glen Fryxell in his book "Ingot to Target" (a very worthwhile read from the Los Angles Silhouette Club;
"The benefits of sawdust are that it‘s a sacrificial reductant that can reduce any oxidized tin back to the metallic state, and it‘s cheap enough that the caster can use enough to form an effective barrier layer to protect the alloy from subsequent oxidation. What’s more, as the sawdust chars on top of the melt, it forms activated carbon, which is a high surface area, porous sorbent material that has a large number of binding sites capable of binding Lewis acid cations like Ca, Zn and Al. So it not only keeps the tin reduced and in solution, but it effectively scavenges those impurities that raise the surface tension and viscosity of the alloy (Al, Zn and Ca), keeping the alloy in top shape for making good bullets. Vigorously stirring in a heaping tablespoon of sawdust into a pot full of bullet metal does a fine job of conditioning and protecting that alloy. Sawdust doesn’t really qualify under the formal definition of “flux” as it doesn’t produce a fusible slag, but it does very cheaply and very effectively accomplish the three primary goals that we set out for cleaning up bullet metal. Reduce, remove and protect, sawdust does it all!"

Can't say much more than that.

Stu

[Shiloh]

I lived with the drip. Got a new stem though, and the drip all but completely disappeared. It is a non-issue for me.

Shiloh

[Foto Joe]

I've used sawdust before in my ladle pour pot and didn't like it. I upgraded to the Lee 20 pound bottom pour a few months ago and I love that thing but I use only wax and I don't cover the top of the melt with anything.

I will say, read the directions!!!!! Lee actually has some pretty good tips for eliminating/preventing the drip that everybody complains about. I will give you a couple of words of caution though regarding a runaway flow. Be careful not to run the stem off the threads when monkeying with it during a spout freeze up. When the spout unfreezes and starts to rock 'n roll it can be rather stressful to try and get those threads started again in time to stop the giant doorstop from forming on your bench. I also keep a set of needle nose pliers with a paperclip soldered into them to use as a roto rooter if needed which is seldom.

I have noted that you do indeed need to keep the temperature up higher using a bottom pour. I used to ladle pour at around 650° but in order to keep the spout open I now run between 700° & 750°. I was advised by another member here to keep a non-preheated ingot handy in case of a runaway, just put it in the pot and unplug and the flow will stop pretty quick. So far I haven't had the need to use that trick and I probably won't but when you're just starting out with a bottom pour there is a learning curve, I do keep a tart pan under the pot to catch drips/spills etc. so their easy to drop back into the pot. Have fun, you're gonna like this thing.

[mdi]

FWIW; regarding the drip and emptying the pot while un attended. I was taught very early in life, never leave a machine unattended. Basic Shop Safety 101! Never turn on a machine or appliance and walk away. Stuff happens and OOPS! occur and are much worse if they happen and nobody is around to fix/stop them...

[Boolseye]

yep, I always keep a couple tablespoons over top of the melt. I also flux with a little parrafin.
re. the drip–I always have a screwdriver handy, a couple twists on the little plug rod stops them (temporarily)

[Rushthezeppelin]

Still trying to figure out why I ended up with the lava flow the other day (glad to see at least I'm not the only one who has experienced that lol). Was adding ingots into the mold and I must have not looked at the bottom for about 10 seconds and all of a sudden I was building a small mountain of lead under my pot. Scared the bejesus out of me and had to frantically find the flathead on my bench to shut the valve off completely. Still not sure how that happened since I'm careful not to touch the rod with my ingot adding spoon. After that I now have a drip-o-matic. Definitely going to be doing the lapping procedure now on my rod/spout.