Cleaning a Lee down spout pot?

[Fly]

There must be a sticky some where but I have not found it.But if not how do you guys
clean out your Lee down spout melting pot?

Fly

[tazman]

I had the exact same problem a couple of weeks ago and asked a similar question on this sight. The responses I got varied a bit but all would probably work depending on exactly what was causing the plug.
In my case, what worked was a medium sized paper clip straightened a bit and pushed up through the down spout using a pair of pliers to grip it(ask me how I know you need to use pliers).
The lead pot needs to be at casting temp for this to work it's best. Wiggle it around a bit on the way in until you feel it go in freely about 3/8 of an inch or so.
This cleared up my problem. However, the problem will return periodically as there is always some dirt or other impurities that seem to accumulate. Cleaning out the inside of the pot also helps but does not cure it.
Keep the pliers and paper clip handy. It only takes a few seconds to clear the spout this way.

[Idz]

If its a lead stoppage you can heat the spout with a torch until it melts out.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If while casting the stream weakens...and several twists on the valve rod doesn't solve the problem, I use a tiny allen wrench from the outside, that always gets me going again.

TWO things that help to avoid that problem to begin with:
1. Never smelt WW in your bottom pour furnace.
2. Never rub the bottom of the pot with a charred wooden stick, use a Metal spoon or similar metal tool for bottom scraping. I DO use a charred wooden stick on the sides...just not the bottom. The char can stick to the bottom, then migrate to the pour spout while casting.

[CastingFool]

I made up a spout cleaning tool out of a piece of .062" stainless steel wire., and keep it with my Lee bottom pour, just in case.

[tazman]

2. Never rub the bottom of the pot with a charred wooden stick, use a Metal spoon or similar metal tool for bottom scraping. I DO use a charred wooden stick on the sides...just not the bottom. The char can stick to the bottom, then migrate to the pour spout while casting.

I didn't know that. Thanks for posting the information.

[Mike W1]

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u310/Mike4245/HPIM1925_zpsfbd96318.jpg

Heck of a lot easier than pliers, and one with the allen wrench for the sprue plate.

[slim1836]

I use an "L" shaped piece of 12 gauge copper wire and vice grips to clean mine.

Slim

[h8dirt]

Sooner or later when you clean it out with a paper clip, etc., a piece of the crud will keep the stem from seating. When that happens, stand by for the pot to empty itself. Mine was so bad I kept a "kill shot" (about 5 pounds of rejects, sprues, etc.) right next to my pot so I could quickly unplug it and then "freeze" the melt by dumping in cold lead to keep it from running down my pants leg. And, I used very clean, carefully fluxed ingots ONLY. It's just a matter of time. Be ready. You can recover. But, start every casting session with a plan and materials to stop a run away pot. Don't ask me how I know. Ha!

[dikman]

h8, that's a good idea (and obvious, once you think of it - in fact, so obvious that I didn't think of it :roll:). In future I'll keep a couple of cold ingots nearby, just in case. Dropping those in should solidify the lead in the pot in nothing flat!

[kbstenberg]

H8 I fully agree. I shall start that practice.
A suggestion The sprue's have to be from a recent molding session. If they are COLD (holding moisture frost) the Tinsel Fairy mite visit

[Lead]

That's good to know but mine has been fine. But not very old either.

[tazman]

Mine is quite old. At least 30 years.

[454PB]

Dental picks work great for clearing the valve.

If you drop ingots in to stop the "free flow", how do you then repair the situation? It seems to me you're going to have to remelt it to repair.

In nearly 40 years of using Lee pots, I've never had a "runaway" like that.

[tazman]

I have never had a runaway, but I did leave a full pot to heat up one time. When I came back I found it had started dripping during the heat up cycle and dripped out about 2 pounds of lead into my catch pan.
I have always used a large cookie pan with 1 inch sides underneath my lead pot in case of spills.