Lee 20 lb pot

[Taylor]

sucks[smilie=b:

[gnostic]

That's my thinking about the Lee 420 drip-o-matic. I left mine out in the hope it quits working, so I can throw it away in good conscience...

[myg30]

Taylor, What part of Tennessee are you in ? I'll help you with it or take it off your hands ?
There are lots of simple things to stop the dripping and or slow it down where it's not a problem.
PM me and I'll do my best to help you out.

Mike

[WFO2]

So far " knock Wood " mine has worked fine for 4 casting sessions so far .

[rancher1913]

had trouble with mine when it was new, put a power screwdriver on the part that opens and closes to let the lead out, think valve grinding, and it has worked like a champ ever since.

[OS OK]

It's a Lee Product...just needs a little TLC...whats new?...what's the beef?

[Vinne]

It's made very well for the price.

[Garyshome]

I'm currently looking for a drip o matic. If the $ is right.

[Tenbender]

All I can afford ! :Fire:

[yancey]

My 10 pound pot leaked like crazy. The 20 pound ,no problem in three years

[rmatchell]

The new style is a great improvement over the old. All lee equipment needs a lil work but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a lee pot

[bangerjim]

Have used 2 of the 4-20's for years without any problems or drips. Guess you guys don't know how to hold your mouths right!!!!! :groner:

[buggybuilder]

Mine leaks like a sieve. I drained it this aft. Going to clean it out. Where do you guys put the valve grinding compound? Do I need to take it apart? Also the screw (on the old model) that is on the outer wall of the pot keeps coming out...any remedy?

[Valley-Shooter]

I used mine on Monday and it's was leaking bad. I turn the adjustment a couple of turns to slow down the pour and it stop leaking. I must have tried to make it pour faster last time I used it. I was making big bullets last month.

[Gliden07]

I really have not had any problems with mine yet? Hope it stays like this but who knows? Love to buy a better pot but for $70 ish it fills a void and is way better for me than the dipper pot I was using!

[DerekP Houston]

I really have not had any problems with mine yet? Hope it stays like this but who knows? Love to buy a better pot but for $70 ish it fills a void and is way better for me than the dipper pot I was using!

Mine worked fine with a bit of tweaking but I often get called away and found the infamous drip sculptures. I upgraded and sold mine to another fella who didnt mind the tinkering. Seemed like a decent enough product and it has its flaws but works well for what it is.

[Freightman]

I forgot and left mine on for over a week up as high as it will go, never leaked and it is at least 15 years old, you do need to clean them every once in a while couple times a year and NEVER NEVER PUT DIRTY w-w OR SCRAP IN THEM.

[ghh3rd]

I've been tempted to sell my lead drips as art :-)

[DerekP Houston]

I've been tempted to sell my lead drips as art :-)

if you have a flat surface they work great, it eventually stops at the hole and ceases dripping. In my case they slowly fall over and just make a bigger mess ;). Again great product for the price point and without it I probably wouldn't have started casting. I am an enthusiast in most things so I tend to upgrade once I have a feel for the hobby.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

when was the last time you cleaned it I drain and boil my pot once a year works good for me my pot is going on 10 years now

[DerekP Houston]

when was the last time you cleaned it I drain and boil my pot once a year works good for me my pot is going on 10 years now

before I sold it, I tried all the tricks on this board. I drained it multiple times, I tried leaving it full. I scrubbed it out with a toxic substance (dissolving lead creates lead acetate iirc) and I tried twisting the know til I was blue in the face. i was told my ingots must be dirty so i refluxed everything emptied the pot and started over. Incremental changes that added up to diddly squat over the next hours casting session. My anger levels and frustration being what they are, I decided to upgrade. I literally turned on my lee pot...watched the drip slowly for awhile and then pour it molten in to the new one and have had none of the above issues. Without my lee I'd probably still be buying bullets or factory ammo, I learned to time between the drips and slow it down to a tolerable level. My patience and excitement waned over time until I got up and did something about it.

[mold maker]

In over 17 years mine has only made 3 tiny Christmas trees. As soon as I turned the rod it lost its artistic abilities. Now all I have is a dependable furnace.

[ryan28]

I have a Lee 4-20 pot I bought to try out on my 530 grain bullet molds. It did not leak when I boiled water in it, and not lead either, but I could not get good bullets using the bottom pour, compared to my usual ladle casting method.
I drilled out the spout to increase the flow, and now it leaks water, but still no lead leaks.
Bullets are no better though, so I am going to plug the spout, remove the handle, and use it for a second ladle casting pot.

[40sand9s]

I cast around 300 lee 1oz slugs last Friday without a single drip on the first time I used it. The next night I cast about 1000 9mm and 45 without a drip. Then on Sunday it started fine, then just kept dripping splattering little specks of lead all over the driveway. I would keep turning the valve and if you got to the sweet spot which seemed to be within a mm it would slow. I took a break to add more lead and melt it down though and it completely stopped so who knows. We'll see how this works but as others have said I probably wouldn't have started without the low price to get started.

[1_Ogre]

On my Lee lead pot, I keep a screw driver handy and as soon as the lead in the pot melts, I use the screw driver and rotate the spigot rod left and right a few times. Sometimes you get a grit of sand or something like that in the spout and that creates drips. Most times you can use a rawhide mallet (what I use to knock the sprue cutter off) and give the rod a gentle tap which also reduces the drip.

[Taylor]

Taylor, What part of Tennessee are you in ? I'll help you with it or take it off your hands ?
There are lots of simple things to stop the dripping and or slow it down where it's not a problem.
PM me and I'll do my best to help you out.

Mike


Back from a short trip to the New England state of Rhode Island.Now I can get caught up.Well I'm north of you about 50 miles.My problem is not that it drips,I have 3 Lee pots and they don't drip.My issue with the 20 pounder is that the spout is too far back,I have to sit down and cast.I like seeing the spout but don't like 20 lbs of hot lead above me.

[Andy]

I lapped mine with valve grinding compound before using it (bought new) and it didn't drip. Leaked water before lapping and didn't after so I imagine the fit is the issue. Started dripping again a year later (might have just been debris in there but not sure) so I did it again and it is fine again. I leave an ingot mold under the spout anyway to catch runoff from the mold so it wouldn't bother me much unless it fouled (early drip) a cast bullet before I pulled the lever, and it hasn't done that yet as when it started dripping it was a very slow drip.

I feel like it is a good value for the $80 but will be glad to move to the RCBS I'm about to get.

[MT Chambers]

Do whatever you want, go upstairs for a drink while casting and you will come back down to a mess, guaranteed!!

[JWFilips]

Only Use super clean alloy in the pot and don't use any wooden stir sticks or sawdust and they work perfect! 5 years without a problem in my 20 lb pot

[Moonie]

My first pot was a 10 pounder, many years ago. I've been using a 4-20 for about 10 years, this past Friday I received a new Lyman 25. Looking forward to trying it out on my new Accurate Arms 147gr PC 9mm mold.

[solderboy]

I am thinking of upgrading to a Lee 20LBer. should do this valve grinding compound thing before I fill it with lead? where can I get valve grinding compound?

[SteveS]

You can get valve grinding compound at any auto parts store and a lot of hardware stores.

I've been using a Lee 4-20 for a couple of years now with zero problems so I wouldn't bother lapping the stem until needed but it probably wont hurt to go ahead and do it on a new one.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I used my buddy's Lee Drip-O-Matic for a few months. It frustrated me. I use the regular one (no bottom pour) with a PID controller now. Works great. Empties fast when I pour heavy bullets for the .45-70.

[dannyd]

I have 4 twenty pound and two 10 pound. Never had all that much trouble with them.
But if you don't like them buy an rcbs 335.00 on Amazon.

[ryan28]

I am thinking of upgrading to a Lee 20LBer. should do this valve grinding compound thing before I fill it with lead? where can I get valve grinding compound?

I suggest boiling some water in it first, if it doesn't leak water, it shouldn't leak lead. Why fix something that ain't broke?

[DerekP Houston]

I am thinking of upgrading to a Lee 20LBer. should do this valve grinding compound thing before I fill it with lead? where can I get valve grinding compound?

Shouldn't need it brand new if the rod seals well. It will require a tweak every now and then, when the dripping gets bad is time to bust out the grinding compound. Typically something gets stuck in the spout and stops it from seating all the way. I've seen recommendations to add a bit more weight on the rod to assist with thia, or drill and tap a wooden ball so you can spin the rod without grabbing a crew driver each time.

They do work fairly well.

[solderboy]

Good info, when I get to ordering one, to replace my 10lb pot, I'll give it a try before I worry about it leaking.

Another question, does a PID really make a big difference?
I see many comments on other threads stating it does, but why?

[TenTea]

My old 10 pound Lee pot leaks a little...
My newer 20 pound Lee pot leaks a little...

...right into an ingot mold.

No bother: Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things! :bigsmyl2:

[DerekP Houston]

Good info, when I get to ordering one, to replace my 10lb pot, I'll give it a try before I worry about it leaking.

Another question, does a PID really make a big difference?
I see many comments on other threads stating it does, but why?

Depends on your goals. Goodsteel made a really good post here before he left about consistency in casting. PID takes the guess work out of the temperature control and having to adjust while casting. My personal favorite part is I don't have to just wait around watching it heat up. I have a nice digital display that tells me the exact temp and I know when it is ready by the light. I cast just fine without it for awhile but like previously mentioned sometimes I feel like upgrading and just go for it. I also use it for my oven when baking hitek or powdercoated rounds as it is more accurate than my $20 toaster oven.

I've had much easier time casting now and it is more enjoyable for me, for some that is not worth the extra cost. The lead is always 700f now and the oven sits a 400f with no guesswork or watching. Just trying to take out any variables in my casting to improve technique. Some of my molds like the lead a bit hotter so it is an easy matter of just hitting the up arrow to 750f and go back to casting. When I add ingots to refill, just watch the light until it is ready.


TenTea makes a great point, if you can modify where you have the base/lee 4-20 setup just put a tray or container to catch the drips. Mine is a leftover marble outdoor table so I went a different route.

[flyingrhino]

I lapped mine lightly. unscrewed the handle, stacked a bunch of washers on it and reinstalled the handle. the little bit of weight and the lapping solved all my issues. Very rarely a drip now.