Another "need a pot" thread??????

[msinc]

I started out with a steel pot and ladle and I cast a lot of bullets with that set up "back in the day"...then I went to a Lee Production Pot IV. I have used it for probably 25 years at least. It does not owe me anything, but it finally died. I had one complaint and it was constant from day one...it dripped lead. It also got restricted with junk. Not bad enough to bother casting smaller bullets {9mm, 357 mag, etc.} but it could get aggravating if casting larger stuff. It seemed like it was a constant fight to keep it flowing full capacity and not dripping. The drip didn't bother me as bad as a partial clog when casting bigger stuff. I really thought if I spent time to render dirty lead into ingots and flux it down real good that would cure my Lee pot problems, but it didn't seem to help much. I still had trouble.
Here's the main question: Does the bottom pour mechanism on more expensive pots {RCBS, Lyman, etc.} work better and solve this problem, or is it even an improvement????
Do many guys not have these pots just because of the expense, or is it that they don't solve the problem well enough to the point that many feel like they are just not worth it????
Do so many casters use {or maybe end up going back to} a ladle because this is a problem that so far has not been satisfactorily solved???? Maybe another way of asking it is, why would I choose a ladle over a bottom spout type casting rig???
Thanks in advance for any information, it is greatly appreciated....especially when I am getting ready to drop $300.00 plus on a lead pot.

[rancher1913]

I keep a wooden stick close by when casting and stir and scrape the pot every so often, all kinds of stuff comes to the top and I skim it off. never had the spout clog up while doing like this.

took a battery driver and bit that fit the end of the nipple that fits in the spout and spun it, it still drips a little but nothing like before.

[msinc]

Yeah, I mean I did all that too, but it seemed like it would still get restricted. I didn't just flux the lead when I made ingots either, I always did it when I would remelt the ingots to go ahead and cast bullets. I figure it was better to try and have good clean lead than let it scratch up my barrels. I used to have to run a small wire rod into the bottom spout to try and get the junk to free up and clear, but it would not last very long. I would completely empty the entire pot to find a little piece of junk stuck in the spout, only to have it not last very long and quickly get restricted again almost as soon as I got to casting again.
I am thinking about the ladle more and more...seems easier to just lift the little handle, but I was really always dong more than "just lift the little handle". Not even sure now if it was any quicker with the time lost to keep it cleaned out.

[lightman]

My RCBS ProMelt hardly ever drips. I did't say never, but hardy ever. It has had some nasty stuff in it. This seems to be the norm for these pots. The ancient 10# Lyman that I had back in the beginning never dripped either.

[jdfoxinc]

My dead Lyman (ruined in the fire) both dripped and clogged. Same with my Magma 40 lb. I have to take the hockey puck divider off and scrape slang out of the machined channel and opening at least every 100 hrs of casting. I bought a pin vice just to hold the drill bit I use to clean out the spouts every few hours. My Lee 20 lb I press down and rotate the valve rod back and forth pressing down lightly. This seems to control both problems.

[OS OK]

I started with a 20# Lee years ago just to keep initial expense of casting to a minimum...since, have added a PID control to the same pot for temperature control and yes...it'll drip.

If that old pot gave out I'd replace it with the same pot but this time I'd seat that valve with some valve grinding paste before the pot ever had any Pb go through and use the extra weight I've added to the handle to keep the valve shut. I would expect the valve to drip on the new one too from time to time but little drips don't bother me at all.

I have not had to pour any cast heavier than 250 grains and the Lee will deliver the volume plenty fast for that limitation. Most of the time I run it about 1/2 wide open on a full pot and have to open it near full open as I empty the pot at 1/4 lead volume inside. When I want to use all the Pb down to a smear left over, I'll put a 1" wedge under the base of the pot in the rear, tilting it forward towards the valve and that does the trick.

[Walter Laich]

My Pro-Melt, second hand to me, has never dripped (knock on wood) nor clogged

Had a Lee and know all about its fun and games

would suggest this one in a heart-beat

[country gent]

Melt your scrap down and clean good then pour into ingots for the pot, This helps to keep a lot of crud out of the casting pot giving the bottom pour a more consistant flow and removes the crud that causes drips and plugging before hand. If done with a larger pot a batch of your alloy can be bended while doing this giving a supply of ingots for the casting pot that are the same alloy. Sometimes lapping the valve on the lee pots helps stop reduce dripping, but again clean alloy is a requirement here.
Check on what each pot has to offer. Lee, RCBS, Lyman, Magma. Look atcontrolers, capacity, physical size and height. Some pots set low enough they may limit moulds that can be used. I would look at the new 20-25lb pots for the added capacity. Casting big bullets for 40-45 and 50 cal in the 400-700 grn range really empties a pot quick LOL. Take some time and research the various pots and think thru your set up and process and decide.

[Strtspdlx]

so far I have about 60lbs through my pot and it drips slow enough that with every 2nd bullet drop I can grab the little drip disk and throw it back in the pot. if I let it drop an entire session it wouldn't be an issue. and I haven't had a clog yet either. before it was every 30-40 lbs id have to take it apart and clean out the spout. what I did was reshape the angle on the seat and the pour adjuster. opened up the spout are a very small amount and chamfered the edges of the spout on every edge. so far is pours a lot smoother. doesn't clog and barely drips. ill be running another pot or so through it soon but so far I'm very satisfied. now If I could get the pour spout handle screws to stop backing out id be happy. but for $50 I will not complain. think of all the molds you could buy with the left over money, and I added a pid to it for $40. so if this one dies. it will be replaced with another lee.

[frkelly74]

When my 10 pounder slows down I run a ring shank paneling nail up the spout to clear it out. with the pot heated all the way to operating temp hold the nail in vice grips and move it in and out to clean the spout. Hold the valve open while the nail is being run in and out. I leave my ingot mold under the spout all the time anyway so it catches the drips so I can return the dripped alloy to the pot. Also I believe in ove gloves to protect my fingers whenever the pot is hot. The pots do need to be cleaned out every so often, there will be something getting trapped at the bottom sooner or later. It's all part of the fun.

[Alcast]

I have 2 Lee, a Magma 40# and a RCBS 20#.They all leak exept the RCBS(the Magma only a drop now and then).And I only use clean lead.All my smelting is done outdoors during summertime in 75# batches.So if I was going to invest in a pot and you don't cast more than say 10Kbullets /year,I'd go with the RCBS.

[bbogue1]

so far I have about 60lbs through my pot and it drips slow enough that with every 2nd bullet drop I can grab the little drip disk and throw it back in the pot. if I let it drop an entire session it wouldn't be an issue. and I haven't had a clog yet either. before it was every 30-40 lbs id have to take it apart and clean out the spout. what I did was reshape the angle on the seat and the pour adjuster. opened up the spout are a very small amount and chamfered the edges of the spout on every edge. so far is pours a lot smoother. doesn't clog and barely drips. ill be running another pot or so through it soon but so far I'm very satisfied. now If I could get the pour spout handle screws to stop backing out id be happy. but for $50 I will not complain. think of all the molds you could buy with the left over money, and I added a pid to it for $40. so if this one dies. it will be replaced with another lee.

I, too, found my Lee Pro 4 pot dripped. I drilled out the spout so it was just a tiny bit larger then lapped the mating surface where the rod meets the top of the spout. That stopped it, took a while with my drill motor and lapping compound to assure it would seal and hold water without dripping. The other thing I do is really flux my alloy in another pot with sawdust (read Fryxells "Ingot to Target" book) Then when I am melting and pouring in my Lee Pro 4 I keep sawdust char on top to prevent oxidation and I do stir it in deeply every so often. After stirring I remove the char, the unwanted contaminant and throw some more sawdust on top to make new char. I rarely let the molten lead level get below half a pot and I check the rod adjustment often. Still drips, but, not anywhere as much and the flow volume is more than adequate. Yes I do find the handle seems to drift upwards at times don't know why.

[merlin101]

I didn't just flux the lead when I made ingots either, I always did it when I would remelt the ingots to go ahead and cast bullets. I figure it was better to try and have good clean lead than let it scratch up my barrels. a.

Maybe that's your problem, I never put anything but clean lead in my casting pot!

[msinc]

Maybe that's your problem, I never put anything but clean lead in my casting pot!

Thanks for all the replies so far fellas!!!! The quoted statement above is correct and I totally agree...sorry, I misled or confused you guys when I wrote it...when I said I didn't just flux it when I made ingots what I mean by that is whenever I get lead I first render it into ingots and I do not do this in my casting pot. I have a 30 pound pot that I melt with a propane burner. I do this outside and flux it down several times as it is usually fairly dirty. Once I get it fluxed out good and junk quits floating up I go ahead and cast it into 1 and 2 pound ingots. I consider this relatively clean lead, at least about as clean as I can get it and this is the only lead that goes into my "bullet casting" Lee pot. I flux with Brownell's flux and also with sawdust. As I said, stuff quits floating up eventually, but because the spout has always still gotten occluded I am sure the lead is not perfectly clean.
I don't mind so much the price of the RCBS or some others, but I'd sure hate it if after dropping $300.00 on a pot the spout still got puked up and ran slow. I also think now looking back I probably should have never mentioned the fact that the pot I have drips....sorry again to have confused you guys. It did drip and drip constantly and I know I wrote that this was a problem. I would like to retract that statement, if you will permit me and say that it is really just an aggravation. I would love to allow whatever new pot I acquire to happily "drip on".....so long as the spout doesn't occlude. Again, thanks a million for all the info and replies, and as always, it is greatly appreciated.

[gwpercle]

I had similar experiences with bottom pour Lee Production Pot and due to the fact I could never cast as many near perfect boolits with the bottom pour as I could with a ladle and pressure casting, I went back to basics.
A new Lee Magmum Melter that is rated for 20 lbs. and a new Lyman ladle with a longer handle .

I can cast more keepers in a session than I ever could with that bottom pour. No drip, no clog , no interruptions for adjustments.... The open pot and ladle get the job done the best, pressure casting gets the best boolits and I have more control of alloy flow.
Sometimes getting back to basics just works best.
Gary

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The Lee pots work fine for me.

First thing, do you scrape the bottom of you pot with a charred wood stick? that can leave behind char chunks and they can migrate into the spout during a casting session and clog the spout.

Also, if you are using Marvelux in your Lee pot, that can cause problems with spout clogging as well

[David2011]

msinc,

It sounds like your ingots are carrying contamination into the melt. If that's the case changing pots won't help, of course. Are you fluxing with sawdust when smelting and when casting? If not, that might help.

The Pro Melt is very durable. Mine is a 1980 or older model. I got it from a friend that I met in 1981 after he was longer able to use it. He had it when we met, already well used. It developed a drip about 5 years ago that cleaning would not fix. RCBS sent me a new pot liner and valve stem at no charge. They would have replaced it for me but I told them I considered it an easy DIY repair so they agreed to ship the parts. All I had to do was remove and replace a few pop rivets It's good as new.

[msinc]

Thanks for the replies fellas....to answer some of the latest questions: I do flux with sawdust when I am smelting into ingots. I do this outside and don't mind the burned wood smoke. I do not flux with sawdust when casting because I am doing this in my attached shop and it would smoke up the house. I use Marvelux when I am actually casting and also do not scrape the pot when casting bullets with a charred stick for the same reason. When in the house and actually casting I always stir the pot a lot with a metal spoon like utensil, but I really don't get a lot of slag rising up. Not saying the ingots are not still dirty though, it seems like no matter how much I stir or flux there are always some impurities that just don't want to leave it.
I have to say that I had no idea the Marvelux could clog up the spout...seemed like it worked pretty good for me when I used it, but then again the spout was semi clogging. It never locked up and wouldn't pour, it would just slow down to the point I couldn't get lead to run fast enough to get good totally filled out bullets. One other thing I usually do and this is probably more "old habit" than anything else, I also flux with a lump of Alox bullet lube or sometimes just a piece of candle wax. This always catches on fire and smokes a lot as I stir it in, but it does seem to get more impurities out too. So I am fluxing wiht three different things, first I use the sawdust which seems to get the most stuff up to the top. But then again it should as this is the first one. Then I use the Marvelux and this always gets stuff up too, but it honestly looks more like just burned Marvelux. Then I do the wax or bullet lube and see some fine stuff come up. At this point I stir it a lot and usually don't end up getting much of anything else. I always worry that impurities left behind will scratch up my barrels.
I have the stuff to try using a pot and ladle, I cast many bullets that way when I first started out and thinking back I did get a lot of them that were good. The bottom spout is faster and makes it seem like you are getting something done, but I do throw a lot back to cycle again. I would like to find an old Pro Melt for sale, they must be pretty good, I sure don't see them for sale very often.
Thanks again for all the replies and info!!!!!

[Grmps]

I am pretty sure that If you mail the dead pot back to Lee they will send you a new one for 50% off.
Call first to confirm. I'd ask them if they would give you $43 off a PRO 4 20LB 110V for your broken pot

If you light the sawdust on fire you get almost no smoke
I use first a potato masher to get the burnt sawdust mixed completely through the lead then I use a wire wisp to finish the "blending" I end up with a fine grainy layer on top which helps prevent oxidation and splash from returning cut sprues to the pot.

[Geezer in NH]

https://www.titanreloading.com/lee-precision-reloading-equipment/lee-service-parts/mold-and-melter-parts

All the parts you need to fix it is available.

[msinc]

https://www.titanreloading.com/lee-precision-reloading-equipment/lee-service-parts/mold-and-melter-parts

All the parts you need to fix it is available.

Thank you very much for posting this link....I have ordered the parts to try and fix the pot I have. I will also try out ladle casting and see how that goes. Thanks again to all that posted info, it is greatly appreciated!!!!!

[wv109323]

My experience is that bottom pour is excellent for multi-cavity boolits under 250 gn. Large boolits like 500 gn. May benefit from ladle casting. My thoughts are that you can get the lead into a large cavity faster and with some "pressure head" with a ladle than bottom pour.

[msinc]

My experience is that bottom pour is excellent for multi-cavity boolits under 250 gn. Large boolits like 500 gn. May benefit from ladle casting. My thoughts are that you can get the lead into a large cavity faster and with some "pressure head" with a ladle than bottom pour.

Yes sir, I hadn't really gave it much thought because up until recently most of my casting was 357 magnum and 44 magnum six cavity molds, but now I am casting Hammerhead slugs and from what I am gathering here the ladle sounds like the way to go. I am not looking to cast a whole bunch of slugs real fast either so I think I will have to hunt up my old ladle and give it a go. Thanks for the info!!!