Lee 4 20 Leaking suddenly

[trapper44shooter]

I was casting today & I went to get me a drink & when I got back I found that my Lee 4 20 was empty so I got up all of that spilled lead & re melted backdown & give it a good fluxing & it cast some very nice looking RB I wonder why it just poured out like that for no reason so now if i leave it I screw the flow & turn it off My Lee 4 20 is a good casting furnace just a hiccup I guess :o:o

[Bazoo]

Leads trying to make a run for it. Welcome to the world of bottom pour pots.

You can tell I'm a ladle caster I bet. :grin:

[ReloaderFred]

Some debris got caught between the stop rod and the edge of the hole and kept it partially open. It never happens at a good time, but turn your back for a minute and that's when it's going to pounce.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[slim1836]

put a small fridge in the room.

Slim

[Oily]

Don't leave your pot unattended. Or you will incur the wrath of the lead gods and you will suffer. Most of have even if we don't admit it

[CastingFool]

Ah, it was just trying to tell you it missed you.

[jsizemore]

You took a bathroom break so it did too.

[robg]

lead at the bottom of the pot melts and expands first pushing up the valve .had that happen last week luckily i came back in time to push down on the valve and stop the flow.

[onelight]

Lesson in that . Place an ingot mold or pot under the spout if you leave it unattended for even a few minutes.

[Digger]

Little tidbit that has helped me is I found a couple of heavy oversize washers that I slipped on behind the little wooden handle ...
Making the entire plug mechanism a little bit heavier ...
cuts down on the number of leaking incidents that I have encountered.

[Budzilla 19]

On the Lee 4-20 pot sometimes the little “ guide rods” for the bottom pour spout will loosen up on the bottom and hang up the slide rod. I may not be describing the screws I’m talking about correctly, but I hoped this helps. They are just long extended screws with a sleeve for the slide to slide on. Hahahaha clear as mud now??? Good luck

[Mal Paso]

On the Lee 4-20 pot sometimes the little “ guide rods” for the bottom pour spout will loosen up on the bottom and hang up the slide rod. I may not be describing the screws I’m talking about correctly, but I hoped this helps. They are just long extended screws with a sleeve for the slide to slide on. Hahahaha clear as mud now??? Good luck

The bottom Shoulder Bolt backs out and the Valve Arm Assembly hangs on the shoulder and you can't shut the lead flow off. Perfectly clear,

[DukeConnors]

Was your mould sitting on top of pot to heat it ? This happened to me. The mould was putting pressure on the handle. When the lead melted out it came.