What was I thinking........or was I?

[Joel Chavez]

I’ve been playing with lead for about 15yrs now casting mainly 38/357, 45 and some 30cal boolits using a Lee 10lbs pot with a ladle. To say it was a slow process is an understatement lol. Last week Lee sent me the parts I was lacking to convert back my melting pot to bottom pour. Man, what was I thinking pouring with a ladle......or was I? This bottom pour business is awesome and has quickly spoiled me. My production rate has skyrocketed to the point that I’m having fun casting again. By the way, I plugged the spout from day one after buying the Lee pot and never did use it cuz I had read all the negative reviews it had about dipping. After receiving the new parts(Thanks Lee Precision) I lapped the valve rod to the spout and it dripped maybe twice in a 4hr casting session. So much for heeding bad reviews lol. What was I thinking........

[Binky]

I have used a ladle but mostly a bottom pore. A time and a place for both. All bottom pore pots will become a Drip - O- Matic if you don't stay on top of it.

[Targa]

Yeh, people make a big deal of the dripping. I couldn’t care less about it, I just pick up the accumulated lead that dripped during a casting session and put it back in the pot.

[AlHunt]

I've always bottom poured but recently switched from pressure casting with the mold tight to the spout to the more free flowing method of holding the mold down about a half inch, riding on the mold guide. What a speed difference! Plus those full size sprues are fast and easy to drop back in the pot.

Then I read a day or so ago that I'm even using the mold guide wrong! Evidently I'm supposed to adjust it to ride on the shelf AND against the side of the guide.

Funny how old dogs learn new tricks, isn't it?

[Winger Ed.]

[QUOTE=Joel Chavez; So much for heeding bad reviews lol. What was I thinking........[/QUOTE]

You were probably thinking everyone is smart enough to make a honest and valid review.

I always go through the bad reviews on stuff. Some are good, and some are even funny.

You do have to sort through a few written by people that don't know what they are doing,
may not be smart enough to feed themselves, and/or the problem is not the fault of the equipment.

I seen one star reviews given on products due to late deliveries, and even freight damage during transport.

[upnorthwis]

I put a tablespoon under spout for the occasional drip. Would never go back to ladle casting.

[Joel Chavez]

So after several hours of bottom pour casting(I’m loving it!) the Lee 10lbs’er only dripped 3 tiny drops. I guess lapping the valve rod was the secret all along lol. I casted well over 1k of 9mm freedom pills and about 150 SWC for the 686. I did have a few instances where the spout stopped pouring, but I figured out that my lead wasn’t up to proper temp. Once the pot was nice and hot it ran smooth and consistent. Man, what was I thinking........

[Mitch]

LOL like said above the ladel has its place to but the bottom pour is fast.Next you will want a bigger pot lol

[Joel Chavez]

Next you will want a bigger pot lol

Now that you mentioned it.......

[lightman]

Many of us started with a ladle and moved on to a bottom pour pot. Others have stayed with the ladle and swear by it. It would be great if a new caster was able to try both ways before purchasing equipment.

[nvbirdman]

If 100 people are using a piece of equipment and five of them have a problem you will hear five percent complaints and ninety-five percent silence.

[Garyshome]

ladle? Isn't that something you use with gravy?

[Garyshome]

So after several hours of bottom pour casting(I’m loving it!) the Lee 10lbs’er only dripped 3 tiny drops. I guess lapping the valve rod was the secret all along lol. I casted well over 1k of 9mm freedom pills and about 150 SWC for the 686. I did have a few instances where the spout stopped pouring, but I figured out that my lead wasn’t up to proper temp. Once the pot was nice and hot it ran smooth and consistent. Man, what was I thinking........

No bragging!:brokenima

[onelight]

If 100 people are using a piece of equipment and five of them have a problem you will hear five percent complaints and ninety-five percent silence.

That is a true statement.

[Joel Chavez]

ladle? Isn't that something you use with gravy?

I’ll have a special one this coming Thanksgiving thanks to bottom pouring hehehe.

[Geezer in NH]

I have not used a ladle since 1978 when I bought my first bottom pour furnace made by Lee. I spill more lead pouring than it ever leaked. An ingot mold under catches all that misses the mold.

[onelight]

Most of my spout problems went away when I quit draining the pot through the spout when I get down low if I am done casting I pick it up and pour the remainder into an ingot mold and any trash that was missed after fluxing and skimming does not go into the spout. I store mine empty most of the time .

[Joel Chavez]

Most of my spout problems went away when I quit draining the pot through the spout when I get down low if I am done casting I pick it up and pour the remainder into an ingot mold and any trash that was missed after fluxing and skimming does not go into the spout. I store mine empty most of the time .

I’m storing mine full at the moment, but if the occasional drip becomes problematic I’ll consider draining after every use. Thanks for the insight.

[gpidaho]

I might be in the spot of believing the 5% but I don't drain my pot to empty anymore unless there was a contamination of some sort. I believe it may cause the heat elements to fail prematurely from over heating the elements. Gp

[onelight]

I used to store mine with lead in but a time or two when heating if back up it started running out of the spout and no way to stop it until it melted enough to move the lever :( .

[dtknowles]

I used to store mine with lead in but a time or two when heating if back up it started running out of the spout and no way to stop it until it melted enough to move the lever :( .

I had that happen once to so I put my ingot mold under the spout when it is warming up. I still leave it full.

Tim

[robg]

i put my pot on an oven tray and have an ingot mold underneath the spout to catch the odd drip.

[Land Owner]

What a hoot ==> yesterday, for no particular reason while flipping radio channels (ordinarily rock & heavy metal preferred), for the first time I heard "What Was I Thinkin'", by American country music artist Dierks Bentley - that made me lol...

[Bird]

I used to store mine with lead in but a time or two when heating if back up it started running out of the spout and no way to stop it until it melted enough to move the lever :( .

Its best to screw in the valve while the lead is molten, then when you fire it up next time, it will not leak.....at least if its for a lee pot. Not sure about other pots.

[Joel Chavez]

What a hoot ==> yesterday, for no particular reason while flipping radio channels (ordinarily rock & heavy metal preferred), for the first time I heard "What Was I Thinkin'", by American country music artist Dierks Bentley - that made me lol...

Now that’s some funny stuff right there son! LOL

[rintinglen]

When you first lap the rod, you get a perfect seal, or at least a nearly perfect seal. But over time, dirt, debris and odd metals inadvertently mixed in your alloy aggregate on the sides of the spout and on the valve and you get drips. Big Deal. Clean 'em up and toss 'em in the pot and someday those drips will get to be boolits too. If it gets real bad, drain the pot and give it a good scouring.

Now, if you are casting in the kitchen, as I once did, the splatters and drips become a real problem. Momma doesn't want lead on her stove top. I kept my spout clean then.