Unintended consequences

[MR CHEN]

I've just learned a hard lesson. Never leave your pot unattended!

292175

This has probably happened before, just not to me.

I'm not sure I can save it. There's an ingot mold trapped under there, all the hardware for the mold guide is covered, and one leg of the pot. What a mess.

[almar]

You probably can save it. It's just going to be a lot of work with a propane torch. Sorry man,.

[Baltimoreed]

Gravity is a bitch.

[osage]

I had a much, much smaller leak earlier this week when 10 pounder got up to temp faster then I expected. I was happy to be close by.

[Winger Ed.]

No big deal.

Torch it away from the legs, pry it up with a screw driver from back to front, hammer it down so it'll fit back in the pot.

(Don't ask how I learned this)

[nhyrum]

Yep... Been there, done that. I've had the whole 20lbs leak out... I think on that one I hit it with a weed burner for a bit over a cookie sheet I use. Usually a small propane torch does the trick

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[fastdadio]

Torch it off, done it before. Now I always leave a bread loaf pan under the spout went I'm stepping away. I always keep it close at hand also in case I get a spout stuck open. Had that happen once also.

[MR CHEN]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'm going to give them a try.

[RKJ]

I've done it too. An minor aggravation once you get over the freak out. Like already said, use a propane torch and screwdriver it'll come up pretty easy.

[Mal Paso]

Remove the screws from the bottom of the baseplate and it will come off.

[Taterhead]

It's an interesting piece of art!

Great advice above. A little elbow grease and applied heat should get you back in business.

[Valley-Shooter]

I guess I've been lucky, haven't done that yet.
I have melted a couple ingots warming on a hot plate.

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[1Hawkeye]

Don't feel bad its salvageble and you are now officially a caster.

[Mitch]

LOL yet is the key.

2nd the cookie sheet or cake pan and torch till it drops out.

Might be a good time to empty the lee and lap the valve.

[Boogieman]

I put the pot in a roaster pan , about 1 i/2" deep. That will catch a whole pot full, it also gets any drips. mine is wide enough to catch the sprues whenYou cut them

[jimb16]

You aren't the first and most certainly won't be the last!

[charlie b]

Yep. I use a cookie sheet to cast in. The kind with a raised edge all the way around. When casting it is handy to just drop the sprues on the sheet as well.

[Martin Luber]

What Mal said, the mound isn't firmly attached to the base. The whole shebang will slide out.

[Three44s]

The main thing is you are not stuck down under that mess!

That would be very bad!

Just kidding, have a great Thanksgiving!

Three44s

[45-70 Chevroner]

Yep, been there done that. Luckily I had the 20 pounder setting in a large cookie sheet. The lead just kind of ran out and formed a large cookie (pun intended) about a 1/4 inch thick so it was easy to break it up from around the posts. Lessons learned, never leave it unattended.

[kayala]

That’s the reason I’ve bought ingot mold - I just always keep it under the spout.

[Walks]

I've never had this happen to Me, but then I don't use Lee pots. I've had it go in the other direction.

I have had a pot "Geyser" on Me.
The pot, an RCBS Pro-Melt had been left full when put away about 10yrs previously. I set it up on the outdoor patio and FORGOT to put an inverted ingot mold over the top. Went to dig out other casting gear, came back to "Sparklies" all over roof and floor of patio.
Just really glad no one was out on the patio at the time.

[405grain]

I got tired of my Lee pot dripping all the time, so I put in a longer screw to hold on the mechanism that lifts the pointed rod out of the spout, then put a washer and a spring between the mechanism and the screw head. Now there's a spring pushing the rod into the spout and the drip has diminished greatly. I keep a small pan on the base under the spout anyway to catch any stray drips and overflows when I'm filling a mold.

[PopcornSutton]

That happened once to me with my LEE. I turned it on to heat, and went about getting other things ready. When I came back there was a pile of lead under it. I like the spring idea!

[smithnframe]

When I bought my RCBS 20 pound pot about 10 years ago I turned it on got it filled with a Linotype mix with no problem. Went into the reloading room to get some molds and came out and the pot was empty! Since then I call it the Leakomatic!

[georgerkahn]

A "plus" to above-posts and comments. One thing I might add is I had a much smaller pile from a leak years back, and it seemed there was no easy way to address it. I got the bright idea of using a grinder wheel on a Dremel to make "cuts" into the now hardened lead, and it was incredible how few "back-and-forths" plus "wiggles" with a minus-head screwdriver it took for the lead to readily break off and be removed. I did not wear any face-mask back then -- but in retrospect it may have been a wise addition. Good luck!
geo

[bedbugbilly]

I tried on of these bottom pour melters - once. Exactly why I hate bottom ours . . been a dipper for 60 years and will continue with my trustee Lyman bottom pour ladle and pot. For those that use the bottom pour pots - have all the respect in the world for you!

[Dusty Bannister]

From the looks of things, you may have had more than half the pot filled with solid alloy when you turned it on. As the melt warmed, it expanded and the solid alloy in the center of the pot lifted the rod off the valve seat allowing the liquid to escape. Starting with the top of the alloy about where the heating element is located reduces the likelihood of that happening. The "cap" will melt before the rod can be lifted off the valve seat.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

As others have done I've picked up a ladle and never looked back. The amount of time I wasted messing with the bottom pours I have more than made up for with the ladle.

[charlie b]

I guess if I spent time 'tweaking' the bottom pour I would have changed to a ladle as well. So far I don't have to mess with it. Just turn it on, wait for everything to get to temp, and start casting. And it is a Lee. FWIW, I usually have a 3/4 full pot when I turn it on.