Crud On My Pot...Help!

[shooterchris]

I have a Lee 220 volt pro 4 furnace, and there is starting to be some crust building up on the sides of the pot. I have been using the pot for about a year and it is my first one, so I am still a beginner. I know that there are probably some solutions to getting my pot clean again, but i just don't know any. Also the crust is sticking to the rod that operates the bottom pour valve and affecting the pour rate....too slow. I have to find a solution before I cast anymore, and any help would be appreciated.

[docone31]

You simply scrape it into the melt and it floats up to the top.
It is common for slag to adhere to the sides, corners, the rod, along the bottom. I have an old long small screwdriver to do just that.
Then, toss in some Kitty Litter on top of the melt. Gunk adheres to it.

[shooterchris]

I don't have kitty litter, but I do have marvelux and some gulf wax will those do well enough?

[docone31]

I would rather see something carbon replaceing Kitty litter. Toss in some sawdust, or sticks. The carbon residue will attract slag, and the carbon will reduce in the melt.
Gulf wax does ok, but carbon does great!

[felix]

Marvelux works fine. Use very little, like a 1/4 teaspoon. Yes, stir around using a resinous stick, like a flat pine paint stick. Any kind of carbon, or carbon making stuff works well. The heat of the lead makes carbon and oxygen combine readily. A lead mix is fluxed good when all oxygen buried within the mix has been stolen by the carbon, and exhausted by CO1, or CO2 gas. ... felix

[TexRebel]

use saw dust instead of kitty litter, and if you are working out doors a small dab or used motor oil is also ok

[462]

Scrape the sides, bottom, and rod with a piece of DRY wood, twig, Most any thin or stick. Paint stir sticks are great -- and free.

[briang]

I seem to remember reading something about Marvelux making the pots rust.

[oneokie]

+1 on the sawdust. Another thing to use is crushed charcoal briquettes.

[Charlie Sometimes]

The crust is probably the Marvelux. Stop using it. Scrape your pot and use the paraffin (burn off the fumes) to clear out the remaining crust over time- even if you scrap, it will still leave residue for a while. Drain your pot and scrape and brush it every so often, too- until the funk is gone. Then begin using the sawdust or some such after everything gets right again.

The paint stir sticks have rosin in them- rosin is a good flux. Works good, too, but they burn up quick. Get a lot and keep them dry- they are FREE (like 462 said). I've never used the charcoal, but sounds promising, too.

I used Marvelux many years ago, and because it did what it is doing to you, I stopped. It draws moisture, and rust the pot (like briang said), and builds crust even when you're not using the pot if moisture is present. I'm sorry I ever used it. It caused all kinds of problems.

[HeavyMetal]

Marvelux will cause corrosion on steel after its use!

The corrosion looks very simialar to what you see on battery terminals and will act as an insulator and keep your pot from getting hot enough!

For this reason I stopped using Marvelux in my casting pots and regulated it to smelting / alloying projects that I run in my large dutch oven outside!

The only way to fix your pot is to heat it up and then drain it! When it is cool put on a very good dust mask, not the cheap ones from Home Depot, buy an MSA approved one at Harbor Freight for $20.00 and then put a small 1 1/2 inch wire wheel in a cordless drill and wire brush that pot out until it's as clean as new!

Boolit lube is a lousey flux, Marvelux works great but you will do this wire brush cleaning several time a year if you continue to use and it and cast a lot.

Candle wax is a joke, I've never used Bees wax so can't comment, currently I've tried sawdust, DRY, with very good success as well as a wooden dowel to stir and flux. Some day I will try Kitty litter and see how it works.

I also have a flux sold by guy here in LA that deals in lead alloys, Fred Green, and this works very well also. Mr. Green runs an ad in Handloader and sells lead alloys for the shooting industry as well as the old style print shops. He's based in, are you ready for this?, Beverly Hills!

I like his flux because I watched him use it to clean a Lee pot that had been "contaminated" with Marvelux. He droped two chunk's the size of a Hershey's Kiss in a table spoon floated that on the melt in the pot and as soon as it was a liquid poured it on the outside rim area and scraped off the Marvelux crust and any crap that was stuck to it!

Pretty impressive!

I will always have a stick or two of this flux on hand no matter what!

[runfiverun]

use the marvelux in the smelting pot.
i use it in my pots when casting in the garage in the winter.
just consistently scrape your pot well stir in the marvelux well.
i now mainly use it as an oxygen barrier,it does attract moisture though not a big deal out west but in other areas it causes problems.
charcoal works as well coal dust does too just something carbon in nature will do.
an old dry stick from the back yard works too if thats what you have.

[454PB]

I've used Marvelux for 25 years in my Lee casting pots. They are doing just fine, and have no more "rusting" than they do using carbon source flux.

The crud build-up happens regardless of the flux used, or even if no flux is used. Actually, the crud may protect the pot steel liner from rust.

[cheese1566]

Is the MidwayUSA fluxing compound the same thing as Marvelux, just different trade names? I know they are for the same purpose, just wondering if they are the same chemical composition.

I noticed some of the "rusty crud" using the Midway brand also, but only a little bit now after dumping some of Lars's Red Carnuba lubed bullets back into the melt. I think I alos took the time to do more scraping. But I still prefer the Midway stuff compared to the old lube -less stink and no smoke!

[shotman]

same thing you can also get it at a welding supply place. If you get pot empty and sand blast it and paint with the Hi temp grill paint will help for a long time

[runfiverun]

mule team boraxo is about the same stuff as the marvelux.
the contents are borax which makes a nice glass type covering to the melt if sprinkeled on and left to sit.

[SteelyNirvana]

Pour some white vinegar in there and let it sit for about a week. White Vinegar is some good (and cheap) stuff. I soaked one of my rusty and crusty cast iron pots in it, came out looking like a new one.

[BPCR Bill]

I agree that no matter what you use for flux you're going to get the crud in your pot. Every few months I make sure I pour out all the alloy, let the pot cool and put a wire brush on my cordless screwdriver. I wire brush all the crud out and go over everthing with a piece of emery cloth. The other trick I have is if I leave just a bit of melt in the pot, I can drop a large bolt in it head first and let the alloy cool. Lift the lead slug right out. This crud build up seems to get on my ladle as well, and along with a wire hand brush to clean that, I put some charcoal dust in the ladle and burn it out with a propane torch. Cleans it right up. I find that if you let this garbage build up in your pot over time it is one of the things that will start to affect the quality of your boolits. Once I have that thing clean, my boolits cast much better, good appearance and very little weight variation. That's just my process. Works fer me.

Regards,
Bill

[Charlie Sometimes]

I'm going to try the white vinegar on my Lee ladle- it is bad about accumulating the film off the top of a pot during a casting session.
I am always "knocking it off" during casting- crud just clings to it.
I used it with Marvelux way back when, too, but the wire brush just isn't enough, and I never thought about soaking it, or for that matter using charcoal to burn it out. Will try both, if necessary.

Some types of crud/dirt will lie on the bottom/sides of the pot and not float or flux out, too. It pays to drain the pot fairly often, and clean it. It insulates the melt if you let a lot build up. I've found gas checks in the bottom of pots that I thought I had stirred, fluxed, and scraped well.

[BPCR Bill]

Just as an experiment last month, I sprayed my ladle with some Frankford Arsenal mould release, a graphite spray. Worked pretty well to keep the dross from attaching itself to the ladle.

Regards,
Bill

[Charlie Sometimes]

After the soak, if still not clean, I will try the charcoal, and then if cured, I will apply the mould release to seal it.

Duh. Sometimes I am so brain dead. I should have thought of either of these ideas long ago. Too busy, I guess. Thanks.

[BPCR Bill]

After the soak, if still not clean, I will try the charcoal, and then if cured, I will apply the mould release to seal it.

Duh. Sometimes I am so brain dead. I should have thought of either of these ideas long ago. Too busy, I guess. Thanks.

Heck Charlie, women have "Hints from Heloise", we got the forum. Maybe we should call this "Bills Ballistic Tips", or maybe "Cussin' & Castin' with Charlie". Maybe it'll get syndicated.:-D

Regards,
Bill

[Charlie Sometimes]

Getting syndicated wouldn't mean we would have to comply with any fool government regulation, would it? :confused:
The Syndicate- Hum-m-m-m. Sounds like government involvement to me. :roll:
That's all I need is THEM teling me how to cast- NO lead for sure. :twisted:

Cussin' & Castin'- I do a LOT of both.

[wallenba]

Buy some 1/8'' steel flat stock at your local hardware store. Cut about a 2'' piece off, put an edge on it ( not too sharp!) with a belt grinder if you have one, or a file and elbow grease will work. Bend it to conform with the inside curve of the pot, then weld on a short piece of the remainder as a handle to one end. This will scrape off better than a spoon or ladle and can get in behind the spout rod if you have a bottom pour pot.

[shooterchris]

Thanks for all of the advise it will all probably be helpful at sometime or another, but I kinda combined a few. I filled the pot with lead, scraped it with the screwdriver with it hot. I skimmed all of the chunks out and drained the pot into ingots. Then I used a flex cord and wire brush on a roto tool with the pot cool. I used the shop vac and sucked out the leftover dust. My pour rate is much better and boolits look great again. Next time I clean it I think I'll try that graphite spray. Thanks again for all the help, and Charlie and Bill you guys got your first loyal listener, but I have to agree with Charlie. Maybe we should stay independent and local.....[smilie=1:

Chris

[Nora]

What I was taught years ago by a friend that got me started in casting was to use a spoon instead of a stick. When ever the mix needs stirred to either keep the alloy mixed or when adding your flux of choice, scrape the sides and bottom with it. By doing this has kept the inside of the pot crud free. I've also had no problems with the drips in either of my Pro 4-10's. That's just what works for me. Keep it scraped out before it builds up.

Nora

[runfiverun]

actually a breadknife with the end flattened works nicely.
long enough to not burn your fingers too.
or an old hacksaw blade bent into a 90 at the last inch.

[Nora]

actually a breadknife with the end flattened works nicely.
long enough to not burn your fingers too.
or an old hacksaw blade bent into a 90 at the last inch.

Why do I keep hearing of things getting to hot to touch or handle? Am I the only one who uses glove wile playing with molten metal? :groner:

[windrider919]

Yes, I am one of those people who handle molten metal,well, lead at least without gloves. Why? Because I found that I am clumsier with gloves. I tried thin leather, cloth, non-slip cloth, general work gloves, etc I even tried some Kevlar gloves from work but they all made me slip and spill on occasion. Yes, I have had a sprue bounce onto me for a second and have had droplets of molten lead land on me creating period sized blisters but nothing like really damaging. There is risk inherent in anything we do in life, after I dropped a full ladle into my lap because I was wearing gloves I decided control without gloves was a better idea than excessive Personal Protective gear that actually caused accidents. I do think that anyone who casts without safety glasses is an idiot though.

[Leadsmith]

For Marvelux you can just put water in the empty pot and heat it up till it steams then clean it out. Takes all the crud away and leaves a clean pot.

Bob

[leadman]

Marvelux kept plugging up the hole in my Lee 10# pot and lots of crud build up.

I now use candle wax with a hardwood dowel in the 10# and 20# pots. The inside of my #20 pot stays clean and I use it not only to cast boolits but to melt lead for my shotmaker.
I don't use the 10# much anymore but it is also cleaner than with Marvelux. Haven't use the wood in it yet though.
I have some soft parafinn wax from a medical pot for treating my hand in. This stuff works great when melting in my large dutch oven.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I put my ladle into the White Vinegar this afternoon- should be clean by morning. I was already getting a white sediment off it when I left the shop this evening. I need to get me another of those ambidextrous Lee ladles just to have as a backup. I'd use one of those RCBS type, but they are not LEFT HANDED!

I'll never use Marvelux again. It's just too humid all year in my locale and it just isn't worth it because of that. If I were out west in that dry air, then it might work differently.

When I used it, it would liquify and bubble, and combine with the dross on top of the pot and once it dried out, the crust would easily scrape off as a solid gray mass. But, I ddin't know it was creeping into all the other places in my pot!

[leadman]

Charlie Sometimes, Marvelux isn't good even here in Phoenix.

[wallenba]

[QUOTE=shooterchris;618420] I used the shop vac and sucked out the leftover dust.

Chris, be very careful about using any kind of vacuum cleaner as lead can get through them and into the air!!

[Charlie Sometimes]

Boy, that white vinegar is working up a storm! It clean the H out of the Lee ladle. I used my Dremel to wire brush it, then sprayed it with the mold release. N-I-C-E. We'll see how that finish holds up now.

I had another small ladle that I use for pouring babbit rivets in knife handles, and thought to clean it up too. It had some light rust on it and some clingers, and NEVER any Marvelux. It has a lot of fine bubbles working off it, and should look pretty good by morning.

Thanks for the idea!

[DLCTEX]

Shop Vac brand of vacs offer dust bags that fit inside the can to catch all the dust particles. They are efficient enough to stop drywall dust from creeping through. They also offer a bag that will filter the finest particles. I use then to vacuum spilled powder without worries of it going through the motor and being sparked.

[shooterchris]

Thanks for the warning, but unfortunately to be as young as I am I have some pretty bad respiratory problems. W hen I built my shop I made sure to put in a top notch ventilation system. I also wear a good respirator anytime i do anything that throws dust in the air, paint, etc. Who sells the Frankfort Arsenal release spray yall are using? As happy as everyone is with this white vinegar, I'm gonna try it on my pot and ladle also. I guess this was a good thread to stare, I had so many respond with great Ideas. Thanks Yall!

[SteelyNirvana]

Boy, that white vinegar is working up a storm! It clean the H out of the Lee ladle. I used my Dremel to wire brush it, then sprayed it with the mold release. N-I-C-E. We'll see how that finish holds up now.


Glad to hear the white vinegar is working out for you :) Just want to mention if you ever have anything really rusty or crusted up, just let it soak for a few days/week, it will come out clean.

I've been soaking a really rusty 20# cast iron pot for about a week now. I've got it in a 5 gallon bucket with 3 gallons of white vinegar in it. The vinegar has turned a real dark brown color ( from the rust). I pulled it out this afternoon and it's just about down to the bare cast. Gonna let it soak another day or two. Then I'm going to rinse it real good and then boil a pot-full of water in it until it all boils/evaporates out. After that I'll be good to go. ( I did this once before with a 10# and it worked great)

[Charlie Sometimes]

Midway sells that graphite mold release. I have a can, but don't have many uses for it. Some people use it to shrink the size of their boolits by a thousandth or so by spraying multiple coats into their molds if they cast too much over size. I use it for a dry lubricant in the tracks of my sliding patio door occasionally, too!

[Dragoon 45]

I put my ladle into the White Vinegar this afternoon- should be clean by morning. I was already getting a white sediment off it when I left the shop this evening. I need to get me another of those ambidextrous Lee ladles just to have as a backup. I'd use one of those RCBS type, but they are not LEFT HANDED!

I'll never use Marvelux again. It's just too humid all year in my locale and it just isn't worth it because of that. If I were out west in that dry air, then it might work differently.

When I used it, it would liquify and bubble, and combine with the dross on top of the pot and once it dried out, the crust would easily scrape off as a solid gray mass. But, I ddin't know it was creeping into all the other places in my pot!

I like the Lyman ladle and it can be set up for either right or left hand use.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I like the Lyman ladle and it can be set up for either right or left hand use.

I didn't know that- I will see if I can locate one.

Got a picture that shows?