Dumb question but here goes. . . .

[awaveritt]

My new lee 20# pro 4 pot came last night and the instructions say precious little about the bottom pour valve adjustment.

Before I pour my first pot of precious alloy all over my workbench, are there any tricks to adjusting the set-screw and rod?

[fredj338]

There really isn't an adjustment. Make sure the pot spout is clean, any grit will hold the spout rod open & that is how you get leaks. Always keep the pot at least half full when shutting down. This prevents grit from getting into the spout. Mine hardly ever leaks, ever.

[sqlbullet]

My 10# lee pot isn't adjustable, but my 20# sure is. There is a screw at the top of the assembly. It regulates how high the plunger will get pulled up when you lift the wooden knob.

I have not tried adjusting it to it's ranges however. I don't think it can be adjusted high enough to allow flow even with the knob is down, but am not sure.

fredj338 is right though. Make sure the pot is clean, fill and heat and then don't let it empty. I always shut mine down full of lead, flluxed. I use an old shoe brush to brush the 'crud' off the lead before I turn it on the next time..

[Bert2368]

I just started to use this pot too. Here's what I have learned so far-

The screw raises or lowers the rod, start with the rod adjusted so it BARELY opens, have an ingot mould or a metal can under the spout to catch any escape and go for it.

Keep the screwdriver near to hand to adjust the valve and turn the rod if it starts to leak due to crud getting onto the seat. A small pair of vice grips clamped to the top of the rod allows you to turn it easily and increases closing force if things are going poorly- Expect it to leak a little on startup, I have also needed to hit the spout with a propane torch on low to get it going after re-starting. Find a paper clip or other steel wire that fits the bore of the spout for clearing debris BEFORE you start, you're going to need it occasionaly.

If you're using scrap or recycled materials, don't smelt it in your nice new bottom pour pot, it may crud up the valve.

[awaveritt]

sqlbullet: I have not tried adjusting it to it's ranges however. I don't think it can be adjusted high enough to allow flow

this is sort of where I was going with my question. Because actually when I unpacked the pot the valve handle/rod assembly was adjusted so as not to allow any movement in the handle - which caused me to go screwing around with it before I knew how it worked. Now I have it adjusted so that it will travel the entire possible range of motion. Probably overthinking this but just want to make sure it's idiot-proof :mrgreen:

[HORNET]

You probably don't want that valve to open all the way on the first try. you'd be amazed just how fast that lead'll come out, all over everything before you can get it shut again. Start where it'll just open a little, then try it and adjust as indicated.

[awaveritt]

Thanks Hornet. This is what I was wondering. I'll fiddle with it some more when I get home - before I fire it up!!!!:wink:

[Jim]

Turning the adjustment screw clockwise reduces the flow, counter clockwise increases flow. just like the valve on the hose faucet.

[lwknight]

You do not want the valve wide open when the pot is more than 1/3 full. Yout lead will spue and splatter into oblivian instead of the mold. Once you get it set where you have a nice slow stream, you can open it more as the pot level lowers.

I get better casts not filling the mold too fast too.

[Rockchucker]

Make sure you have some kinda catch pan under the spout, I use an ingot mold for this and seems to work quite well.

[dromia]

The only dumb question is the one not asked.

We are all ignorant, just about different things.

[Phat Man Mike]

you should have seen the mess my brother made on his wife's table! :mrgreen: he got to twisting and turning the set screw and it ran wide open and dumped 1/2 full pot every where! he was new and got in a hurry when it was melted on the top and not coming out the spout! I told him not to do it on the table so oh well...:redneck:

[Bert2368]

Dang, I never would have had the fur to try smelting on SWMBO's dining room table!

[Phat Man Mike]

Dang, I never would have had the fur to try smelting on SWMBO's dining room table!

:bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2:
true but very funny!!

[montana_charlie]

The only dumb question is the one not asked.
You are more tolerant than I.
Every now and then I see one for which I don't know any other term that adequately describes it.

CM

[Suo Gan]

I am a teacher, and see that some kids are good at math, others history, others p.e. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the students who ask questions are the ones who are interested in learning. Beautiful!!!! Or as they say, priceless!!! Foolish men hoard their knowledge as if it is their own, without the ability to understand we stand on the shoulders of greater men that came before. I hope that I never stop asking questions, and always have a young, eager mind. I wish you the same.

[awaveritt]

Thanks for all your replies. I did in fact cast my first 250 boolits tonight with the new pot and the whole process worked flawlessly. I followed the advice of several of the posters and it really was very straigtforward.

I guess I'll have to put that ladle out to pasture. :grin:

[docone31]

Once you get your pour rate established, and you will at first re-adjust your pour rate, it will rust in place. Literally.
Another factor that happens, the bolt that supports the spout assembly will loosen at some point.
It will start as an hard to move spout handle, then it will get down right picky.
It is the bolt that goes into the pot. It needs to be tightened. The heating and cooling cycles loosen it up.

[HORNET]

Don't put that ladle too far out in the pasture. You'll probably end up some day with a mold/alloy combination that just doesn't want to run right out of the bottom pour. Long,skinny rifle boolits and big BPCR slugs come to mind. You'd be surprised how well some of those will cast with a ladle but much poorer with a BP pot. Endless source of disagreement on here.

[TAWILDCATT]

I have never in 76 yrs had a mold that would not make good bullets with a BP pot
sometimes you have to hold the mold to the spout others adjust the flow.I started with a ladle because there were no other way.when I figured out a way to get a pot I took it.I guess there are those who are mechanicly inclined and those who are great educative.[thinkers].we need both.

[sqlbullet]

awaveritt,

You may find the different molds like different flow rates. I get better bullets in smaller pistol bullets with a slower flow.

[HORNET]

I use both depending on what I'm casting. A BP works well for multi-cavity pistol molds but my reaction times aren't fast enough to use a BP for 37 grain .22's.

[sniper]

you should have seen the mess my brother made on his wife's table! :mrgreen: he got to twisting and turning the set screw and it ran wide open and dumped 1/2 full pot every where! he was new and got in a hurry when it was melted on the top and not coming out the spout! I told him not to do it on the table so oh well...:redneck:


Ohhhh...DANG!!!:shock: But, showin's better than tellin'.

That's why it does not pay to play "Bubba" with new equipment. "Bubba":where he (you?) turn it on, turn all knobs, screws & fittings full right, then full left, and if nothing blows, declare it "good to go"!

If all he ended up with is buying his wife a new table, and sleeping on the sofa for a couple of nights, he got away easy!:mrgreen: Oh boy!

The ONLY dumb question is the one I can't answer!;)