New Lee Production pot Now what.. Help

[Tom_et]

I bought and should arrive tomorrow a

Lee Production Pot Four Furnace 110 Volt
A large, deep pot with 10 pound capacity. Infinite heat control with 500 watts of power. Melt time is less than 20 minutes. Features a large, stable base for added safety and a generous 4" of clearance under the spout to accept all brands of bullet molds and most sinker molds. 110 Volt Only
Is there any Break-in or anything I should do
I am New NEW new to Melting Casting and all, I have ladled about 500 to 800
bullets so far using WW and I figured the pot may help out my Rhythm so I can get a Better Grain weight I was getting as much as 10+ grain difference on my 45 cast so I was thing turkey fryer and mold with Fluctuating Temps weren't doing me any good
I then was watching the fro sale I saw one and It sold for 6 dollars Less than
what I could get a New one delivered from Midway, SO I did just that Now
I was wondering if the old one had something that made it go for that
any Help appreciated

Thanks
Tommyt

[Crash_Corrigan]

Three things will help you keep your boolits at the same weight.

Get a decent thermometer. It is vital for smelting and casting.


Clean alloy. Make sure that you flux the smelted lead well. With a thermometer make sure that the mix does not get above 700 degrees. Zinc melts at 740 and if you keep the temp less than 700 you can easily remove oprhan ww's from the mix if they do not melt and keep your alloy pure. Sawdust or chain saw cut wood will provide an excellent flux.

Get a small pair of vice grips at Harbor Freight and attach them vertically on the end of the op rod. This will give you a leak free pot and allow you to control the flow of the alloy much better than that little wooden knob. Keep the alloy at about 700 to 750 degrees and depending on the size of the boolits you are casting fill the pot as follows:

For large boolits like my 695 gr Creedmoor BCPR rounds I fill the pot 3/4 full. This allows a rapid fill and less voids on these bigger boolits. It can take a fast flow.

For smaller boolits only fill the pot 1/2 way to 2/3 and refill at 1/4 full. This will slow down the flow and you can control it with the vice grips.

For small boolits like a 380 or 9 MM or .38 only fill the pot 1/3 full as you will need precise control of the alloy flow unless you like alloy splashed all over the place.

Take your time and do not rush things. Look up Bruce B's speedcasting methodology and he does not rush but he does produce an amazing amount of boolits by working smart. Speed will come when you are smooth and are totally comfortable with the process. Do not forget safety glasses, long sleeved shirts, long pants, boots and gloves if you like. I do not wear gloves but I have been doing this for 16 years and I have yet to be burned.

A 10 lb pot is a tease. Go out and get a Lee 4-20 pot. Cast with that one. Keep the 10 pounder on a shelf above the 20 lbs pot for melting alloy and feed the big pot with the smaller one. Transfer the alloy with a piece of steel channel and let the lead flow.

Preheat your ingots on the edge of the pot and maintain the alloy level and keep the temps as described above. You need to control the flow of the alloy, control the temps of both the alloy and your mold and focus on what you are doing. No TV, alcohol and certainly no pets nor kids and females around unless you plan on putting them to work. Cats are bad news around molten metal...very curious and sometime just plain stupid just like some people.

Once you start getting good results you are hooked and there is no hope for you. You will rush to range and just blast away just trying to free up cases for more of your boolits. It is a disease.

I use a tray of water, sponge and a rag to cool down the 6 bangers and I dump my boolits into a 5 gallon bucket of cold water with a large handful of packing peanuts floating on the top. No splashing and no deformed boolits.

[Tom_et]

Crash
I appreciate the information and will apply
So do you think /are you saying the lighter bullets I have are from voids inside the bullet
If so thats a Though I also will keep
The first and only 3 cast sessions I made very nice 357's first cast 2nd my 45 was going
so ,so but it started to come apart so I went with my 357 mold and made a few more
I came on here and looked and asked I took my 45 locked the pins and went on to cast #3
I also do this I have taken a heavy cloth and Bungee it above a 5 gal bucket I push it down in the center and have a slit when I cast I turn and drop the Boolit in the cloth it roles into the water below
I am a systematize person I call it being efficient my son will tell you Dad doesn't waste steps when you are walking by do-it if your bending down pick it up any way I am a not about wasting steps
I am trying to get the cast in Rhythm but because I am new I'm watching looking at each and every step
I took the bucket and put it a 8 o'clock the pot at 3 this way I turn some but NO WATER nor
splash near the Melt The 45's just where WORK don't know what I was or wasn't doing but the were Long and hard to make
I'm going to leement the die before next cast
BTW both mine are lee and seem to throw good Boolits if I do my part

Thanks
Tommyt

[DLCTEX]

I don't smelt in my casting pot (Lee 10# and Lyman 20#) and run my melt hotter than Crash does. I also preheat my moulds by dipping a corner in the melt, also preheat the sprue plate this way. Experiment to find what your mould and pot want to cast well. I fill the pot when casting any size boolit and control flow by how much I lift the handle. Some boolits work better if pressure cast by holding the sprue plate against the nozzle, then moving away just a bit to let a puddle form so there isn't a pit in the base of the boolit. If the 45 mould was new it may have had oil contamination in it. Those aluminum moulds can be a pain to get all of it out.

[Master Mariner]

Every one of those posts were just perfect and I would like to add:
Take the time to sort through the WW. I get mine for free from my BMW dealer and about half are Zinc or non-lead. Midway replaced my first 10 pound Lee, due to a faulty thermostat. I wouldn't have known the cause of my dripping and clogging if I didn't get the RCBS thermometer.
My new pot may occasionally have a small drip and never clogs, since I got the Zinc out of my mix by staying at 700 degrees and sorting out the Zinc invaders.
Another source of free lead for me is from the dirt backstop at my outdoor range. The soil is sooo rich with spent bullets that in 20 minutes my SIL and I got enough to come out with 30 pounds of ingots. You can bet that the alloy of these bullets is suitable for most purposes.

[jimmeyjack]

:holysheep:confused:

[grages]

Crash,

I thought the first thing you would tell him to get was mold handles![smilie=l:

Shawn


Three things will help you keep your boolits at the same weight.

Get a decent thermometer. It is vital for smelting and casting.


Clean alloy. Make sure that you flux the smelted lead well. With a thermometer make sure that the mix does not get above 700 degrees. Zinc melts at 740 and if you keep the temp less than 700 you can easily remove oprhan ww's from the mix if they do not melt and keep your alloy pure. Sawdust or chain saw cut wood will provide an excellent flux.

Get a small pair of vice grips at Harbor Freight and attach them vertically on the end of the op rod. This will give you a leak free pot and allow you to control the flow of the alloy much better than that little wooden knob. Keep the alloy at about 700 to 750 degrees and depending on the size of the boolits you are casting fill the pot as follows:

For large boolits like my 695 gr Creedmoor BCPR rounds I fill the pot 3/4 full. This allows a rapid fill and less voids on these bigger boolits. It can take a fast flow.

For smaller boolits only fill the pot 1/2 way to 2/3 and refill at 1/4 full. This will slow down the flow and you can control it with the vice grips.

For small boolits like a 380 or 9 MM or .38 only fill the pot 1/3 full as you will need precise control of the alloy flow unless you like alloy splashed all over the place.

Take your time and do not rush things. Look up Bruce B's speedcasting methodology and he does not rush but he does produce an amazing amount of boolits by working smart. Speed will come when you are smooth and are totally comfortable with the process. Do not forget safety glasses, long sleeved shirts, long pants, boots and gloves if you like. I do not wear gloves but I have been doing this for 16 years and I have yet to be burned.

A 10 lb pot is a tease. Go out and get a Lee 4-20 pot. Cast with that one. Keep the 10 pounder on a shelf above the 20 lbs pot for melting alloy and feed the big pot with the smaller one. Transfer the alloy with a piece of steel channel and let the lead flow.

Preheat your ingots on the edge of the pot and maintain the alloy level and keep the temps as described above. You need to control the flow of the alloy, control the temps of both the alloy and your mold and focus on what you are doing. No TV, alcohol and certainly no pets nor kids and females around unless you plan on putting them to work. Cats are bad news around molten metal...very curious and sometime just plain stupid just like some people.

Once you start getting good results you are hooked and there is no hope for you. You will rush to range and just blast away just trying to free up cases for more of your boolits. It is a disease.

I use a tray of water, sponge and a rag to cool down the 6 bangers and I dump my boolits into a 5 gallon bucket of cold water with a large handful of packing peanuts floating on the top. No splashing and no deformed boolits.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I am still trying to live that down and you went and dragged up that old posting of mine. How am I gonna get any traction with newbies around here with veteran casters dragging up my lurid past.

I agree with the dipping the mold into the alloy as I have yet to warp a mold. However I will say the the MIHEC 6 banger in .44 runs really hot and requires me to sizzle it on a wet rag on every other casting. On the flow thing I must have two lousy Lee pots. That adjustment screw is about impossible to use and I regulate the flow by the level of alloy in the pot....it works for me!

I have the NOE mold for my .223 and I plan to use my pot to cast those tiny little boolits and maybe I will ladle them critters.

Someday I will get the RCBS two hundred and something dollar pot but that time is a long ways away.

[454PB]

Most casters will tell you to get the 20 pound Pro-4-20, including me.

However, my first bottom pour pot was the 10 pounder, that's all Lee made back then.

I now have two of the 10 pounders, one has the pour spout brazed shut for ladle casting. The other is used for small lots or very light boolits. 10 pounds of 55 grain .224 boolits is a lot of boolits!

My recommendation is to have both a 10 and a 20 pounder.

[Frozone]

:groner: [smilie=l:

Oh, I'd be more likely to say it's the yellow stain in front. :kidding:
Now California ................

[geargnasher]

:groner: [smilie=l:

Oh, I'd be more likely to say it's the yellow stain in front. :kidding:
Now California ................

Now don't pick on California, they soon won't have enough guns or ammunition left in the state to defend themselves!

Gear

[grages]

I am still trying to live that down and you went and dragged up that old posting of mine. How am I gonna get any traction with newbies around here with veteran casters dragging up my lurid past.



Crash, I wasn't being mean. That post is always at the top of the Classics & Stickies. And whenever I'm down I go read it. It's just too funny.

In my book your the MAN!

Shawn

[roverboy]

A friend of mine has one and likes it a lot.

[fredj338]

I started w/ the 10#BP. It is now relegated to casting 25-1 alloy for LHP. I have beend running a 20#P4 for a few years now & it works just as well. No problems w/ leaking, just keep it at least half full when you turn it off & do NOT smelt in it. Those two reasons are why the Lee pots leak. I know, I used to smelt & run my 10# near dry, not anymore & no leaks since.

[RKJ]

I just got the LEE 20 lb Production pot from Midway and while I haven't done much with it, it seems fine. So far no drips, I use clean ingots and flux quite a bit (I was surprised by how much junk was in the pot, I thought they were very clean). I'm casting 9mm, 44 and soon will get a mold for the .45. I'm using LEE moulds right now but am going to get the Lyman 429421 and I'm not sure which .45. Back on subject, I think the LEE pot is pretty darn good for it's price. Mine likes the temps hot, but that is most likely me still being a rookie and needing to play with it a little but it casts nice looking bullets. I think you'll like it.

[Master Mariner]

When you are finished casting or smelting, leave the Lee 10 pounder at least 1/3 full and use a thermometer to check temperature and keep in below 750 F.
I smelt, I cast and use range lead and WW. I sort out the obvious Zinc WW and toss them.
Since I started using the above-listed cautions, I have not had any drips or clogs in my Lee 10 pound pot. Remember to flux regularly !

[Jon]

That's what I have. I think that's a little more than I paid, but I'm sure the prices have gone up in the last few years.
The 10lb pot is pretty good for most things. I would recommend only using it for ingots if you can. Trying to smelt wheel weights or other scrap is pretty slow going with this pot. It will work, but plan on spending alot of time waiting for things to heat up and melt.

I find that 10lbs doesn't go very far when casting 45, but it's a good pot to start with. It's small, stores easily, and works pretty well. I put a piece of 2x4 underneath to support the mold a little closer to the spout. It seems to keep the splashing down, and helps with consistency. If you're using a 6 cavity mold, I work from one end to the other without stopping the pour. You will end up with one long piece after cutting the sprue, but this tends to yield the most consistent bullets.

[Tom_et]

Jon and all others Thanks and keep um Coming
I will not be using this to smelt I have a nice sized cast Iron Pot to clean the ww the first time around then I make ingot
#2? of this post
I use for ingots 10" X 1" angle Iron so If or when the Pot is lets say 1/2 full or 1/2 Empty
I take and stand a 10" ingot in it (YES I will have the Pot anchored so it won't tip
Do you Guys think this will cool the Cast down to much to keep casting Or can I keep
going and maybe just slow down on the Rhythm
Thanks
Tommyt

[shadygrady]

do not toss zinc trade it to me for lead

[gunoil]

buy a rcbs pro melt and high quality molds. But like said above, learn how to pick thru ww's.